I EXPOFERIA DE EMPRENDIMIENTO EMPRESARIAL

My biggest (and my only real) project in Zaña has been a series of classes to promote entrepreneurship, concluding with a business plan competition. I briefly wrote about it here.  It started in June/July when a socio* approached me and another teacher in the high school with a project idea. The objectives behind the project were to have the students learn something about business and entrepreneurship and to better their lives by giving them an idea of self-employment, with the incentives of scholarship and prize money. In our district of Zaña there are not many students who have the opportunity to continue their studies after high school, for a mixture of lack of financial resources and lack of motivation. Because of this, we thought that our incentives would be motivating.

I learned a lot throughout the 12 weeks of the course and we managed to overcome several hiccups along the way. Honestly, I was frustrated most of the time with the project and had really, really, really, very low expectations for the project fair. In the beginning, there wasn’t much interest amongst the students.  When we started, it was an after school program and we had about 20 regular students attending.  Then, because my socio felt we needed more participants for the competition, we rearranged the schedule and held classes during the last hour of school on Mondays.  Like that is probably the worst possible hour of the week, other than maybe Friday afternoon.  It seemed like we were doomed from the beginning.  Anyways, so, throughout the course a lot of the students were forced to attend the class because it was now substituting for their normal Monday afternoon period.

It was an awful feeling for weeks to know I was the reason these kids were sitting there in the auditorium, bored out of their minds. I would look at their faces while teaching and know that that seat, in that auditorium, half-listening to me drone on about something in broken Spanish, was the last place they wanted to be ever. And their attitude didn’t change much when my socios gave the classes, except they maybe could understand their Spanish better.

SO EXCITED to learn

I’ll admit, there were several boring classes that were given. And there were several poorly given classes. We struggled to capture their attention. We were working with between 60 and 80 students, and making a class dynamic for that many people is incredibly hard. But nonetheless, one class, I decided we weren’t going to lecture. I bought large pieces of paper for each group, brought makers and colored pencils, drew my own example, and briefly explained logos and slogans. Then, we gave the students free time for the rest of the class to draw and develop their own logos and slogans. And all of a sudden their attitudes changed.

 

sketching out their logo

everyone working hard!

From that point on, we could see that some groups were actually motivated and excited to participate, but our work had really yet to be begin. We finished the classes and spent a lot of time tutoring the students and getting their business plans ready for competition day, which proved to be the real challenge. It took a lot of encouragement and a lot of pushing and a lot of constantly checking on what each group was doing, mainly from my socia Profesora Luz María, to complete the projects.

There were days that Luz and I spent basically the entire day working with groups. At one point, Luz and I actually told several teams to bring in materials so that we could physically help them with, as in do, their project. The next day, they didn’t bring in their materials. And that’s pretty much how it always went. Even up until 11 pm the night before the competition we were all answering phone calls and texts from students about what to do and how to complete certain parts of the business plan. OR just…what do we need for tomorrow??? It was like the past 12 weeks of explaining what would be evaluated during the competition hadn’t even happened!  I had really low expectations walking into the high school on November 25, 2016.

my banner promoting the EXPO FERIA with the evaluation criteria- this was up for like two full weeks but somehow no one bothered to read the evaluation sheet? idk.

But when competition day came, we had 20 teams (89 students) with business plans!!! Before I even saw the final projects, I thought that that alone was a great accomplishment!

I was so pleasantly surprised to see how well the groups had prepared for the event! So surprised, in fact, I felt stupid for doubting them. Teams had made products as demonstrations and to sell to the invited guests, other teams had constructed replicas of their businesses out of wood or Styrofoam. A hair salon had chairs and mirrors and were completely equipped to give haircuts! I’m not kidding you; I was in shock at how hard these students had worked and at how far they had come from the very beginning of the course.  It was also pretty cool that most teams who sold products actually recovered all of their costs!

I am so proud of all the students who participated. Every group tried their best. It may have taken months and so much time trying to motivate the students, but in the end, it was worth it.  While talking to my socios after the event, Luz told us that one of the boys on a winning team came up to her in tears because it was the first time he had ever won anything.  He is the type of student who gets left out regularly because he’s a little bit unreliable.  Some of his team members were kicked out of another group and so they formed their group with only one week until the competition.  They were at my house the whole afternoon before, making sure they had everything in order and he was the most enthusiastic about their business. That alone made all the struggles and all the frustrations beyond worth it.

I’m so thankful for my socios.   I would never have been able to put on an event like this without Roberto and Luz María. Realistically, they were the masterminds behind the project and did most of the organization and budgeting. We worked as a team, but this project really proved to me that I can’t do everything alone, that I have to network and look for good counterparts, and that I have be a team player. I am so thankful to Luz, who became a good friend throughout the process. She really worked hard to motivate the students, to push them to be better and to do better, and she fought to make sure the competition was successful. At the end of the day, the Director of the high school said he was impressed with the event and that he wants to coordinate for next year.  SOO we’ll see what happens! Luz and I always joked that we would never do this again but… never say never, right?

I EXPOFERIA WINNERS:

We split the projects up by juniors and seniors and gave prizes accordingly.  Out of the 20 projects total, there were 4 junior year projects and 16 senior year projects.  Prize money was given out to each winning group, and the seniors all received half-tuition scholarships to the University of Lambayeque.

Second Place Junior Year:  Zaña Pizza- a business selling pizza in Zaña

Zaña Pizza:  César, Esgar and Jhonny 

First Place Junior Year:  WILLOW- a business selling boxes for traditional candies to both candy makers and tourists 

WILLOW:  Sofía, Benjamin, Ysabely, Roberto, Anthony

Third Place Senior Year:  LOS FINOS- a salon offering makeup, haircuts, and more!             they left before I could take a picture with them 😦

Second Place Senior Year:  PLINE- a business selling sweet treats and cakes

PLINE: Isamar, Patricia, Yohana, Loudres

First Place Senior Year: DULCE VIDA- a cupcake business!  

DULCE VIDA: Hector, Fiorella, Cristel, Jimmy, Anthony, Mari Carmen

 

*socio is the spanish term for male counterpart, socia female counterpart, socios meaning either all male counterparts or male and female counterparts, and socias all female counterparts

 

Work, work, work, work, work.

I’m not really the most successful volunteer.  I don’t have a million projects to share or really outstanding results to talk about.  I wish I was incredibly successful.

I’m also not the most hardworking volunteer.  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I always feel like I can do more.  I (maybe) don’t spend enough time every single day looking for projects to take on.  I’m not not hardworking though, ya know.

I also don’t think the current state of my projects are a direct result of the work I put in.  I mean, I think I work harder than what the results show.  I guess that’s subjective, and someone might say I don’t do shit, but, whatever.  Sometimes things just happen to me/the project and it’s out of my control.

But I do have some things that keep me busy during the week.  And it just so happens that this week I have to fill out by bi-annual volunteer report form for Peace Corps, so I’ll fill y’all in too.

 

Project of Capacitación para el Emprendimiento Empresarial 

Titled, “Somos Jóvenes, Somos Zaña,” this project promotes entrepreneurship and self employment to students in 4th and 5th grade of secondary school (juniors and seniors of high school).  It’s a work in progress, to put it gently.  Pretty much everything that ever happens with this project I’m just left thinking, “WHY?” or “HOW?”

A community counterpart approached me several months ago and asked if I would like to help out with an entrepreneurship project he was planning in the high school.  I said yes, of course, being desperate for work.  We spent several weeks detailing out the project, writing up the proposal, getting all the approval from the high school, and also brought on a few other teachers.  Things were so promising in the beginning.

My counterparts and I working on the project proposal

We have since gone through a series of unfortunate events.  Anything and everything from the school completely forgetting about the project, to other classes running hours over and using our time in the auditorium, to projectors and laptops and microphones not working, or to students not showing up to school because they had gone on a school trip over the weekend, you name it, it has likely happened.  I just, I don’t even know.  And it’s not for a lack of effort, honestly, everyone involved is working so hard.  Things just happen.  I swear.

Initially, we started as like an after school club.  It was free to participate for juniors and seniors, once a week for two hours, and they had the opportunity to win scholarship money at the end.  Seems like a no brainer, right?  Unfortunately, there wasn’t that much participation.  I think we had a steady 20 students attending the after school sessions.  I was impressed with this number, because I set the bar real low and expected no one to show up.  But my counterparts were significantly less impressed, and if we were planning on giving out prizes, we needed a larger pool of students.  So, we redesigned the project and are now teaching entrepreneurship during the final hour of classes, and are forcing several classes to participate.  And because not all the students were originally participating, we’ve had to start over with the classes.   The classes didn’t all go super smoothly the first time around, so it was a second chance.  Second chances do not always work out.

Take today, for example.  Two of the three counterparts were unable to make it to the class, and that’s fine, I’ve had to miss a class too.  However, today also happened to be the first class where alllll students showed up, though 20 minutes late.  The principal of the school came in to scold them for being late and to reiterate the great opportunity they have with this project, and we were left with five minutes left of class.  There’s not much you can do with five minutes.  But I wanted to get something out of it.  SO just imagine me, standing in front of about 80 15-18 year olds, who don’t even believe that I am actually older than them, trying to get them to focus during their last 10 minutes of the school day.  Seriously, think about it for a second, and I guarantee it went worse than you could imagine.

We’ve hit some bumps in the road (actually, we’ve hit all of the bumps in the road) but we’re trucking along and I am confident that it’ll be successful in the end.

our group of really motivated, really participative students

seriously, so much enthusiasm

the day we had class without seats or chairs because the auditorium was taken

random little boy skateboarding through class LOL

 

Project of Señalización del Pueblo de Zaña 

This is a very new project and we are still kind forming it’s identity.

Several months ago my host great-uncle approached me with an idea for a tourism project in Zaña.  He would like to see signs put up throughout Zaña to direct tourists to the historical monuments.  After several discussions, we decided to attend a Peace Corps training for Project Design and Management.  My counterpart and I traveled to Caraz, Ancash, where we spent the week learning how to successfully write and implement a project, and then detailing out the project proposal.  It was a really interesting training, and I think we both got a lot out of it.

From this training, we decided that the project needs to start with putting up tourism signs throughout the community, that way people have a tangible example of what we are doing to generate tourism.  Then we will include a campaign to clean the routes to and around the historical monuments, a training for local business owners who will be involved regularly in tourism, like the typical dulce makers and the hotel owners, and finally, we will start a promotional Zaña tourism campaign in other districts in Lambayeque.

Currently, we are in a “standby” with the project plans.  We approached the Director of GERCERTUR (Gerencia Regional de Comercio Exterior y Turismo or a state-level agency for tourism and local business) and our conversation was successful.  According to a study that GERCERTUR recently finished, there is substantial evidence that Zaña could have a good amount of tourism, so there is reason to develop this project.  Unfortunately, signs require money to build and put up and there’s not much money to go around.

I am also really confident that this project will succeed, once we have funding.

my counterpart and I at the end of the training!  please ignore more awkward wardrobe choices

Projects of Promoviendo un Programa de Voluntariado para el Valle de Zaña and Promoviendo Liderazgo en Adolescentes para Generar Desarrollo en el Valle de Zaña 

This is my hobby, because it isn’t alined with my program goals, and the is thing that makes me happiest in Zaña (aside from hanging out with my host mom).  In most communities in Peru there are soup kitchens, or comedores.  In Zaña we have one that is funded by Heart Links, a NGO based out of Canada.  Several months ago two of the women who work with this comedor asked if I would be willing to participate in one of their projects, and again, of course I said yes, because I was desperate for work.  This comedor has 4 different projects:  volunteerism, bettering the abilities in children, promoting leadership in adolescentes, and promoting leadership in women.

The first project I support is a project that promotes a Volunteerism Program throughout the Valley of Zaña (which includes two nearby towns).  The goal behind this project was to have a group of volunteers who twice a month could volunteer their time to the one of the other projects.  Volunteerism is not very popular in Peru and I thought this was a really interesting idea.  The group started off with a decent number of volunteers, who met a specific list of criteria, but, unfortunately, the group continues to get smaller and smaller.  We have monthly meetings where we discuss the work our projects are doing, any difficulties we have, any improvements we think can be made, and whatever else we would like to share.  We might not have quantity, but we absolutely have quality.  Spending time with others who are dedicated to helping those in their towns makes my heart warm.  I leave every meeting feeling motivated and empowered by my fellow volunteers.

some of the volunteers!

I translated for a week when Canadians came and here we are with the Volunteerism project

here we are with the Children’s Project

 

I am one of the volunteers for this comedor and I am supporting the project that Promotes Leadership in Adolescentes to Generate Development.  This project aims to develop potential leadership in adolescentes, through strengthening their abilities that allow them to affirm their cultural races and to exercise positive leadership.  We meet once a week, on Sunday mornings, and we do a variety of things.  There have been classes about self-esteem, leadership, creative expression, recycling, and we have even visited the historical sites of Zaña and compiled different narratives about Zaña’s history.  And we have so much more planned for the end of the year!  Unfortunately, as with all my projects, there isn’t that much participation.  In Zaña there are 5 teenagers who come on a regular basis, but generally they’re never all there on the same day.  I feel bad for the girl who coordinates everything, because she works so hard and she genuinely cares about the futures of these teens, but I still get a lot out of it.  It is refreshing being in her presence, seeing someone who is so motivated to help Zaña grow, and it is always fun hanging out with the teenagers who do participate.

making a mural to showcase their work

all 3 youth groups met for a fun day in Chiclayo! So much teen angst

 

I hope to have more to share at the very end of my service, but I am really happy with what I am doing.  Even if it never seems to go according to plan and I regularly want to gauge peoples’ eyeballs out.

One Year Down, One Year To Go

I have officially been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaña, Lambayeque, Peru for an entire year! Honestly, the year has slipped by faster than I could have ever imagined and it still feels like time is escaping me.

It’s been a great year. I have integrated into a wonderful family, whom I now consider to be my own family. I have made lifelong friends and have gotten to know countless other beautiful people. I have pushed myself beyond my comfort zones and I have gotten to know “Ellen” better, and even discovered some new things about myself. I have had opportunities to travel to beautiful places in Peru and to get to know the unique cultures.

But it hasn’t been without bumps along the way. I’ve suffered through extremely low self-confidence, I have dealt with unforeseen circumstances, I have survived parasites and a variety of other random sicknesses, and I have powered through some serious homesickness.

After all that has happened, and trust me a lot has gone down, I think it is important that I reflect on this past year and a few important things that I have learned (and that I bet most volunteers have learned)

 

Cold showers are hard.

After 15 full months of bathing in cold water, I could say that I am “used” to it. Which in no way in hell means that I enjoy it. I’ll admit that a cold shower during the summer, when it is insufferably hot in Zaña, is nice. But, unless I am on the verge of heat stroke, I prefer HOT showers.   However, I can’t say that I would actually shower more if I had hot water daily, as I have always been a little bit cochina.

I LOVE food, but I don’t love all food.

I have discovered that I am a pretty picky eater, and I always thought I was that type of person that could eat literally anything. WELLLL I can’t and I usually don’t.

Shit happens.

Whether literally or figuratively, there has never been a truer phrase. More often than not something randomly comes up (or out 😉) and you’re forced to solve the issue on the spot. That’s life.

FOMO is real.

Social media/the Internet has allowed me to be a spectator in the lives of my family and friends who are so far away. Living vicariously through the endless photos and snapchats, and being able to FaceTime whenever, is great. I’m basically right there with y’all. But, there are times that my heart physically aches from wanting to be a part of the action or drama so badly.

Don’t judge.

I think the unique Peace Corps job/life situation breeds this weird type of judge-y environment. There are a lot of volunteers who spend their time concerning themselves with the lives of other volunteers, myself included. Some volunteers think they’ve figured it ALL out and know EVERYTHING there is to know. However, circumstances for every single volunteer are significantly different, even if they’re site mates. Because of that, comparing yourself to someone else or judging someone else is 100% useless. Don’t waste your time concerned with the life someone else is living. Just live yours.

Network. Network. Network

We’ve all heard countless times that networking is important and that couldn’t be more true for Peace Corps volunteers. PCVs definitely need solid relationships to get work done. It has always mattered who you know and it will always matter who you know.

Listening is crucial.

The job description for a Peace Corps volunteer calls for action. PC wants results, which typically are in the form of numbers, and our work is driven by this need to produce results. But, how do we know what results are needed unless we actively listen? I’m still learning how to do this.

Accountability is important.

Holding oneself accountable, especially in this line of work, is important.  Peace Corp is structured so that volunteers are essentially their own bosses. We obviously have to inform our bosses about the work we are doing, but at the end of the day we answer to ourselves. While this structure functions well, I sometimes get lost it in.  I tend to be honest when admitting to what I have or have not done, but sometimes I fail to recognize and understand the consequences. And I fall into the excuse trap regularly here in Zaña. When looking at the big picture, having two full years to complete projects seems like an eternity. But as the months pass by, I regularly find myself thinking, “I could have done more,” and then letting myself off the hook with a few excuses. Hindsight and retrospect are helpful in learning from mistakes, but accountability is key. At the end of the day, I want to be able to say I did all that I could today because this matters to me. That’s what accountability is:  the acknowledgment of your actions and the assumption of the responsibilities. I’m still working on it.

Be grateful, especially in times of hardship.

We all have so many things to be grateful for, but sometimes we lose site of this when we feel like we are sinking or struggling. Take time to be grateful, take time to remind yourself off all that is good.

 

SOO at the end of a full year in Zaña, and more than a full year in Peru, despite all the times I have said, “I literally cannot,” I actually can!  I have made it through living in conditions that seem hotter than hell, through pooping my pants, through not really understanding or speaking the language, through countless sleepless nights because my neighbours partied until the crack of dawn, through mountains of rice, through way too many cups of Inca Kola, and many more random things that have happened along the way.  And I have come out absolutely loving Peru and the community I live in.

A lot of things have changed in my life over the last year, including me.  I hope I’ve changed for the better, I think I have.  I thought it was cheesy and cliche when reading other PC Blogs about how “changed” people were.  But, it’s true.  Something about this experience changes you, and then that pretty much changes everything else.

For this next year ahead, all I can ask of myself is that I live and I learn. That everyday I do at least one Peace Corps thing, that I put myself out there and try to break from my comfort zones and hopefully I can give back as much as I am taking away.  I am eternally grateful for this opportunity and this learning experience.

Peace Corps Peru 25