Escojo Intercambio!

What is an intercambio you ask???? great question and it could mean a few things in this culture (including a secret santa exchange), but I am currently referring to a union of the forces! The Escojo groups from Loma Verde, Casique and El Ramon all came to exchange charlas, laughs, ideas and phone numbers with Escojo Duveaux on Saturday, June 13th. We hosted about 50 Dominican teenagers for the morning and taught each other about Discrimination, Teenage pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Gender Inequality. Wild, I know. That wasn't all.... there were socio-dramas, snacks, music, lunch and the beach! What a day! Now, this is no small task to throw one of these gatherings together and it came with a price, but in the end it was all worth while. I returned from the day feeling proud of my kids and that I had a hand in making this happen for them. Escojo is a Peace Corps initiative and has over the years developed quite an extensive network of groups in the country. We try to go intercambios with other groups so the kids can feel supported and that they are part of something bigger.
Wouldn't it be great if the explanation of this blog ended there? Its never a dull moment in the Peace Corps, so here you go.... on the way to do the "compra" Odi Luis (Escojo Vice President and my right hand man) and I got in a motorcycle accident. Going down a hill we crashed into another motorcycle that was parked, king of the hill, smack in the middle, ogling at a turned over truck. I ever so elegantly got up close and personal with the pavement. I took a seat, got a first hand biology lesson on the patella and sent other Escojo kids with 6,000 pesos ($204) to the grocery store to get saturday's lunch. We went our separate ways (me to Clinica Abreau and the kids to take care of business) and reunited 2 days, a handful of phone calls, a splint, torn tendon, local Anesthesia and 5 stitches later.
The prep work for the event had been long underway, but my kids worked their ass off to get the cooks cooking, the space decorated and all was a go! If anyone out there needs an event planner who speaks Spanish, let me know! All things considered, they did a good job. This was their first major event organizing things on their own and I would say they succeeded. I won't go into the details, but of course there were a few things that were left to dry and it wasn't as picturesque as this blog may lead one to believe, but nonetheless, Escojo Duveaux pulled it off. They did not short themselves in celebrating either..... chisme (gossip) travels fast and I later found out, leftovers, cookies and spaghetti dinner at my vacant home complimented their evening! This situation may remind you of your kids throwing a house party while you are out of town. It rings a bell for me! Kids will be kids whether they are in the U.S. or the Dominican Republic!