"I slept and dreamnt life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."
~Rabindranath Tagore~
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| 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.
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.
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. :)
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. :)
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| Natural Resource Management Volunteers, credit Peace Corps |
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| Matt, me and Natti :), credit Peace Corps |
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| Linda, Benita (NRM Lead), and I, credit Peace Corps |
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| Barbara! |
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Murrray! |
Lovely ladies |
Some Grand PCVs! |
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"Que Chita" o "Que Chido" (how cheeta/how cool). What a splendid group to have in my Spanish class :) |
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Priyanka (PCV), Adrina (my counterpart) and me after swearing in |
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Be the Change you wish to see in the world-Gandhi |
