The Nitty Gritty

Here's a little background on my assignment in Panama, so you can see what a great job the Peace Corps does of making service as potent and transparent as possible :

Role of the Volunteer and Duties & Responsibilities:

GB Panama is looking to train and support local water committees to address water system issues (repair, maintenance, operation and sustainability of the system) and to train and support local community health workers to address proper use and maintenance of WASH products at household level. For this purpose, the PCRV will partner with the project team and contribute to strengthening GB’s efforts to improve the current situation of local families.

Major duties, responsibilities, and activities of the assignment.

•    Design a training plan to address WASH issues in target communities.

•    Train selected community health workers (CHW) to properly address use and maintenance

of WASH products. (WA = Water- Working with water committees to upgrade water system:

change piping in collection and distribution net, improve intake, build fences, establish simple chlorinator systems, in-home piping. S = Sanitation - Build ecolatrines, small gray water collectors, water filters, cement floors, wall plastering, eco-stoves, H = Hygiene -  Build showers, hand washing units, dishwashing units.)

•    Design a training plan to address water system issues.

•      Training of local water committees in: how to repair, how to maintain, how to operate and financially sustain the aqueduct.

•    Technically support and provide guidance to the construction efforts in the three communities.

Volunteer Deliverables (by end of assignment):

•    February 2016 – Create WASH Training Plan

•    February 2016 – Water Systems Trouble Shooting and Maintenance Training created.

•    May 2016 – Five (5) Community Health Workers trained in use and maintenance of WASH

products

•    June 2016 – Fifteen (15) water committee members trained in water system trouble shooting and maintenance

Minimum Qualifications:

•    2 years of experience in water systems design, construction, maintenance and operation

•    Experience in construction and maintenance of dry latrines (composting latrines)

•      Basic construction skills to build: water showers, water storage devices, faucets and cement floors-- i.e. an understanding of construction methods when cement is not delivered already

2 WASH: Water-Sanitation-Hygiene

3 visit our site for specific information about each of the selected communities. https://www.globalbrigades.org/panama-

communities

mixed in a truck

•      1-2 years of experience training community members in project design, plan, budgeting and execution

•    Advanced Spanish level—written and spoken

•      Experience facilitating committee meetings and training water or health or other community committees.

•    Hiking in rugged, muddy terrain for several hours

Desired Qualifications:

•    Previous PCV or PCRV service in Latin America

Working Conditions:

GB Panama is experienced in working with volunteers and is aware of the importance of volunteer orientation and integration into the team. For that reason, GB Panama will provide the Volunteer with a welcoming package, provide an opportunity to receive a full and detailed introduction to the project, introduce each of the members of the team, and travel to each of the communities to introduce PCRV to the families and water committees He/she will be working with. GB Panama, also runs weekly meetings at Panama city office where program team meet, reflect and prepare for the next week operations.

Does the position require physical exertion or travel?

The three selected communities are not close to each other requiring the PCRV to travel to these

communities using public transportation. All of them have access from the road and doesn’t require hiking to access any of them.   The work requires physical exertion to access the water system’s spring or intake. Some require three hours walking through muddy fields and up hills. The temperatures in Panama are very hot and humid all year round, which increases physical efforts.

Who will the PCRV work with on a daily basis?

The PCRV will coordinate daily working activities with GB’s local water and sanitation technician. Both will elaborate weekly calendar of activities to prepare or follow up with construction plan. Water committee’s board members will need to be train separately and PCRV may need to organize its own calendar and travel arrangements to each of the communities.

Will the PCRV have access to a computer/internet/telephone?

GB’s main office has three computers for staff use. Most of the staff brings their own computer so availability to use one in the office is possible. Our suggestion will be to bring a personal computer since most of the work will be away from main office.

GB  Panama  will  provide  a  cellphone  for  communication purposes  and  data  access  for  internet through cellphone use.

Housing & Living Conditions:

GB Panama will support PCRV with finding a safe and secure place to live in Torti for the duration of his/her service. Houses in Torti are typically made of cinder block or wooden board walls, concrete floors and zinc roofs. A PCRV may live with a host family with a separate bedroom, but a shared bathroom, kitchen and living space, or the PCRV may live in a one room “cuarto” that is attached to a house with a separate entrance, or the PCRV may live in a separate house.