Kimberly Sigmund

Six weeks in Guatemala is both so long and too short. Long on experiences, fun, frustrations, and the freedom to learn and experience a new place and culture; yet too short on all of the same (well, sans frustration). As a PhD researcher in Medical Anthropology who will be researching Guatemalan women’s experiences with and ability to access maternal health care, working with Primeros Pasos during my pre-fieldwork period was a perfect fit. Guatemala was a new country to me six weeks ago, and although I was only able to see and experience various parts of Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango, I feel like I have gained a firm foundation of understanding, experience, and enjoyment in those six weeks. From working in the clinic to taking Spanish classes with a wonderful teacher; from new friendships with my Primeros Pasos colleagues to weekend trips to see Mayan ruins and climb volcanoes, Guatemala has given me so much more than I hoped for when I arrived in September, and left me excited to return next year for my fieldwork.

I really appreciated the ways in which the Primeros Pasos staff went above and beyond in order to help me arrive in Xela safely and to understand my role as a development and outreach volunteer. All of the Directors are friendly, open, passionate, and fun. They truly appreciate their volunteers, and their faith in me and willingness to welcome me into their work and personal lives was a fantastic bonus. One of the amazing aspects of working with Primeros Pasos is the latitude given to volunteers to expand their skillset or to apply their existing skills to the projects that Primeros Pasos runs. As a person with a lot of experience working with people and doing qualitative research and writing, I enjoyed using my skills to help the Development Director write grants and advertise for upcoming clinic events. With the Outreach Director, I loved being able to visit the communities of the Palajunoj Valley, talk to the residents about their lives and help to teach both children and women about health and nutrition. Getting out of a city is the most rewarding and eye-opening part of international work: experiencing the cultural diversity of the K’iche’ Maya people and taking the time to appreciate their daily lives is invaluable for an anthropologist, and an extra perk for a volunteer who came away humbled and grateful for the things I have seen and the people I have met.

Overall, I could not have asked for a better welcome into Guatemala. My host family was fantastic, Quetzaltenango and Xela have a lot of places to explore and see. And albeit the overabundance of pollution from the local chicken buses and mining trucks, the sporadic cat calls of “Nena!”, and the small frustrations that come with living in a new country, I leave Xela with a full heart and full stomach. Remember to come hungry: the local food is amazing! Paches and tamalitos and chirmol! Oh my!