Charlie’s Last Few Months: The Cliff's Notes Edition

I present the Peace Corps DR history map to attendees at the 50th Anniversary conference

A lot has changed since my last blog post. Here’s a brief outline of developments since Spring:

• Problems persisted with my property managers failing to pay the power bill toward which I so faithfully furnished my share every month.
• There was an electrical fire late at night, during which I had the good fortune to be awake and able to exit the building before it flooded with smoke.
• My relationship with the Scouts gradually fell apart.
• I began to foster a budding relationship with the public library in Moca’s town center.
• In the month that followed the fire, I began canvassing for a new apartment, eventually discovering a charming family whose Mocan matriarch now rents me a room four blocks from the library.
• I finally managed to form a group of about seven youths after visiting about six classrooms, each contain more than 30 high school students.
• Observing my efforts with the youth group, my coworker at the library notified his regional supervisor. Together the three of us planned and promoted a six-week course for more than 30 computer lab supervisors from all around the Moca area, some of whom come from as far as an hour away every Saturday to participate in my workshops. It is presently in week 4.
• Faced with the threat of its computer lab being reclaimed by the country’s public computer lab authority, the Scouts have renewed their commitment with me, forming a two month schedule of trainings for certain members of the scout group.

MEANWHILE…

• Nate, a fellow Peace Corps volunteer was networking with potential hosts for his med school residency when he discovered that La Clínica de Familia in La Romana could use an IT specialist to help them with their patient records system.
• Having been introduced to me during my visit to Punta Cana last Christmas, Nate put me in touch with personnel from the clinic who have since had me out for a tour and interview and petitioned Peace Corp to solicit my service. I am tentatively scheduled to begin there in mid-September.

Me and my latest round of students, computer lab attendants from all over the Moca area.