My 6 month internship with CAUSE Canada took place in the rural highlands of Guatemala, where my time was divided between the two small Mayan villages of Todos Santos and Comitancillo. As the Women´s Program Facilitator, I spent my time working on CAUSE´s new Women´s Empowerment Program. The majority of my time on this project was spent on the creation and implementation of their new leadership curriculum in Guatemala.

As a recent graduate of international development studies I was very eager to get into to the field and put theory into practice. I anticipated that through this experience I would be giving of myself, but the truth is that I have received far more than I could have ever given.

Throughout my placement I found myself confronted with many daily challenges, all which contributed to my own personal growth. The people of Todos Santos and Comitancillo are faced with incomparable social issues and extreme poverty conditions, a situation that one could never even begin to understand without themselves experiencing it. However, amongst all of the challenges, the people of these villages seem to work hard and persevere.

I feel fortunate to have had this experience as it has forced me to look inside of myself and contributed to my own professional, but perhaps more importantly, personal growth.
This internship has confirmed for me what I have been taught over the past three years, that development is a journey and not a destination. It is a process that is ongoing and I am thankful to CAUSE Canada and to CIDA for allowing me to be a part of their journey in Guatemala. I am also thankful to the people of Guatemala, for it is they who give me inspiration.