K. Courtney Cunningham says "When I was first invited to serve as a beekeeper in Paraguay, South America, I was somewhat apprehensive yet excited."
Found in translation
August 1, 2004
Faraway lands, fascinating cultures and new adventures continue to call selfless men and women to the Peace Corps. It is a sense of common purpose that binds members of this special clan who dedicate two years of their lives to the cause. They travel, share their professional expertise and learn about ideals and customs that differ from their own. Since its 1961 inception, the Peace Corps has trained such people -- 170,000 to be exact -- to serve in 137 counties. Their experiences leave an indelible mark, so much so that many continue their commitments to global harmony, education and the Peace Corps' missions after their stint has ended.
Their vehicle is the National Peace Corps Association, which will gather here for a conference at the Palmer House Hilton Thursday through Sunday. The nonprofit group, celebrating its 25th anniversary, states it "fosters peace by working together in service, education and advocacy."
Inside, four former volunteers, who now live in Chicago, share the stories of how this journey took them beyond their comfort zones, allowing them to connect with humanity.
When I was first invited to serve as a beekeeper in Paraguay, South America, I was somewhat apprehensive yet excited. I had no formal experience with bees but my recruiter assured me I would have extensive training in beekeeping and Guarani, the indigenous language of Paraguay. There were 10 of us in our beekeeping training class who went through three months of intensive, hands-on instruction to learn how to capture and maintain Africanized bees. During the first week of training, our instructor placed a bee on our arms so it would sting us. He wanted to make certain that none of us had any type of allergy to bees. Africanized, compared to European, bees (the types found in the United States) are extremely aggressive when defending their colony and will pursue an intruder at great distances. When working with these bees, one must be constantly aware of one's clothing and protective gear. If there are any openings in your gear, then Africanized bees will surely find a way to get inside and sting you! Throughout my service, I did take numerous bees stings, but I became more accustomed to the stings after several weeks.
Although painful at times, the training was exceptional and I felt I was a "leading expert" on Africanized bees.
After training, I was assigned to Taruma, a small indigenous village in the southern region of Paraguay, where I replaced an Environmental Education volunteer. I moved into the previous volunteer's wooden house that was covered by a tile roof with dirt floors and no electricity or running water.
The first two weeks in my community were by far the most difficult two weeks I had ever experienced and I seriously questioned my reasoning for wanting to leave all of the comforts of the United States.
After days of hiding in my house, my next-door neighbor's daughter, Lourdes, approached me and began asking me questions in Spanish. I was relieved to be able to understand a full conversation, as I had studied Spanish in college. Each afternoon, Lourdes would come to my house and escort me to each of our neighbors' houses. Through Lourdes, who would translate when needed, the adults in my community began to feel more comfortable with me and ask for my aid with various beekeeping projects.
Lourdes and I remained close throughout my service and we would occasionally joke that I was going to stuff her in my backpack when I left Taruma and take her to the United States.
When the day arrived for me to say goodbye, Lourdes had completely taken over my role as the official Beekeeping Expert in my community. She had turned 15 and was given more responsibility than most college graduates in the United States and was training men twice her age in the field of apiculture.
As I stepped on the bus to leave Taruma, I began to cry, realizing for the first time the effect the Peace Corps had had on my life. Although I was placed in a different country with a foreign culture and people, I realized how small the world truly was. I finally discovered the true value of life, which was we were all human beings who might be different in certain characteristics, yet we all strove for common goals.
K. Courtney Cunningham
Volunteer, Paraguay 1998-2000
