If You´re Just Tuning in With Us Here At "True Life: I´m a Peace COrps Volunteer"

As some of you know, I spent the year after college serving with an Americorps program called the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship (www.masspromisefellows.org)- it was a really amazing year. I served at America SCORES New England (http://www.americascores.org/affiliates/new-england) which is an afterschool soccer and creative writing program. This is an article that I wrote for their newsletter! Enjoy!

Hey fellows and fellow lovers!

My name is Kate Lena and I am a class X Promise Fellow Alum. I served as a Youth Leadership Fellow at America SCORES New England. During my year as a fellow, I learned a lot and met the most incredible people-who, I have to say, have changed my life and helped me to grow as a person. Through a variety of ways, the Promise Fellowship has led me to what I am currently doing with my life: serving as a Healthy Lifestyles Peace Corps (PC) volunteer in Corinto, Nicaragua.

In addition to battling cockroaches, perfecting my ability to tell jokes in Spanish, learning to make gallo pinto, forming great new friendships and working on my backstroke, I am working in a Youth Center and Health Clinic. This clinic, built by a previous PC volunteer, is here to provide the youth of Corinto with a safe space to have all of their health and lifestyle questions, answered. As sustainability is so important, we use the clinic as a space to provide trainings to youth, sex workers and community health workers, so that they in turn are able to train their peers. We provide sessions on all sexual and reproductive health topics, as well as seasonal illnesses, personal hygiene and how to start your own youth group. These sessions are given in schools, community centers, parks, homes etc... We even gave classes on HIV/AIDS and STIs to a few circuses that came to town. Explaining how to use a condom, in Spanish, to a group of clowns and acrobats, really is an amazing thing.

While the work I do is interesting, fun and takes up the majority of my time here, I also have time to learn about Nicaraguan culture. I have become accustomed to washing my clothing by hand (I’m going to hand HUGE arm muscles when I come back), not having running water and electricity 24/7, and maneuvering my way through fruit and vegetable markets. If you came to Corinto, you should not be surprised to see me weaving in and out of traffic, on my bike, from the market to my office with pounds of chicken, fruits, vegetables and plantains on my back (we have a youth soup kitchen 3 times a week), while shouting out “Adios” to my friends. While I do really miss my friends and family at home, I am beginning to sculpt somewhat of a life here in Nicaragua. It really is an amazing country full of the friendliest people.

If you are trying to decide what to do next with your life, I totally recommend looking into Peace Corps- feel free to drop me a line (klena225@gmail.com), read my blog (katalinalena.blogspot.com) or swing by Corinto, Chinandega, Nicaragua!