Reflections
Alexandra Fournier
November 29, 2011

When this internship first began November seemed so far away. It’s scary how quickly time has passed and that in just a few short days we will be returning to Canada.

This experience has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. Although there were many battles: enduring the heat, the bugs, the illnesses and the uncomfortable travelling, Ciriboya was our home for the last 8 months. Last Friday Shannon and I said goodbye to our friends and coworkers and it was truly a bittersweet goodbye. We spent Friday morning biking through the community, stopping at people’s homes, local stores and the community clinic to take pictures, exchange email addresses and say goodbye to the friends we had made in our community. Before leaving for the city we had a staff lunch at our house, when many of the local children also stopped by one last time, and then we said our goodbyes and headed with Elmer to La Ceiba.

Among the people and relationships that I will never forget are the women’s triumphs as well. Progress and impacts are difficult to measure in programs that focus on empowering women and building their confidence. Sometimes you wonder if the work you are doing is really making an impact in these people’s lives. As it turns out, the month of November was my most rewarding time spent in Ciriboya due to many events. The market day Shannon and I organized was a huge success. So many women participated in the event and spoke of how proud they felt of their success and their determination to organize more market days in the future. At the graduation ceremonies several women spoke of their experiences in the program and of how CAUSE and its local staff had touched their lives. Women spoke of being strong role models for their children, being important figures in their communities, confidently sharing their opinions with others and defending their rights. Hearing these women speak made me realize the powerful impact this program has had on their lives, and to know that I helped contribute to it is extremely rewarding.

As excited as I am to be reunited with family and friends, I wouldn’t have traded this experience for anything and will always remember the staff and women of Iriona.