And The Money Keeps Rolling In (And Rolling Out)

So having been in Micronesia for 3 months now and Kosrae for 14 weeks here are some observations I have noticed:

The US is sustaining the island communities of the South Pacific. Here on Kosrae the Dept of Education receives 90 million dollars a year as a flat rate due to the Compact between the FSM and US. That does not include all the special grants and arrangements applied for which is an extra sizable amount of money. The Chinese government has subsidized the building of a new high school which is in the process of being completed. All teachers salaries including the College of Micronesia are being paid for by the US. Any government position is paid for by the US. Yet when you ask Kosraen's about this they are completely perplexed do the situation. If you ask them who is giving money to the Island they say the Chinese.

Kosrae is completely dependent upon foreign aid. There is no priate industry for ecenomic development on the island. The most prominent company KCSO, is a Conservation NGO, which Madison Nena, my boss, happens to be the Chairman of.

Money is spent with no accountability and without a sense of self-ownership. Once funds simply dry up Kosraen's simply apply for other grants. I have been barraged with a number of projects that has kept me buisy since school has ended. Lots of research with little resources. Welcome to the Peace Corps! Stay tuned.