Esperanza

Hi folks, so I’ve been thinking about what to write in this blog, and today I finally have a lot to say about this amazing summer experience. I had been blogging on my own blog about personal growth and things I’ve learned this summer about myself, and life in general; however, I have not written much about my experience as an intern at this wonderful place. Here’s my story…

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic I was living an extremely different reality than the one my country is living. Thank God, I there has always been food on my table and the means to receive an education and other privileges that the rest of my country is lacking, or at least a large part of its population. Let’s say I was living in a bubble, not exposed to the level of poverty there is and certainly unaware of the gravity of this issue.

I heard about micro finance the first time through Aaron Roth’s blog, and through HOPE International and as soon as I learned about it, I knew it was my calling to serve God in this ministry. I applied to the GROW Fellowship Program and I was accepted as an intern, the most wonderful and life-changing experience I have ever lived. As soon as my internship started and we began visiting the associates, something touched me, and it was the feeling of kindness and compassion for those who need a change in their lives. I had never seen poverty at this level, and I immediately felt it was time to do something about it. It sounds as if suddenly one wants to be a superhero and change the world in a second and impossible as it might sound, little by little there is a lot one person can do to help. Anyways, as soon as I started to hear these stories I just wanted to figure out ways in which I could help.

As a marketing intern I felt there was not much I could do directly to help in alleviating poverty, but boy was I wrong! Part of my project is to develop marketing strategies that can help Esperanza in becoming known within the Dominican society. As I have been working on it, I have found different ways in which through marketing people learn about the organization and become more willing to help. One of the things I have loved the most about the internship besides my project, is the working environment; the people at Esperanza are incredible and I love the way in which they treat each other a part of a big family. There is a sense of cooperation and familiarity among the employees and it makes it wonderful to work here. I have loved the way in which everybody is always caring about each other and how well the relationships are managed. Even though some people hold higher positions than others, there is not that hierarchy and it makes it feel as if everybody is the same.

Overall, the experience of working for Esperanza has been priceless. I am extremely happy I met so many wonderful people and hope to build life-lasting relationships. To all of you who volunteered, I hope you had a wonderful time and you learned from this experience. Thank you for helping the Dominican Republic.

Mari Pili