Life from abroad

I’m trying to find some kind of volunteer work in Syria after my Peace Corps tour but everything is pay us and we’ll let you volunteer. That’s a crock! What kind of volunteering is that? For two weeks of vacation, some business suit can make sure he feels like he’s contributing to the greater good of the world? I have been here a year and have done nothing substantial! Someone is maybe just getting settled in after two weeks. It hardly enough time to make a difference let alone leave something behind that is tangible.

Why is it so hard to give your time away for free? Granted what would be ideal is to get some food or lodging in exchange but to have to pay?! I would rather go high brow and god forbid take an actual vacation. Ok, I’m railing against all those nice people who probably do contribute something but I am still pissed at all the sites today that were selling their ‘volunteering’ trips. But I guess it’s like everything else in the development community; who you know and not your experience. There have been three people here that I know of who got jobs because of who they knew. United Nations Volunteers, don’t even think about getting into that by applying. You need to go camp on the door step in Paris until you make a sympathetic friend. Then you will still have to pay all expenses.

Actually, not to bad mouth this type of pay-as-you-go volunteering too much, there is something similar here at Apo Island. The Expat owners of Liberty’s Pension have started having tourists come who want to help develop the island. The tourists help out by building ferro-cement tanks to capture rain water. There is currently no fresh water source on the island. It was flushed away when the last mangrove tree was cut down. And now even though trees have been replanted, the fresh water table from the lagoon has yet to return.

As for Apo, if you ever go to Bohol try to make it over to Negros, its only a boat ride away. Apo is a nice little island with no cars and a beautiful experience where you can see actual locals. Not at all like the Cancun want-to-be they call Boracay. The diving is very good. The reef has been managed for 20 years. There are not a lot of big fish but the amount of small details you see is one of the best I have dove. You will see turtles, there is actually a beach protected for their egg laying. You will have to learn how to use a shower bucket, sleep in a net and bring a head light for when the electricity goes off at 10 pm but for all those who dreamed of staying in a grass hut over the water this is just as good.

So yea, I still don’t know what I want to do. I would like some kind of focus/job where I can practice my Arabic. Rasa and I plan to study in Aleppo (or maybe Yemen now???) first and then look for some kind of work to keep us busy until October. But the key is to learn Modern Standard Arabic (the same you hear on Al-Jazeera) first and colloquial second so location is crucial for this part because of the wide range of dialects. We are thinking about Jordan and Lebanon as well. Maybe even Palestine if the offer were good. Who knows? There is still a year to plan. We’ll probably just end up being bums and traveling around the country using some kind of hospitality exchange network. There are 30 people to visit in Syria. We could easily make a month of that.

I need to go. Its late and they are kicking me out of the internet café. Good Night

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So today I’m being lazy. I just spent the morning writing up my notes from the past 2 weeks. These are all the questions I have about making green charcoal. From this I will slowly develop a report and then grant proposal. I know its a little hard to read but that was how it pasted from word. Sorry

I. Who pays 3.2 million pesos for 127-kiln units?
A. There needs to be a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) about the sharing of costs between LGU, final caretaker and grant money.
1. The LGU should match all grant money raised by 25%
a) In order to receive multiple grants the LGU must show political support by making a contribution to this project.
b) This was specifically stated as judging criteria by USAID.
2. The final caretakers of the charcoal kilns should match all grant money raised by 25%
a) The caretakers must have a sense of ownership and investment in the project if it is to be sustainable long-term.
b) This was specifically stated as judging criteria by USAID.
3. The sum of approximately 1.6 million pesos or 50% of the estimated cost will be raised by donors.
a) The raising of this money will be led by Dr Canete.
b) Assistance by Robert Kent will only be until March 2006.
c) After that time there should be ample experience to continue the fund raising process using multiple tools such as:
(1) Specific grants from interested donors such as political sources and private parties.
(2) Letters to large companies requesting donations
(3) Further Development Grants by NGO’s

II. Private Sector Partnership
A. In the grant review process, donors look to see who has ownership. It is therefore critical that the LGU takes a hand’s off approach and places full control in a private sector partnership. These could be existing:
1. Planters associations
2. People’s organizations
3. University research projects
4. Field workers Co-Op
5. This was specifically stated as judging criteria by USAID.
B. Some kind of system must be in place to allow the sharing of kilns when the primary caretaker is not using them.
C. Co-operation with local college and/or university is critical. The transfer of knowledge and technology is considered key to long-term sustainability.
1. Potential source of research into the recovery and sale of tar?
2. This was specifically stated as judging criteria by USAID.

III. Kiln costs
A. Need step-by-step design specs
1. Need some mechanical drawings?
2. Detailed cost estimate?
B. By buying in bulk from suppliers the material costs might be reduced.
1. So far 9000 pesos for 1 Kiln and 8 retorts?
C. The same is also true for manufactures.
1. 100 pesos per day?

IV. Existing bulk-wood charcoal makers
A. To include everyone who has a stake in the charcoal process we need to know:
1. Who is chopping wood?
2. Who is selling wood and charcoal?
3. How much is being chopped?
4. How much coal and wood is being sold?
5. And which barangays this is being done in?
B. Request information from DENR
1. How many logging licenses are issued?
2. How much is being paid for these?
3. Where does the money go?
4. What is their plan and existing laws to combat logging and burning?
a) How can we work together to improve enforcement?
5. What kind of emission restrictions would the DENR have with the kiln?
C. The LGU needs to show enactment and enforcement of the laws restricting bulk-wood charcoal, open burning and solid waste management in the context of pertaining to green charcoal.
1. Increasing licensing fees for char makers?
2. Introduce legislation restricting logging in favor of green charcoal?
3. Taxes on bulk-wood coal sold in the market?
4. Fines for field owners who burn?
D. Increase the efficiency of those who make charcoal?
E. Do they comply with the law?
1. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)
2. The Clean Air Act (RA 8749)
3. DENR laws for logging?
a) What are these?
4. LGU law on burning waste?

V. Direct distribution of grant funds.
A. There must be in place a system that directly transfers the funds from the donor to the Private Sector Partnership making the purchases.
1. What’s the best way to do this?
2. If a middle man is involved their duty should be nothing more than to insure the LGU and Private Sector Partnership match the Donor funds according to the MOA.

VI. Starch Binder
A. Improve the source and supply of cassava binder.
1. Now 20 Pesos per kg, needs to be reduced.
2. Come up with plan for improving binder source.

VII. Increase the market demand for green charcoal
A. How can we increase demand of green charcoal?
1. Estimated price 7.25 pesos/kg
2. Bulk-wood currently sells for 5 pesos/kg
3. Need to raise the price of bulk-wood or lower the green.
B. Introduce an accompanying stove that is a more efficient cooker.
1. Costs about $9.
2. Makes use of special briquette made with extruder attachment.

VIII. Need an energy survey of cooking fuels.
A. Household daily use survey
B. Market shops selling the coal and wood
C. Loggers cutting trees and making bulk-wood coal

IX. How to other places deal with logging.
A. What are some other approaches to logging?

X. Find difference in energy of bulk-wood coal vs. cane charcoal.
A. What are some facts for the coal BTU?

XI. What happens when the field is burnt?
A. Ask Tom for suggestions as to how to convey this.
B. Ask Dr. Canete about it.

XII. Off Season Supplies
A. Other sources of material
1. Rice hulls
a) Not suitable as fuel to produce char.
b) Use leaves as fuel and rice hull as char source.
2. Coco lumber sawdust
a) Not suitable as fuel to produce char.
b) Use leaves as fuel and dried sawdust as char source.
3. Tree leaves
a) Very suitable as fuel to produce char.
b) Use high leave producing trees planted next to lumber mills and rise plants as fuel source.
B. Need to verify best way to store the coal for at the most 6-months
1. This would provide livelihood income during the off-season.
2. Conduct tests for packaging and storage conditions
3. Write to Dr Karve.

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