Internship with EIA: Feb. 2009 through May 2009

In 2006 I made one of the best decisions of my life, to go to a meeting.  I went to learn about a place called Inka Katurapi in the rugged mountains near the Altiplano of Bolivia.  Months later I would find myself gasping for oxygen and sipping coca tea.  This was the start of it all for me, and when I learned of a chance to return and spend several more months in the mysterious and beautiful country that is Bolivia, I jumped at it. Having worked on multiple EWB projects as a student at Missouri S&T, I become very familiar with the process and workings of the projects from our side.  I was constantly in contact with the NGOs we worked with in order to keep things moving along as smoothly as possible.  So for me, it was a very interesting proposal to work from the other side, trying to help out the student and professional EWB chapters with their projects.

Some of the frustrations or complications I had experienced as a student team leader had given me a good base of things to focus on while working with the chapters.  At the same time I truly began to appreciate what the NGOs like EIA had to deal with in order to make the multitude of projects a success.  While interning for EIA I think we had over 10 active EWB projects, with 6 of them coming in a matter of one month!  This can create a logistical nightmare, especially in a country like Bolivia where things don’t always get accomplished when you’d like them to.  That’s why patience, persistence, flexibility and a positive attitude are of the utmost importance.  Sometimes things can get frustrating, but with the right mindset, it’s always fun and interesting to say the least.

One of the best things about working with EIA and EWB is the amazing people you get to meet.  The EIA staff, EWB volunteers, community members, the kids; everyone is simply incredible.  You never know when you are going to meet someone that is going to make such an impact on you that it can change your life. That is the beauty of this type of work.  I still think of the smiles and laughter of the kids I met at the orphanage in Tacachia.  I remember getting my hands dirty with the community, sharing meals, dancing, and listening to them.  Listening is simply the most important skill needed in this position. Listening to what people say, to what they don’t say, listening to their body language.  It’s amazing how much you can learn, and how much it can help the success of a project.  Because in the end, it’s not about us, it’s about them.

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