The Reality, Struggle and Success of this Experience: Building Relationships

Most in the field of development and especially within the Peace Corps community will advocate that relationship building is the key to one´s success. As a Peace Corps trainee one is told countless times to focus on integrating into one´s community. This includes taking the time to getting to know our host families and neighbors through porch side chats and shared tortilla and chuajada (que rica!). It also suggests that those times when one feels the sudden urge to bolt into one´s room and disappear into the comforts of the latest episode of Mad Men, one should push against these forces and delve further into the depths of the host culture. Eventually, the desire to escape may diminish.

I am not suggesting that one attempt immersion to the point of absolute struggle and despair, but it´s important to be aware of those moments of trying to escape from an uncomfortable situation, and to challenge oneself to break through these communication barriers. The reason is that often times as North Americans, one must know what comes next. The U.S. psyche has an obsessive compulsion with organizing the future. While this predictive behavior may be comforting, it inhibits serendipity. There have been countless times when my limits of patience and boredom have been tested through conversations or participation in a local event (like a quince año where no one but myself and my seven year old host sister were dancing, as a group of people blankly stared while simultaneously consuming Arroz Chino). In many of these moments I have been frustrated by the situation, but in my reflections I have never once regretted my presence nor wished I had spent that time disengaged from my cultural surroundings. The situation I described I now consider outright hilarious and if anything it helped to forge a bond between myself and a family member. Furthermore, there are instances where what may at first be a seemingly dull and worthless interaction becomes something unexpectedly wonderful, and acts as a revitalizing tool to confirm the validity of my presence in the Peace Corps.  Also, if ever a moment is reached where one would rather cram into a bus full of students with a baby on their lap for a 2 hour ride from a department capital back to one´s site, rather than spend the evening drinking with other volunteers, maybe then the integration process is working. Or, I might be insane for having done this.

Why am I harping so much on relationship building? The main reason is because I have realized it is the biggest challenge of this experience. One can easily come into their communities and form groups, check off to do lists, plan meetings, and give charlas, but so what? Forming relationships in a different culture with a language barrier is mentally exhausting. The strength of these bonds is difficult to measure and because one´s time is limited in country, it may never become clear whether one´s efforts have been effective and sustainable. It’s a technique one must continually practice and trust so that eventually the outcome will be triumphant. To have faith that a method will be successful, with the knowledge that the evidence of this potential success may never visually transpire, will test one´s limits far greater than spending a few hours creating posters on the benefits of breastfeeding.

The Peace Corps (refer to the disclaimer please) is about cultural exchange and relationship building. The technical training one receives may mask the actual purpose of their service, and gives Washington a reason to provide the necessary funds. The best training received is the language component, as this is the most effective tool for initiating the integration process. Politically, it is an intelligent move for Peace Corps to strongly advertise the technical capacity of its volunteers as I doubt neither the U.S. Government nor tax payers would be willing to shell out their hard earned money for the purpose of enhancing the cultural awareness of few idealistic Americans. The people back home want to see easily measurable results, and thus one of the three primary goals of the Peace Corps is: “Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.” This goal refers to the work one conducts in his/her site and provides beautiful graphs and statistics for the Peace Corps to promote its deserved existence to those providing the financial support. However,  goals two and three: “Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served” and “Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans” are the successful realities for most volunteers. This is not to say that some volunteers do not create accomplished projects, but in two years most of the achievement will be counted in cups of coffee shared and smiles received rather than the number of maternal and child deaths that may be prevented.

On an ironic note: The theater group is going swimmingly.

Necessary Challenges

Like most long-term intercultural experiences, a journey in the Peace Corps will produce a roller coaster of emotions. Whether you are freezing in a Soviet bloc style apartment building in the Ukraine or sweating in a thatch roofed hut in sub-Saharan Africa, one will encounter various struggles. I have quickly come to realize that the periods of frustration aid in amplifying the particularly joyful moments that one will inevitably stumble upon throughout their service. These instances of enlightenment are what makes the seemingly longer periods of aggravation not only bearable, but worthwhile. Hyperawareness is a natural symptom of culture shock, and even an avid traveler is not immune to its effects. The amount of perspective one gains daily in a foreign culture is equal to or more than one could potentially achieve in years in one´s natural environment. Specifically the sentiment of happiness, which is the token nirvana for the human race, is achieved through less complex manners. In my case, it involves staring into the emerald hills that hug the edges of my town to untangle the knots of doubt that are often simmering in my stomach. The main reason why development is such a slow and tedious process is before one can implement any projects, positive and negative experiences in an alien setting must breed the required knowledge to make these projects both sustainable and successful. 

The biggest challenge so far involves a question encased in existential combustibility: ¨What am I doing here?!¨ I ask that both literally and figuratively, because as is expected both answers compliment the success of the other. Formally, I am recognized by Peace Corps as a community health volunteer. However, I have quickly realized that what I actually am is a community development volunteer who has the word health attached to her title in order take use of the benefits of a specific ministry which will not be named, as her counterpart. I say this with the most realistic intentions, as I know as well as most people here, that I am no expert when it comes to educating people in the community about the specifics of certain health issues. First of all, they have been hearing the same talks their entire lives, and I am just a person with a funny accent, crazy hair, and weirdo hipster clothes spewing the exact same facts that they have repeatedly received from actual health professionals who can communicate in perfect Spanish.

Upon this realization, one may feel extremely disillusioned, which is why the original question surfaced. Alas, all I had to do was peer deep into the green shrubbery of those fertile mounds surrounding my town and the answer became clearer. I am here to educate about health, but in perhaps a more holistic manner than per se a doctor or nurse might attempt. I could give educational talks everyday at my health center or in the schools on various health topics for the rest of my two years of service, yet where is the sustainability of this action? While it is important to visit all areas of my assigned region in order to gain knowledge on the community's needs and to facilitate the integration process, I want to find a smaller niche within my already well resourced environment where my short stay will be considered valuable. I need look no further than my life´s passion, theater. I have preliminary plans to use theater as a mechanism to educate youth in my community on various health topics. This will involve forming a theater group that will create and perform plays on health themes in both my town and the surrounding rural areas. Development, health and theater! Maybe I can eat my torta.