SWBA-Llano Ñopo

Llano Ñopo

I would like to give you a quick intro into Llano Ñopo, where you’ll be staying and what you’ll be doing while you are here volunteering.

First I’d like to thank you for your involvement in this project.

Llano Ñopo is in the middle of no where.  It has become a hub for many communities for food, products and education.  This is mostly due to it being located at the end of the road.  People will walk for many hours to buy products from vendors who set up their trucks at the end of the road.  At the roads end there is a long cable bridge which people walk across to access the village and beyond.  Before the bridge was built people would forge the river to get to Llano Ñopo but after the community priest, P. Moises Gonzalez, was swept away by the currents and drowned  was the bridge built and dedicated to him.

As many of you know, our involvement with this village is due to the on going work of Betty Gray.  She and her late husband committed to helping the people of Llano Ñopo through the ongoing work of the Boquete Rotary club and we have come along side that effort to offer both physical and technical support.

When walking through Llano Ñopo one would think it is mostly made up of children. This is due Llano Ñopo having the only school for the distant villages.  These village are as much as three or four hours walk one way for the children so many stay in the village through the week only to return home on weekends.  For this reason, Betty and Rotary Club are building dorms for the students. This is the beginning of the work as the increase in school capacity also puts stress on the lacking infrastructure.  Access to food is a problem that will need to be addressed. Water capacity is also a problem.  The town often runs out of water. This is where you guys come in with your increased water capacity project.

Gilrs Dorms

One of the workers here named Señora Mirna will be organizing the local support for our stay. Her and Padre Nicanor Jiminez will be on site and helping organize the work. Mirna told us that she works from six in the morning to eleven at night every day.  And believe it or not, this is a thank less job. She shared with us stories of her interactions with the students.  Apart from general education, cultural differences and crippling cultural patterns  are slow to change but a full time job of offering alternatives that are rarely accepted. You will be given an opportunity to hear her and Padre Nicanor speak about these things and ask questions while you are here. You may be given information that will upset you coming from your  set of cultural norms but it will be an opportunity to expand your global awareness and understanding.

Girls Dorms

At first glance things look so wrong but then, if you begin to see have the ability to see and remove your cultural lenses through which you see the world, you may find what is right is somewhere in the midst of our combined extremes. If nothing else it will leave room for some good debriefing, eh?

When you are here will be staying at the student residence, also dedicated to P. Moises Gonzalez,  When you are here they will be on break so the dorms will not be occupied.  You’ll get to sleep in the same rooms as the students from distant villages. These are all fairly new facilities which are still in process of being constructed. We will be able to help on multiple levels.

Dining Hall

Dining Hall and Kitchen

There is a nice dining hall here at  the student residence which serves as the common area where we will have our discussions and just hang out.

Water Project

The water project has taken shape for your group as a catchment system on the new buildings.  This will allow us to have a huge impact with the water capacity two days you’ll be here.  You probably are familiar with catchment systems but for those who may not be I’ll explain. This system simply catches the rain water from off the roof and directs it into large tanks where it can be utilized as needed.  Our goal will be to construct three systems but, if you’re really motivated and all the stars align, we could build up to six.  We’ll have everything ready on this end for you to show up and start the construction.

The scope of the water will consist of the following.Cutting 4″PVC pipe and mounting it to the sheet metal roof edge, gluing PVC pipe, mixing and pouring concrete pillars and stands and installing tanks. Pretty straight forward.

Additional Project Options

For those who find that the water project is not your flavor or maybe over populated with workers we have some painting, or beautification projects.  Things that need paint: the boys showers and bathrooms, one wall on the cafeteria/kitchen building, some knee walls on the boys dorms and walk ways.

These should keep us all busy with tasks that I hope will be rewarding.

In the off time or break times the village can be explored. You’ll see a variety of housing

Dress Code Etc.

Boys Dorms

Since this is an organized dorm comprised of people from many different villages they have created certain rules to avoid any potential issues.  They have asked us to respect those so not to create issues for them when we leave.  These rules consist of the following: Long pants or skirts below the knees, NO SHORTS for boys or girls. NO tank tops, short sleeves only.

Girls are not allowed in the boys dorms and boys are not allowed in the girls.

If  you question this you will be given the answers as to why as their reality is probably much more different than you’d think.

I’ll add picture below of random things with captions.

Any Questions?

Steve

Boys Dorms

That to where we'll stay.

School

Girls Bathroom

Girls Showers

Soccer Field

Boys Showers

School Girls