When life hands you a fence….
….make a fruit dryer
A large part of being a Peace Corps volunteer involves letting community members make all project decisions. Recently, we had to decide whether to build a fence or a ceramic floor. I pushed for the floor, as we need it to get a sanitation certificate from the Department of Health. This certificate will allow us to market to more clients. More clients equals more money for the women. On the other hand, the fence makes our building safer in an already safe community.
The women chose the fence.
Rather than get too down about it, I did a skills exchange with another volunteer. I gave his women a workshop on peanut butter and he helped me build a fruit dryer. Eventually I want to use it to teach business concepts to the next generation of entrepreneurs at the micro. For now I’m drying fruit for fun and for myself.
At the end of the month, I’m helping another volunteer and her group build a dryer. Until then, I’m working with other volunteers on a manual for building the dryers.
Picture of said fence
Dryer ready for testing
This is where you put the fruit
First batch of pineapple
