So on the 13th of this month, I had the day planned out for planning our Escojo Enseñar Conference. Andria from Rio Limpio was coming up and we had lots of work to do. That morning, I find out from a neighbor, that the President of this country, Danilo Medina, was coming to Restauración to talk about education. Bueno. I couldn't go. I knew it would only be me sitting in the audience listening to great promises of a better tomorrow but hell, it would've been a cool chapter in the story book of my PC service, right? Ah well. My President of GRUJDECO, Casilda, however, went. And gave our solicitation letter directly to his secretary. I figured it would be a dead end, a lost piece of paper in the piles of his basura but como quiera, I was so proud.
Then that Friday. Our group and friends met to continue practicing for our comedy show planned for Sunday. We received an invitation letter to Restauración Sunday morning for a meeting held by the President's committee. It was for all groups and organizations in the area to present their projects or problems and for the committee to review and decide on those to provide support. Wow. Sounded good to us! So with plans for Casilda, Marizol, and I to go, we parted ways.
Sunday morning comes along and we arrive in Restauración (menos Casilda, plus Kilvio-see next blog) early. The meeting of course starts late and we are jumbled trying to get our group name down on the list to present. In the mess, we find out that the meeting is only for agriculture projects. Ha. NO WHERE in the invitation did it specify. So we were taken off the list but placed at the bottom "if there was time." Not moments later with much frustration brewing inside me, a man announces, "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and greet the President of the Dominican Republic!" Surprise visit!! Haha And in a smaller setting I was able to sit and listen to projects being presented, the President ask questions, and then make a speech at the end. And in the midst of agriculture talk, other random projects were addressed to which he made promises to fully fund On. The. Spot. So not fair. But then he said his committee would return and those who presented and those who weren't able, were to bring detailed project proposals (with estimates, budgets, beneficiaries, etc) on Wednesday. His side kicks would review them and bring them back to him and he would be back again to deliver his response.
So. Ignoring the fact that we aren't an agriculture group, we decided to go back Wednesday. That night I spent hours typing up a fancy Project Proposal with everything from our group history, our mission and vision, our census, our location, our estimates, and more. It is beautiful if I do say so myself ;) oh, and as the President walked out, I may or may not have strategically placed myself near his exit path. So as he passed me, he shook my hand and said, "Bye, bye." I know. BEST friends. Totally.
Wednesday, we waited for an hour for a bola only to find out the meeting got moved to Thursday. Thursday it is! And the meeting was an unorganized disaster. We weren't going to be able to present. We spoke with a man from here with connections who looked at our proposal, loved it, and grabbed me and dragged me over to one of the President's right-hand men, the Executive Coordinator of Presidential Projects, and just as he was about to leave. He himself looked it over, seemed to like it (and a few other things I won't mention. Ha.) and told us what we needed to do: write an official solicitation letter to accompany the proposal and follow his assistant to his truck. I got his fancy business card and then his assistant's. I wrote my number down for him and promised to call when we had it all ready.
It's now Monday. Card done and shaking hands, I'm with my group and I'm the one who has to call. After much probing and pressure and laughter, I finally hit send. I get a secretary and explain who I am and why I am calling. She tells me to call his cellphone directly. The shaking grows. I dial. No answer. I wait a minute and dial again.
"Hello."
"Hello, how are you doing today?"
"Hello, JULIE. I'm great."
AH! He knew my name! The conversation continues, they had apparently been waiting for my call. He said they will be passing through the area again sometime soon so they are going to give me a call the day before so we can be there to give them our project. He then passes me to the original, fancy guy I met and he jokes around with me for a while and he too promises that they will call.
SO CRAZY.
I'm trying not to get excited but if this all goes through well, we could have our entire project funded in an instant by the PRESIDENT HIMSELF. What an incredible blessing for my tiny little community of 400 people way up here in the frontier... I hardly even know what to think yet.
But for now...We just wait.
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