My First Two Weeks in Indian Creek (and a little of Pre-Service Training)

Hey everybody! I've finally got around to making my first Blog Post. I hope you enjoy reading what I have to say for the next two years!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Summer and I am a Peace Corps Belize volunteer in beautiful Belize. Be One Belize, the title of my blog, refers to the“Belize Health One” class. The 2013-2015 cohort is the first to re-enter Belize after Peace Corps held a one year hiatus to revamp their programs; meaning no new Volunteers entered Belize last year. However, Peace Corps has officially been in Belize sine 1962 and celebrated their 50^th anniversary last year! The Belize Health One project is an exciting new initiative who’s goals are to promote women and children's health and non-communicable disease mitigation through the use of health education in accordance with the Belize Ministry of Health. I am very enthusiastic of what it has to offer!

A little background info: Belize is a small but beautifully rich, diverse country with a variety of cultures and traditions. Throughout the land you will find a mix of Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, East Indians, Chinese and Mennonite. The country is divided into six districts: Corozal to the north, Orange Walk to the north west, Belize City to the east, Cayo to the west, Stan Creek to the south east, and last but not least Toledo in the south. My last two months had consisted of Pre-Service Training in Valley of Peace in the Cayo district. I lived with a Q'eqchi Maya family in a cohune leaf thatched house. My host family was big; my host mother (46 years old) and host father (51 years old) only spoke Q'eqchi and Spanish, and nine (out of twelve total) siblings spoke Q'eqchi, Spanish and English. Interestingly as a former British Colony, English is in fact the official language of Belize, although Spanish and Creole are also largely spoken; schools therefore, are taught in English. Unfortunately because of is, the Q'eqchi people are struggling with the preservation of their language as it is only spoken and not formerly written; older Q'eqchi folks have expressed their concern of younger generations shying away from Q'eqchi in pursuit of Creole or Spanish. Although I was surprised at first to be placed in a Q'eqchi village since I have 6 prior years of Spanish, I have now found beauty in this localized language and feel lucky to be learning (trying to learn...maybe struggling a bit haha) it.

My Valley of Peace Host Family

In Valley of Peace, 16 other Peace Corps Volunteers and I had been undergoing 10 ½ weeks of health technical and intensive language training. Just a little over two weeks ago now on September 6^th,we took our oath at swear in, magically transforming us from Peace Corps Trainees to Peace Corps Volunteers! That same day five of us made a 5 to 8 hour, dumpy bus journey down paved and dirt roads to the remote Mayan villages of the south, while others made a similar trip to Mestizo communities in Orange Walk, and few traveled to the sandy beaches and blue Caribbean Sea of the San Pedro and Caye Caulker islands.

Indian Creek in the Toledo District will be my new home for the next two years :-) It is a small Q'eqchi Maya village with a population of 700-800 people. Farming and tourism are the main source of income, as the village spans 3 miles alongside the Southern highway, while cutting across the mountainous jungles of the south. The village is also home to a Mayan Ruin, Nim Li Punit (meaning “big hat” in Q'eqchi), one of many tourist attractions. Farmers mainly produce corn, cacao (cocoa bean), fruit and vegetables. Milpas, the Q'eqchi term for farms, occupy the land behind each residence. Farmers either own or lease land.

Currently, the village has no electricity, although the primary school and some homes have solar panels. Most homes though, use small solar lamps at night and to charge little amenities such as phones, flashlights, etc. There are two water systems; one derived from the creeks and one government funded well-system. The village, as you may have guessed, received its name from the vast amount of creeks that beautify the land behind each property. Luckily for each home, there is a small piece of heaven only a 2 minute walk down a little, dirt path where people go to bathe and do laundry. I have grown very found of the creek already. The sound of the cool, running water and the lush, green forest circling you is quite tranquil and refreshing. It almost makes me question why anyone would want a washing machine or indoor shower, especially on hot, humid days when you're submerged in the cold water of the creek.

The Creek behind my house (this photo does not do it justice!)

Luckily for me, I've been in Indian Creek about 2 weeks and it already feels like home! My family here is almost as big as my family in Valley of Peace; there are my host parents, John and Isabella Rash, and my 10 brothers and sisters! Since many villagers are farmers, families tend to be bigger; the more hands there are, the more work getting done. There are three girls and seven boys in my family ranging from 1 to 24 years old. Nine of them live in the same, thatched roof house as me, while two live with our grandparents only a stones throw away. All except the baby, and one brother who graduated high school (and is now working) are in school. My host father is a farmer and my host mother mans the home, as well as serves as the chair-lady of a woman's group. Overall, they are a very loving group of people with a great sense of humor and I am excited to spend the next two years with them (I will post a picture soon)! I think, no doubt, they are going to be good ones :-) 

Until next time!