A Letter

It is hard to believe, but I am almost half-way through my time as a fellow here in El Salvador. Next week is our midpoint retreat, an event geared to give us some time to share and reflect on our experiences as fellows and also providing us the opportunity for some professional development. We have an outside speaker coming to teach us the basics of grant writing and project evaluation, and another speaker who will give a talk on the world food crisis with a focus on the Central American context. I helped to plan the midpoint retreat along with 3 of the other fellows and our field and progam officers, so as you can imagine, I´m super excited.

In the same vein of reflection and sharing of advice, I have decided to post my recent monthly report. Usually the report is a series of questions (different every month) about what I accomplished in the past month, what challenges I faced, how I overcame them and any good stories. I often paste my blog entries into the reports, but this time it is the other way around. This month´s report was actually a letter-writing exercise:

The letter will serve to inform future fellows and volunteers of the practical arrangements they should make prior to their departure as well as provide them with a snapshot of your experience in Central America.

I went over the 500 word limit, but I think I got everything down. I´ve been thinking a lot about the point of this fellowship lately, and I´ve come to the opinion that the interactions I have will matter much more than whatever concrete work I get done here. Initially, the thought of not getting work done seemed scary to my competitive and over-achieving Western mentality, but now I find the laid-back hang-out lifestyle quite refreshing. I have to enjoy it while I´ve got it! Then again, who knows how I may feel 5 months from now.

It has also occured to me that this letter, though honest, doesn´t go into much detail about what an awesome time I´m having. As all of you dedicated readers out there will know, I am indeed having a great time. However, as in any living / working situation, there are always ups and downs, and frustrations occur especially easily when faced with the unfamiliar. In this letter, I suggest things for which the future fellow should be prepared...


Dear future fellow,

You are about to embark on an epic journey. It is an experience that will be at times rewarding, at times challenging, confusing, heart breaking and probably even highly interesting. Of course, I am very qualified to give you advice for your trip because I am a current World Partners Fellow who knows all. By way of introduction, my name is Elsita Kiekebusch and I am placed in El Salvador. Don’t bother wondering where I got such a strange name, just know that I am a US citizen and a person of Latin American heritage. My job description at my NGO placement is surprisingly well-defined (don’t expect this.) I am involved in sustainable agriculture projects where I research and then give advice on corn cultivation and usage of natural fertilizers. I live in the capital, San Salvador, where I have access to many of the luxuries of life such as grocery stores and internet (don’t expect these either.)

As I was saying, your journey will be a multi-faceted moment of your life. It will pass by more quickly than you can imagine and you will learn something new everyday. There are several things that you can do to make your experience a happier and more comfortable learning process. I am a major proponent of traveling light – for the fellowship, for side trips and for going to work. Carrying lots of things around attracts attention. Of course, if you have white skin, you will attract attention, so even more reason to invest in a small bag for the day to day, rather than a large touristy backpack. Regarding clothing – pack tropical. Bring a raincoat and clothes that will facilitate heat leaving your body. For work, I usually dress casual to semi-professional. I haven’t worn my suit jacket once, though the pants come in handy. I attempt to blend in by dressing like those around me, and if I don’t say anything people often think I´m Salvadoran. This is particularly useful in avoidance of the male cat-call reserved for foreign women. If this happens to you it is likely to provoke feelings of discomfort. Just ignore and walk away.

Working in Central America has been a pretty laid-back experience by western standards. On the one hand I dont have to worry about things like deadlines very often, but the lack of efficiency can get frustrating. So don’t expect to save the world... or even to produce very much. In terms of this fellowship, production is overrated. In my opinion, the best use of your time will be spending it with your coworkers and friends, learning from their experiences and your own. Contribute to your NGO in the best way you can but don’t worry too much if things are moving slowly. Social change is a process, a miniscule step of which you may achieve during your few months of service.

That said, I wish you the very best for your journey. My single biggest piece of advice for you is to take those expectations, hold them tightly in your hand and then throw them out the window.

Have fun, be safe and enjoy,

Elsita