Windward Island Games

Every year the 4 islands of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada send teams from their secondary schools (Jr. High & High School equivalent) to compete in a series of sports for a week. This year's games were held in Grenada, so my volleyball friends and I assisted as referees, score & statistics keepers, and line judges in the volleyball portions of the competition. Grenada has just recently been revamping the volleyball programs in its schools so this was a great opportunity for the athletes to be challenged and see their potential.

HOPE-PALS Summer Camp

Thanks to a PEPFAR grant (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), I was able to organize a 3-day overnight camp for the children of the Hope-Pals members. We had sports, arts & crafts, sessions on sexuality and personal development, a puppet show on HIV/AIDS, taekwondo lessons, a movie night, and then our final day at the beach. It was stressful bringing it all together, but oh so worth the effort when a few of the kids said this was their first time at summer camp and one child even told me, "I was scared to come to camp, but now I think this is the most fun I ever had." I grew so attached to them within the first few hours and was so humbled to have them trusted in my care.

Dr. Marianne Szauer leading a session on HIV/AIDS with the puppets...
me & the kids...
Beach Day at Grand Anse...

Our Franka becomes Senator the Honourable Franka Bernardine.

Since NDC won the elections, they've been selecting a cabinet of ministers and have asked Grenada's Peace Corps Director to be the Minister of Education! We're incredibly sad to see her go, but this is such an amazing opportunity for her and the children of Grenada that we can't help but be happy for her. She later told us she had to rush out to buy a fancy hat just for the Swearing In Ceremony...

Farewell EC 76!

In honor of the previous group of volunteers who are finishing their 2 years of service, we made oil-down (Grenada's national dish) and had a bonfire on the beach to say our goodbyes. It's so weird to think that once they leave, we're going to be holding down the fort. We'll miss you Eastern Caribbean 76!

Firstly my birthday, Secondly elections

Well...I'm on lock-down right now. It's really not as fun as it sounds. And I'm officially old.

Good news is that I have a phone and I can still have visitors...after they vote of course.

My Quarter-Life Crisis

Happy 4th of July! It was pretty funny trying to celebrate an American holiday while no one around us seemed to get excited with us. :) A bunch of us Americans gathered together and had a BBQ at our friend's house, and then went out afterward to celebrate my 25th birthday (since Grenada's Election Day is stealing my thunder on July 8 and we Peace Corps Volunteers are supposed to be on house arrest that day). I couldn't have asked for a better night with friends, getting spoiled with margaritas and dancing til the bar closed. Thank you to everyone who came out for the madness!