my schedule has been quite busy integrating programs and activities into the
school day. It is nice to have more structured
opportunities for work now that the teachers and principal are consistently in
Poroto. I am starting to see the
benefits of the working relationships and introductory projects I started last
year, so this year everyone knows me and seems willing to collaborate on
programs I´d like to facilitate through the school.
Peruvians consistently reference the
importance of ¨confianza,¨ which is indispensible for the success of any Peace
Corps volunteer. You may be wondering what exactly is confianza? Personally I
would define ¨confianza¨as a combination of confidence, trust, comfort, respect,
and friendship built through time, communication, and shared experiences. This added ingredient is necessary for any
community project to flourish, and working with the members of Poroto has
become easier now that I´ve developed ¨confianza¨ with some of the teachers,
health post staff, youth, and others. I´m
in the process of coordinating environmental projects, health promotion
efforts, youth leadership, and more, but without the support and collaboration
of my community, all efforts are in vain.
Working with various community organizations
on a variety of different projects can be challenging, but patience and resilience
are key. Any time I´m disheartened I try that much harder to reach out to the
people I´m working with or throw myself into community activities, and so far I’ve
seen the results (albeit small at times) of my efforts to build ¨confianza¨. I’ll
be sure to keep you posted as my activities continue and the school year comes
into full swing.
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