Rising from the ashes: How tragedy inspired community action in Fundación

Sunday, May 18, 2014 will forever be a day etched in the collective memory of Fundación, Magdalena, as a distinct moment of trauma and sorrow. A group of thirty-three children, ages between four and thirteen years old, and a chaperone waited inside a bus on their way to a church activity while the bus driver …

Five reasons why Colombia should be your team in World Cup Russia 2018

Dear friend in the U.S., The world’s biggest quadrennial sporting event is upon us: World Cup 2018 in Russia. As an American, the World Cup is a unique international sporting event in that we are far from the dominant, foreboding favorite as we are in the Summer Olympics which gives us the rare opportunity to …

How to be costeño

Source: How to be costeño

La Olla Milagrosa

The focus of my work in my first seven months in Colombia has revolved around the locally based non-profit, La Olla Milagrosa (‘the Miraculous Pot’) - connecting it to the Miami-based micro-loan organization TCP Global, developing and teaching a series of small-business training sessions aimed at entrepreneurs who are single mothers, and coordinating twelve local accounting students as advisors to the project.

When Family Comes to Town

From March 11 to March 19, 2016, my dad, Steve, and brother, Nicholas, visited Colombia including a lot of time in Fundacion getting to know my host family and friends. We also made trips to popular tourist destinations like Santa Marta, Minca, Tayrona Park, and Finca Barlovento.

So, what exactly are you doing? – Community Economic Development and Peace Corps Colombia

To Americans: I rarely travel, I do not live in a mud hut, and we as Volunteers aren’t hippies. To Colombians: I do not teach English, I am not a tourist, and I don’t work for the FBI.

An Introduction to My Home: Fundación, La Tierra de Orgullo (‘The Land of Pride’)

Dios te salve Villa encantadora rara joya de nuestra vasta zona, digna eres de una gran corona, pues tu nombre es de hidalga ciudad (‘God save you, lovely charming gem of our vast region, worthy of a great crown, for your name is of a noble city’) – chorus of Fundación’s hymn

Pre-Service Training (August – November 2016)

A visual presentation of my first three month's on Colombia's Caribbean Coast

Why not be a Peace Corps Volunteer?

"...in some ways, Peace Corps service has been a selfish endeavor for me stemming from the fact that I never came up with a good answer to the test posed as the question ‘why not be a Peace Corps Volunteer?’. What greater way to develop as a human being and help people less fortunate than to be a Peace Corps Volunteer? I still do not have the answer."

First Blog Post

"Therefore, the purpose of this blog is to better stay in touch with family/friends and to help facilitate understanding of the real Colombia that I have fallen in love with – one of magical realism, development, and incredible human warmth."