A Developing Country

When I went home to Massachusetts this January after 1 ½ years away, I was very happy to see that almost everything in my hometown was exactly the same.  In fact, the most controversial change was that Rutland’s Christmas tree was cut down.

I have been living in the most impoverished Indian Reservation in Panama for two years.  Considering only about 10% of adults here are even taxpayers, I sure have seen a lot of government-funded development.  In contrast to my hometown, it is all considered positive.  

Roads:

Big changes.When I arrived in November 2010, the road that reaches the primary school was inaccessible and muddy.  Thus we all entered the community through another paved road, and then walked for an hour.  The next year, this road was partially repaired and a new road was cut right past my house, connecting the primary school with the high school, which is an hour’s walk away.

What one rainy season does to the road.

The following rainy season, both roads became almost impassable again, but public transport was generally available up to the primary school.  This year, the entire road to the school was once again repaired and then covered with gravel so that it is does not get muddy anymore.  This is a huge investment in keeping the road passable year round.  This is the first rainy season ever that the ambulance can reach the primary school, as well as non-4WD vehicles.

School:

The local primary school is blowing up due to massive population growth.  The advantage is that larger schools are granted specialized teachers.  Since 2010, the school has grown from 9 to 14teachers, including a gym (P.E.), English (she won’t talk to me), and agriculture teacher.  One classroom has been added on, as well as several makeshift modular classrooms. 

New classroom and basketball court!

Health Center:

An addition was built on the health center that doubled it in size.  There has been no increase in the 1 staff member though, so I doubt its impact thus far.  It’s pretty though.

Technology:

This year, the President started a One Laptop for Every Child program for all high school students in 10^th through 12^th grade.  In June the students started bringing home laptops on weekends and I gave them a few basic tutorials.  Soon enough this program has enabled families around my community (no electricity) to watch illegally downloaded movies every weekend!

This bridge is on the To Re-Develop list.  Most of those planks have rotted away by now.

Stores:

This is all related to the improvement in roads.  All stores are operated out of houses. When I first arrived, I had to walk for 10 minutes and cross a stream to find the nearest store selling basic items.  Two years later, 2 of my next door neighbors have extremely basic stores.  I walk 1 more minute to reach a decent store, and a total of 4 minutes to hit a top-notch store [it sells exotic items like eggs and flour!].  Talk about competition.

 

Running Water:

The aqueduct project that I helped work on last year was government funded .  It currently benefits 9 households.

Babies

 Oh, so many.  I will crunch out the birth rate statistic one of these days. 

This baby Gabriel came home from the hospital weighing 4 pounds!

Granted, my community is only 1 village away from the border of the Reservation, so it will be another few decades before these changes will reach up into many parts of the Comarca.Nonetheless, way to go, Panamanian Government.