December 14, 2014
So its been
a about a month since we have been in site and we just recently came back from
being in Managua for our PreConnect Sesson as well as the 2014 NicaTESOL
Conference. I must say it was truly
refreshing seeing the other Volunteers this week and hearing about the
different experiences in their sites.It was quite the recharge. Going back to
site, I was able to catch a ride back with a group of Volunteers from
Northwestern University thanks to one of the awesome Fabretto coorninators who
frequently coordinates trips to San Jose de Cusmapa for Missionaries. Padre
Fabretto is a Non profit organization in my small community named after a Catholic Minister that built and
implemented several reading, English learning, forestry and business preparation
initiatives for the community.
I actually
met Sarah (or let’s just say her name is Sarah for privacy purposes)
through my host sister who was interested in going to a University in the city
of Managua and asked us if we could both meet up to exchange a few
matriculation papers for her. This simple connection turned into an hour long
conversation and led to us having quite a bit in common. Keeping in touch with
her and “following up” allowed me to catch a 6 hour ride back to my site…traveling
in style (wink wink).
OR 
Why am I mentioning this? Well, being a Peace Corps
Volunteer (or any other type of Volunteer for that matter) one has to learn how
to build their home away from home in order to not feel like a complete recluse
in your host country. Since I have been in country, I have met several “non
natives” from Germany, England, the United States, Jamaica, and France etc. The
interesting part about meeting other people is that we all have similar goals
in promoting sustainability in Nicaragua which is the second poorest country in
the world, even if it’s with a non-profit organization (most) or
for themselves (many).
Here’s a few tips to help build
your networking skills with “non natives” in country…
Show interest…
Typically people in developing countries who are working
or volunteering for long periods of time demonstrate that this is probably NOT
their first rodeo. They’ve. Duunit. Before. These free birds are open minded
and have seen everything under the sun while traveling to other countries
including their own. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and start conversations
because to tell the truth, they are probably not all THAT busy in the first
place. If you are truly interested in networking with other people, there has
to be a objective or purpose for pursuing this type of connect(ion). This way,
you know what types of questions you need to ask. Specificity is key. .jpg)
Don’t be afraid of
“NO”
This is probably one of the main reasons why people don’t
actually network; they are afraid of the word “NO.” When asking “Sarah” for a 6
hour ride back to my site I was expecting two possible answers “Yea Sure!” or
“No, sorry we won’t have enough space.” Fortunately, I was able to bum a
ride!(Im broke in the Peace Corps, that’s enough motivation right?) “NO” is all
about perspective, so don’t let it discourage you from continuing to ask people
for help because it can hinder you from awesome opportunities. People usually
have a reason as to why they won’t do something for you and most of the time,
it has absolutely nothing to do with them. It’s important to understand that
the decisions people make not only affect them but the people around them as
well.
Everyone has a
story
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So, traveling the 6 hours with a few Northwestern University
students (all Seniors) to my site allowed me to get to know them and pitch the
idea of being a Peace Corps Volunteer because I was sure they had their lives
together (NOT, lol). I invited one of the coordinators to one of my student’s
graduation dinners and found out that she is very well connected. We were able
to receive a generous donation for our up and coming Christmas Project!
Apparently the president of the NGO in my community is the son of the Vice
President of BP. I say no more! .jpg)
Build your
Confidence
Building your confidence has everything to do with
knowing who you are as a person which can be as simple as knowing what you like
and don’t like. How do you know if you know who you are? Hmm, that’s a good
question because I’m still soul searching! To take a gander, it’s probably best
to ask yourself if you are able to make simple decisions. Paper or plastic? Ice
Cream or Cookies? Jamaica or Costa Rica?
Pick one! (No, really) There are enough gray areas in life so why make it more complicated
than what it is? Thinking more logically as opposed to with emotion will often
help with making decisions but understand that you’re human and God gave us
emotions for a reason. Besides, people can see through non genuineness so try
to find a balance.
“Follow up”
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When following up with people that you just met, it
doesn’t mean that you have to send them a loooonnngg voice message about how
amazingly great they were. To be honest, they may not have frequent service all
of the time in a developing country. Hence, emailing and text messaging come in
handy. A simple “I hope this message finds you well. I am just following up
with you so that we can exchange information and keep in touch!” should be
enough. Sometimes adding more information can come off as pushy and fake, so,
try to get an idea for the personality of person you are contacting. Following up may seem completely awkward at
first but if you want to reach a goal that you’ve never had, you have to do
something you’ve never done before!
Hope this helps!
-Signed DiscoveringFire
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