Wednesday, March 14th

When we woke up at 7am today and began stumbling into the kitchen for breakfast, our body language probably did not give off a feeling of excitement. Many of us awoke with sore muscles and aches, and carried blisters from the painstaking work the day prior. The combination of caffeine, Special Fit, and egg tortillas revived our beaten-down bodies and we left the hostel rejuvenated and eager to actually begin mixing and then spreading the concrete across the floor of the theater.

With the help of two local professionals, we set about mixing sand, stones, and cement together to make a gooey mixture which we then spread in designated quadrants around the base of the theater. The mixing process was very meticulous and required a sustained effort on the part of Rotaractors to make sure all the materials were combined correctly. Blisters were once again our enemy from the constant shoveling of concrete mix. The results in the end were very rewarding. Being able to see a smoothed section of concrete, which we knew would serve as a new foundation of the theater, motivated us all. We worked with vigor until half of the floor was complete; the other half being saved for the following day.

After our third day of work our exhaustion finally caught up with us. Mostly everyone fell asleep for a long siesta and we missed the opportunity to visit the giant Albrook shopping mall. Instead we grabbed dinner in Casco and relaxed. Some of us checked out a local art festival and others spent the evening catching up on those school tasks which are always with us. The evening ended with us sitting together in great conversation, exchanging stories and laughs, before we fell asleep early.  

During our lunch break, Patricia, our contact in Panama and a local social activist, met us and provided us with a thorough presentation about the organization she heads, AVACA.  AVACA is the neighborhood association of Casco Viejo (sometimes referred to as Antiguo) and helps attract NGOs to the area to help develop the barrio. AVACA achieves this mission by acquiring old, run-down buildings and restoring them. These restored buildings are then used by NGOs as new headquarters and activity centers. The center where we are doing our service houses Aprojusan, a local NGO which provides self-esteem building as well as education courses and job training for women in addition to educational and extracurricular support for children and teens. Women, usually single and very poor, are brought into the program and develop the skills necessary to acquire a job and live confidently. The children who are brought in have access to extracurricular activities and support for their schoolwork. They are taught how to live responsibly.  We see these programs in action during the work day and are constantly greeted by women and children in matching class uniforms, coming in and out of the center, a center which has a brilliant reputation.

It feels wonderful to give our service and labor to such a great cause and we are determined to complete as much of the theater as we can in the precious time we have left.

 - Michael Lapadot '12