Boquete, Dead Wheat, The Bike Grinder, and why the Peace Corps Smashes the Competition

I'm writing from 400k plus custom style home on a ranch with a sustainable aquaponics greenhouse, poultry farm, and complete machining and welding shop. The owners, Steve and his family, have invited me here to work on my now failed project of creating a bike that can peddle cacao into liquid form. To be fair, we had no idea what we were doing, had almost no resources, and tried to make the damn thing out of wood. I'm glad Steve didn't laugh at the pictures I showed him of our version. Steve's home base for his business, Dead Wheat, and his home, is probably the nicest home I've been to in Panama besides the Ambassadors residence. It makes sense though because Steve designed and built not only this house, but most of the houses around him and also works on big development projects within the country. It's a nice place and Boquete is a really nice town, but the overwhelming amount of gringos leave me longing to return to my community.

Steve working his magic

On another note, my stomach is full of Chicken Soup and that is good. I haven't been able to eat much as I got sick again and ended up in the Hospital for the 5th time in 5 months. They say I have a bacterial infection including globs of yeast in my digestive track. Hmm. Ok. Well I got my customary antibiotics and needless IV of fluids and hopped into Steve's truck to catch a ride back up with him to his house/shop in Boquete. It might sound like I'm talking a little too much about Steve and his house and shop and family, but there is good reason for all this. He has not only took time out of his busy (and I mean so-busy-that-people-need-to-wait-in-line-to-talk-to-me busy) schedule to design, and construct this project, he is funding the entire thing and probably missing out on things that could actually make him money instead of spending it. Dead Wheat is a non-profit NGO and he does love this type of engineering meets sustainable jungle living work so I guess there are a list of reasons he would help me with this project, but I still think he is way too humble about the whole thing.

Which brings me to my next point. There are too many gringos out here thinking they are doing "development" work. Of course there is going to always be bad apples, but I'm not sure that many of these people are qualified to be running a Burger King let alone trying to impose their version of development onto unsuspecting and always willing to take anything they can people. Sometimes nothing is better than something and this has been proven over and over again. Just read one case study and you will know what I mean. That's called "research". But I don't expect these people to read case studies. I expect them to think that because they are from a "developed" nation, they therefore must be an expert on what is best for the people whom have nothing or close to it. I expect them to think that imposing their ideas upon an unsuspecting people can only help them because they must know nothing. I could draw a parallel to the missionaries that came through here years ago and built churches with one book in them instead of schools with many, but that might draw some heat so I wont go there. Where I will go is into the fact that if you think you are going into any indigenous community to "volunteer" for any time less than a month and you are not there to provide health care or education, it would be better off if you did nothing. History has proved this, case studies have proved this, I can prove this, and the Peace Corps has proved this. And yes, I'm saying that the Peace Corps really does do their homework and is why it is one of the best volunteer programs out there for third world countries.

I know you might be a little weary that a US government agency could actually do something right, but let me assure you, and my B.A. from my state college can back me up on this, they have their shit together. In fact it is so together that if a program looks like it is not making a big enough impact or has weak leadership, it gets pulled. As in the case with the program I'm in and that will no longer be after my group.

In summary, Steve is a bad-ass and is doing some really good things to improve the lives of the poor indigenous in this country in a sustainable way. Go to Deadwheat.com and tell him he rocks. The bike project should be in beta this week and if it works, they should get enough use out it to sell enough ground cacao to buy any type of grinder they wish in the future. I'm sick again. Panama hates my colon. There are a lot of people down here working under the umbrella of "aid" that are either just looking to make a buck, are feeling bad that they live on what was once Indian land, or want to boost their ego. And my official opinion on the Peace Corps at this point in time is that it kicks every other organizations ass. USAID seems to be doing some good stuff too...

Notes: I would like to note that without the donations and work of many other small organizations and private donors, much of our work would be impossible. These groups include Rotary, Dead Wheat, some gringos on the island that wish to be anonymous I'm guessing, and the many semi-organized and funded government organizations in Panama. I can honestly say that the people and organizations trusting Peace Corps Volunteers with donation money are trusting it with the correct people. We have no other agenda and if we take a penny we are terminated from our jobs. Thank you for your continued support.