Embracing the Peace Corps Pathway: 2015

Design by Ica Friedly

Photo: Kyle Fredrickson

Campamento Mariposa, Camp Butterfly, a week-long women empowerment camp for young ladies in rural, marginalized communities in the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala in México, has been one of the most rewarding experience in my Peace Corps service.

With the slogan, Mujeres Cambiando el Mundo, Women Changing the World, you can´t avoid the flutter of inspiration beat in your heart. This camp sponsored by Peace Corps, INAOE and donations through PCPP allows participants to attend the inspiring, week-long camp for free. Check the Mariposa website and see how you can involve yourself in the project from afar!!

Negative message box, photo: me

Positive message bulletin board, photo: me

Participants laying out for relaxation time, photo: Karen Magrid

I taught sessions on positive and negative messages, which included a box for negative thoughts and observations and a positive bulletin board focused on positive thoughts and random acts of kindness. At the end of the camp we reflected on what was drawn and written, and did a personal activity writing negative things we think or others think of us. I led a relaxation session, where we let go of all the negative thoughts, letting them trickle to the floor. Afterwards as a group we took our negative papers and burned them together, letting only positive thoughts to reside.

Burning the negative thoughts, photo: unknown

I also co-lead a goal session with my counterpart Gisela, helping the girls identify dreams and then create the steps to achieve their goals. We focused on personal goals and club goals, for each community that participates must establish a club or if one already exists, strengthen it. This session seemed challenging, but extremely inspiring for the girls.

The goal session is very important, because when we are no longer in the communities the ladies need the knowledge and tools to create and achieve their goals for the club and their personal dreams without us. Thus, this session provides a tool to help the Mariposa girls establish a sustainable framework for their clubs.

Writing kind words to our new friends, photo: me

Helping out a session for Reusing Trash for Art, photo: Kyle Fredrickson

Showing the girls how to do Improv, photo: Shayna Sellars

One of the most fun sessions for me involved teaching the girls improv games! In high school I was part of an Improv group, where we provided free shows to the community every Saturday. So, I´ve had about 4 or so years of weekly training. Thus, I was really excited to play some improv ´starter´games with the girls.

Playing thumbs, photo: Shayna Sellars

The group rockin´Thumbs´, photo: Kyle Fredrickson

We played thumbs, 5 second environment and 1,2, 3,4. These games are great for beginners and it really broke down boundaries. Just remember if you want to teach an improv game, some games are REALLY hard and require bundles of training. Here is one website that has some great ideas for improv games.

Peace Corps Volunteers plus Ale (INAOE) and Tessa (founder of the camp), attempting a scene game, Replay (really advanced & challenging!) during the Talent Show: photo, Karen Magrid

Frozen is HUGE in México. Many of you probably remember my awesome dance moves with my Host Family back in Querétaro. Thus, I helped with a commentary on Frozen, specifically focused on themes of bullying, strong women, health, leadership, etc.

Rockin´our Bollywood moves at the talent show, photo: unknown

I remembered to rock my dance moves during Zumba and the Bollywood performances. I learned just dancing with all my heart and making crazy big exaggerated moves and laughing at my mistakes, broke the girls dance shells. Dance like you´re a bunny on 70 bags of sugar, but still managing to have a wee bit a rhythm is EXHAUSTING. haha Do watcha got to do to inspire ;)

Other notable adventures during the week

INAOE shared their telescopes for stargazing, photo: me

Learning about edible plants at the Jardin Etnobotánico, photo Priyanka Jagtap

Making planters at the Jardin, photo: me

The girls enjoying the puppets from the play, photo: me

Team activity, photo: me

Reflection

When going through inspirational, challenging projects or day-to-day life I always remember: We are the product of everything we have ever done and the people we met along the way, be it negative or positive (although, I find I learn far more from challenging experiences). Thus, we are changing constantly, becoming more of who we are meant to be, who we decide to be. We can say many things, but our actions speak louder than words and your habits control you unless you decide to liberate yourself. I feel like and hope that in this camp we taught these girls to empower, liberate themselves.

Through this entire process, planning, and executing of the camp the same goes for me. I can say things, but if my actions show something else, how can I lead anything? Our actions prove our worth: although, keeping in mind that, yes, people tumble, and fall off the path for nobody is perfect. But we can try with all our might. What we do everyday becomes who we are, thus we can be who want by simply changes our actions and behavior. Therefore, we need to make an action towards that and habitually practice that action otherwise it´s all talk. We also must forgive when we or others make mistakes: forgiving others, but most importantly learning how to forgive ourselves. Because of these reasons, in the camp I tried to be hyper-aware of my actions and behavior, and attempted to set myself up as an example.

Ferris wheel in Puebla, Puebla

We were all scared of the Ferris Wheel, due to fear of heights.. but we went together. The ride was actually, calm moving granny-paced... it even had a TV in it. ha, we survived ;). Conquering fears, one day at a time :), photo: random stranger

Mariposa girl presenting to the group, photo: me

Lastly, below is a poem I wrote from my experience from the camp. Please note that the Spanish words are in italics and are explained above the poem. Enjoy :)

Teaching the girls Ultimate Frisbee, photo: Alex Gareis

Vocab:

Amiga: friend

Amistad: friendship

Aquí somos: We are here

Casa: home

Con esperanza: with hope

Desconocida: Stranger, unfamiliar person

Estrellas: stars

Frontera: political border

Jovencita: young girl

Mexicanos: Mexican

Mujeres: Women

No estarémos: We will not be there

Paz: peace

Pueblos: small rural communities in México

Terremoto: earthquake

Sin Límites: without boundaries

Su: Your

Mujeres Sin Límites (Women Without Boundaries)

La frontera, slices opportunities, yet we see nothing but air.

These boundaries c

& sli

our territories--- defining our opportunities.

For today, we e r a s e them: we are e q u a l s.

Human boundary: Earth.

Young, brave, strong women from pueblos mexicanos,

We are equals, family, sisters, friends.

We can choose to rise together,

Believing in Equality and Paz.

You want change,

First you must change y o u r s e l f,

Your own personal malleable boundaries,

Vía goals made, goals applied.

You fall, stand up.

Break a boundary?

Mend it, extend it.

I see you,

Obstacles higher than my roof, poking your ribs till you weep.

Yet, I see a light,

L u m i n o u s hope in your eyes,

Brighter than I ever saw in mine,

Shining its light into me,

Forever inspired.

Your bravery and strength in your voice shakes the ground, terremoto.

You’re ready to bre

ak gender boundaries,

Exceeding the expectations of your society,

yourself,

me.

Footsteps of those you empowered,

.::echo::.

on the dirt road,

Stemming from light shared by you,

shattering your own boundaries.

Perhaps our boundaries define us, our culture, our being.

But what happens when we dissolve some?

Not cultural annexation, nor blindness of being,

Rather listening, learning

Open heartedness, mindfulness, and seeing...

At the women empowerment camp,

I see her shy, sad, scared and alone.

F r i e n d l e s s, she says

--Jovencita, have you looked b e y o n d the boundaries of su casa, your pueblo?

Look. Around.

You see her?--desconocida

Every stranger is a potential Amiga

You see me?-- Amiga

--When you return home, No Estarémos

But look at the stars

B e y o n d the boundaries of our lands,---we share this sky, sin límites.

We, your friends, look with you.

Shining estrellas,

Aquí somos.

You're never alone,

Amistad, demands fluid boundaries.

My new friend con esperanza hugs me,

sin limites.

Learning to laugh and swim, photo: unknown

Peace Corps Volunteers: Me, Ica, and Pri, missing our homies Shay, Kyle and Alex, photo: unknown

"I slept and dreamnt life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."

~Rabindranath Tagore~

Swearing in as Peace Corps Volunteers, credit Peace Corps

Just shy of a year ago, May 31st, 2014, I swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The moment finally stood in front of me, no more future tense, it was here and now. Dressed formally my supportive host mom, Guadalupe, and I arrived at the hotel where the volunteers would swear in. I remember nerves shooting through my limbs and my stomach turning with excitement, yet a dab of fear. Doubt at this point no longer lingered, I was ready to serve. Yes, I had imagined this day of swearing in as a Peace Corps volunteer over the past few months, but I don´t remember thinking it would feel like that. Seeing all the jolly, passionate, and hopeful U.S. citizens striving to make a difference in the world siting together ready to take the leap of faith. We all made it here to México and survived training, now came the time where Peace Corps would swear us in and they would let us free, like doves soaring in the sky looking to make Peace and survive, integrate and inspire self empowerment.

At that moment, I imagined and felt that I understood what it meant to be a Peace Corps Volunteer and how to practice peace through empowerment and sustainable development. Clearly naive, but with good intention I attempted to understand what others did prior to me, the points of failure and success. Understanding that with failures lie opportunities for success, and success unknown until chartered. That pushing through the failures and using creativity to reach in and empower and find the values of the people and culture here in México would ultimately result in a culture exchange and perhaps a successful project (crossing fingers still). At this time, thoughts like these roamed fluidly through my mind, along with inspiration for family, friends and mentors who helped create stepping stones to arrive at this point.

It was sad to leave all these wonderful volunteers and host family with whom I bonded with in the past couple of weeks. Jesi ´ICA´ Friedly, now a great friend of mine, shared a heart-warming speech in Spanish about all the special qualities of volunteers. It made our hearts sing and faces smile. A group so giving and passionate, and we all made it to become volunteers.

B.A. GROUP!

Reflection of 1 year of service (más o menos a year):

Even though I ´learned´from many past volunteers, I still stumbled through Mexican culture and understanding my role as a volunteer in an office, a lot. The 9 to 6 office hours in a dense city confused me as a volunteer who expected a community to be a small city, or town with fluid boundaries. Thus, I was trying to identify my ´community´as an office versus physical community, which often boggled my brain. I asked myself, with this setup how would I make a difference of empowerment? Recently, I finally realized that by seeing my counterparts and others who pass through the office I have 40 hours a week to share my knowledge and also learn from them. These counterparts who frequently enter rural, marginalized communities and share their knowledge.

Thus, a couple key stakeholders to work with in the office can spiral down to hundreds of thousands of people in the state of Puebla. For example, right now I am work on a guidebook for consultants on Ordenamiento Ecologicos (land management plans) with a multi-disciplinary group of students and my co-workers. Communities wanting plans can then ask consultants to help them, or read the guide themselves to implement these plans, hence it eventually reaches the lowest local level. We shall see where the wind takes us on this guidebook journey, who knows plans and focus can change with a snap of a finger here in México...but I am hoping we stay strong :). As an outdoor enthusiast, some days are still challenging to be working in the office instead of outdoors, but tis life! ;)

Having an office community has been something to come to terms with, but I have negotiated time to work out in a community once a month. I work with a group of young women in a women empowerment club focused on environmental themes in a small, rural community outside of Puebla, but really visit once a month or less due to the difficulties of transportation. Nonetheless, I am realizing that it is not necessarily how much time you spend in a community but the quality of your visits. For example, from afar I organized an environmental fair where the club and other organizations collaborated to share their knowledge at a grade school, started a mentor program, and helped plan Campamento Mariposa (women empowerment camp) and had 3 girls attend. Even though I am not living in this community, technology makes this possible: telephones and Facebook. These technologies allow you to easily communicate and organize events, as long as you have the trust and confidence of the community, which in my situation is thanks to a past volunteer who worked weekly in the community, Elena, and also the president and his wife who welcomed me in their home with open arms, along with the girls in the newly founded Club Mariposa. Although, this Peace Corps experience is different than I imagined I do find that if you´re present in the moment while you´re there, one can inspire and be inspired (and share the fact these people inspire you), and give the community the tools to be independent (goal making, project planning, etc) you can make a difference--even if it is only one day a month.

Now, throughout the year some volunteers have come and gone for various reasons, but I want them to know that they made an impact being here, even if it wasn´t the full 2 years. I´ve learned a lot from many of the volunteers, many helping me with my struggles and tumbles along the way and making sure I laugh and enjoy where I am and accompanying me on travels throughout México to see and breathe the different cultures. (family and friends from home too, and some new friends here in Mexico:] ).

Still, we are Peace Corps Mexico 16, who are exchanging peace, culture and skills (environmental and technical) between Mexico and US, in often creative manners due to our strict ties to our offices.

Now, we have another splendid group joining us this June...! Well, as for me and my fellow volunteers, I say onward to following the Peace Corps pathway. :)