World Map Project

The World Map Project brings people together to create large, colorful maps of the world. It was initiated by a Peace Corps volunteer in1988, and since then volunteers have carried this highly acclaimed program to over 40 countries around the world. Returned volunteers have spread the idea across the U.S. as well. This projects main goal is to promote geography literacy in an engaging way while also building a sense of community among mapmakers. Nate and I and our side-kick volunteer friend, Emily, decided in keeping with our art summer, that we would tackle the World Map Project in our community. The last Peace Corps volunteer that served in Mabaruma helped renovate a beautiful Learning Resource Centre and that was the location of our new mural. We had over 13 children, from 6 to 13 years of age, from the surrounding community come and help draw and paint the mural. In just two days, what was once a blank wall, now displays a pretty big and awesome map. 

Summer Art

This blog post is for you Vern Bergling.

Summers are usually slow, maybe it’s because it’s hot, students are out of school or people are thinking about the vacations they took or are about to take. There is no difference in Guyana, even a remote part of Guyana, like Region 1.  In fact, I think summers are even slower here. This requires us Peace Corps volunteers to find ways to keep us occupied (because vacations are a thing of the past and future, certainly not anything we can afford at the moment). So instead we find projects that are short, meaningful and fun.

We had created murals at the Regional Hospital (Sesame Street) to make it more child-friendly, and as more community health workers (CHWs) came to the hospital to pick up their vaccinations or supplies the more they desired murals of their own on their health post walls. So Emily, a volunteer in White Water, decided she would give her health post a bit of a facelift with some child-friendly health murals. So we did some research and chose messages that were salient in her community. What are the things patients complain about the most? What are the messages we try and impart the most? So we came up with four murals: Washing your hands, which can prevent gastrointestinal infections; Eating healthy food that includes plenty fruits and greens (these are the words we use when speaking to patients in our broken Creolese) to prevent pressure (hypertension) and sugar (diabetes),  as well as child malnutrition; Purifying water before drinking, again to prevent GI and other infections, especially skin infections if they use dirty creek water; and lastly a Human Body mural to be able to point out where certain bones, muscles, organs are when trying to explain a condition or sickness.

It only took two days to draw and paint these murals, but it was a great escape of the day to day boredom that Peace Corps volunteers often deal with. Not only did it keep us occupied, but the clinic looks great and  Emily’s CHW was thrilled to have a brighter and educational space. We even caught patients already peeking into the post to read the murals. Just goes to show, that ART is truly a language that all people speak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Till next time.