Surveys and Community Visit Preparation

I spent the morning getting started with some Monitoring & Evaluation work, by going through the results of the Nest Client Surveys that were recently administered in the four Nest communities that OB works with in order to identify patterns and possibilities for improvements in the future. The survey started with some demographic information (questions about levels of education, personal possessions, family dynamics, etc.) and continued with a section on finances, specifically about any loans received both from Nest and from other sources. 

The biggest take-away I gained from this work was the difficulty in obtaining valid data when it comes to administering such surveys, as well as the importance of having the surveys be administered by someone who the women know and trust in order to obtain the most honest data. For example, nearly all women surveyed indicated that their overall earnings had reduced over the past year, yet ended the survey with some variation of “we are so grateful to Nest, and need another loan as soon as possible,” suggesting that they were in fact helped by the loans. However, without accurate data that specifically validates that Nest's loans and other forms of assistance have indeed been beneficial, its difficult to continue to validate similar programs, especially to donors and supporters who want to see tangible results. Thus, over the next two months, one of my projects will be working with Andrea to analyze and improve the Monitoring & Evaluation system already in place, a project that I know will be both difficult and incredibly interesting. 

Getting Down to Business

Finally the real work has begun! Last night, we had our first weekly Skype call with Rebecca and Kathleen from Nest to discuss our upcoming projects. We discussed a few of the concerns that may come up as we work through the production guide. For example, Darcy and I noticed in the inventories we’ve been going through that sometimes the same products (for example, scarves) produced by one cooperative have huge price variances, of which we have yet to determine the cause. In some situations, it may be that the pattern is more complicated or the particular artisan is less experienced, but when Nest makes a custom order, consistency in both pricing and quality are critical, so this is one of the issues that we are seeking to address with our production guide. 

Market Day & San Pedro

We started yesterday morning off with our first trip the market – quite an experience! Though the market is open every day, Sundays are the biggest market days and it definitely seemed like nearly all of Pana was there buying their food for the week. The market was HUGE, full of stands with fresh produce, meats, seafood, and other necessities, and it took a while to go from seller to seller and negotiate prices, but Darcy and I returned home with two full bags of food to stock our kitchen. My favorite purchase were beautiful pink and green pitayas, a fruit native to the region that’s only in season for a few weeks out of the year. I have no idea what they taste like, but I’m excited to find out :)

 

The Start of Rainy Season, Tuk Tuks, and La Palapa

I woke up yesterday to a beautiful, sunny Pana day and went to OB around 10 to meet Andrea. Darcy and I spent the morning looking over OB’s brand new website (http://www.oxlajujbatz.org/) - launched today! – and giving Andrea some feedback and suggestions on how to improve it. Then we went over a more detailed orientation with Andrea and talked specifically about our Work Plan. The plan is definitely ambitious – and it’s possible we might not get through everything that we hope – but we will be spending the next week or so doing the research and planning necessary to accomplish as much as possible. A large part of our Work Plan involves working directly with the cooperatives of women that OB and Nest partner with, so starting in a week or so we will be traveling along with OB’s facilitators to these communities to conduct interviews, take pictures, and do the research we need to put together the production guide, look book, and other projects we’ve been assigned.

!Hola de Pana!

Darcy and I overlooking Lake Atitlan, which borders Panajachel

After landing in Guatemala City this morning and and a three hour drive on winding mountainside highways, Darcy and I finally arrived in Panajachel this afternoon. We were greeted by Andrea, who showed us the beautiful little house where we will be living, with our own bedrooms, a sitting area with couches and a TV, a dining area, and a fully-outfitted kitchen, all surrounded by a beautiful garden. The whole place is clean, spacious, and just a short walk from Panajachel’s town center and from the OB office.

Two Weeks and Counting!

With only two weeks to go until I leave for Guatemala, I’m beginning to finalize my packing list and logistics for the trip! After meeting in Houston, Darcy and I will fly together to Guatemala City, and then drive about 3 hours to Panajachel, which will be our new home for the following two months. We will be met by Andrea, our site supervisor, who works with Nest’s partner organization in Panajachel, Oxlajuj B’atz’ (Thirteen Threads). Andrea will help us get settled in our apartment and get oriented with Oxlajuj B’atz’ and with Panajachel before we begin our work as Nest Fellows. 

From that point on, Darcy and I will be busy working through the different projects that we’ve been assigned for the summer. In Panajachel, Nest works with Oxlajuj B’atz in generating a more robust market for the goods produced by Mayan Indian weavers, in a sustainable manner and without the use of middlemen. Some of the projects I will be working on to support this mission include:

Whose Volunteer Experience is this Anyway?

Crystal Hayling, a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Effective Philanthropy, recently published an article on the Center for Effective Philanthropy's blog entitled, "Whose Volunteer Experience is this Anyway?" in which she considers who really benefits from service projects, and how much of the focus of service projects should be on "making a difference" and how much should be on personal growth.

Hayling writes:

“I love feeling that I’m making a difference, whether it is buying green products or volunteering or contributing to organizations I love. By doing these things I create a sense of community, connection, and empathy that benefits me as well as those on the other end of that support. The act of giving is mutually beneficial. But at the end of the day, it’s not only about me. Giving, volunteering, and the work done to support nonprofits becomes transformative when the goal is something much larger than just one person’s pride or fame or even self-actualization.”