Voice of the Volunteer

Name:  Lisa Guthery

Age: 22

Birth Country: USA (Denver, CO)

Time Volunteering at Safe Passage: SEP 2007 - Sep 2008

I did not know what I was going to do once I graduated Bowdoin College.  First there was the idea that I would get a PhD in psychology.  That plan was quickly dropped when I realized I was not sure whether I wanted to continue with my psychology studies.  Then I considered several impressive job opportunities, but found myself strangely unsatisfied with what those chances offered.  I was certainly at a cross roads.  After giving the issue much thought, and with the help of several mentors, I realized that I wanted to do two things: 1). serve a community in poverty and 2). immerse myself in and learn abut a different country and culture.  These two goals combined led to a strong desire to volunteer abroad.

At first I thought about joining the Peace Corps, but I found that the grass-roots close-knit community feeling of non-profit organizations (NGOs) was more appealing to me.   I had heard about Camino Seguro before because Hanley had graduated from Bowdoin, but it wasn´t until an inspiring dinner conversation with a past Bowdoin Camino Seguro volunteer that I decided to look further into the project.  I distinctly remember the day when got into my car and drove to Yarmouth, Maine where the volunteer coordinator generously gave up an hour of her time answering my questions and sharing the remarkable story of Camino Seguro.  I walked out of the office that November afternoon knowing that the following September I would be working with the children of the Guatemala City garbage dump.

It has not been easy, but that is the best part.  During the past six months spent in the preschool I have gone through many personal struggles, challenging my view of the world, myself, and life in general.  I have made many mistakes and learned from them.  I have seen humanity at its lowest as well as at its highest, usually in the same day.  I have seen babies born and begin their path toward healthy development, while at the same time I have watched infants refuse to die even when their bodies are emaciated by malnutrition.  I have questioned the role of the United States in world politics as well as my role as a United States citizen abroad.   I thank myself every single day for deciding to come here.

When I leave I know it will be a bittersweet departure.  I miss home in the United States, but I will most certainly miss the home with which I have been blessed here.  I feel I have learned much more from the people of Guatemala and the children of Camino Seguro than I have given and I am so thankful to them for that.  I pray that when I return to Guatemala, those bright-eyed children with whom I worked will still be striving toward their individual goals, for I know they can do whatever they choose, and the world will be better because of it.