Trash talk

This week, as my first official project as a Peace Corps volunteer, I´m giving miniworkshops (charlas) to all the high school classes on the importance of protecting the environment—namely, on the importance of throwing your trash in the trash can. This is in preparation for a clean-up day I´m trying to organize for next Tuesday. Now, I admit, there is a lack of trash cans in this town. There is one can in the high school and one in the park. That´s it. In addition, there is a lack of proper waste management, so that most people are forced to burn their trash. But more than anything, people are just used to seeing trash, they´re used to chucking trash, their parents leave trash so why can´t they keep on leaving the trash everywhere? Compost is unheard of. Recycling virtually doesn´t exist. Litter is not a word in Spanish. The trash issue is an uphill battle, this is for sure.
So I´m starting in the high school, to see if my charlas will have any effect on their attitudes about the environment. So far they´ve gone relatively well—I´m giving the talks along with a representative from the mayor´s office, so he´s been a big help. I made sure to insert plenty of games, dinámicas, and even a scavenger hunt so the kids don´t get terribly bored. I don´t know exactly how much they´re learning from my charla, but at least they´re having fun. We´ll see what happens on Clean Up day.