2008.06.08: June 8, 2008: Headlines: COS - Macedonia: Bemidji Pioneer: For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Macedonia: Peace Corps Macedonia: Peace Corps Macedonia: Newest Stories: 2008.06.08: June 8, 2008: Headlines: COS - Macedonia: Bemidji Pioneer: For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia

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For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia

For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia

Tara said she found it difficult at first to see a country that, based on its looks, resembled the United States, but then to realize that the same ideals didn’t carry over. The Macedonian mentality is quite different from that in the U.S., she said. A prevalent motto is “There is time.” This phrase alone indicates that Macedonians don’t adhere to the fast-paced lifestyle that many Americans choose. For Tara, this attitude was originally frustrating when trying to set up meetings and events, but she has now adapted and slipped into that lifestyle herself.

For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia

Peace Corps experience: Bemidji woman accepts wide range of duties

Leslie Rith-Najarian, Bemidji Pioneer

Published Sunday, June 08, 2008

Caption: Tara Trepanier stands on a lookout above the city of Demir Hisar where she is working as a teacher and translator as a Peace Corps volunteer. Submitted Photo

For the past 21 months, Tara Trepanier of Bemidji has been a stationed Peace Corps volunteer in Demir Hisar, Macedonia. She is currently one of more than 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 74 different countries.

For Tara, joining the Peace Corps was about saying “yes.” Prior to joining, her plans followed a more traditional mind set – go to college, get a job, start a family. When odd opportunities came up she would usually turn them away; finally, it was time to try something new. The Peace Corps was particularly intriguing because it provided world experience while simultaneously providing an opportunity to give something back.

The first three months of the program were used as an emersion training stage. Tara was placed with a Macedonian family who spoke no English while Tara also spoke no Macedonian. Tara explained that at first it was like charades, trying to gesture ideas to each other. However, she said being fully immersed in this manner truly was the quickest way to learn the language. Tara studied the language four hours every day, and after the three months, she was able to speak the language and understand the alphabet.

On assignment

Tara’s duties cover a wide range. Her main job is teaching English in primary school, kindergarten through eighth, and running English clubs after school. She also helps the school find funding and materials. She said Bemidji locals have been generous themselves in donated books. Tara is also active in various village outreach programs. She works at the city hall building to help find grants and funding for the community and its projects. This is important work, because often grants require English-written requests, and if a translator is unavailable, Tara said her help is vital.

National service

Last fall, Tara also assisted with the English Language Teachers Association of Macedonia in a national English essay contest. Not only did the contest promote improvement of student’s English usage, but the topic, “Human Rights and Discrimination,” was valuable for the youth to sift through their minds. During the summers, Tara remains busy by involving herself in interactive ethnic camps. These camps are an important tool for bringing the children of different ethnic backgrounds together.

Changing times

Macedonia, located in Eastern Europe, is in the process of transforming the government from the former socialist systems to decentralized and local systems. Tara explained that under the previous system the local governments were very reliant on authorities higher up, who organized the political and economic aspects of life. Now that the system is no longer in place, officials must learn for themselves how to manage business, which has resulted in stunted development. Macedonia has also struggled with ethnicity issues within the country. Citizens have become accustom to the country’s borders changing frequently, so they tend to avoid identifying themselves by nationality.

Instead of uniting, each culture has strong ties mainly within itself. Segregation occurs by choice of the individual ethnicities. This trend has become a difficult issue, and the English language is vital to solving some of the resulting problems. A program that uses one of the ethnicities’ languages risk giving the impression of preferring that particular ethnicity. In comparison, programs that use English appear more diplomatic.

Seeing differences

Tara said she found it difficult at first to see a country that, based on its looks, resembled the United States, but then to realize that the same ideals didn’t carry over. The Macedonian mentality is quite different from that in the U.S., she said. A prevalent motto is “There is time.” This phrase alone indicates that Macedonians don’t adhere to the fast-paced lifestyle that many Americans choose. For Tara, this attitude was originally frustrating when trying to set up meetings and events, but she has now adapted and slipped into that lifestyle herself.

Overall, Tara said her experience has been wonderful and her community has adopted her with great welcome, even giving her the Macedonian “name” of “Trepevska” by taking her last name of Trepanier and making it sound Macedonian.

She said the highlight was working at the ethnic camps because it was incredible to see children of various cultures, who usually attended different schools, all come together in a social setting where they could become friends. The camps were so effective because using English as the linking language created the sense that there was no culture that was “better.” When Tara first learned that her job in Macedonia was to teach English, her initial reactions was to fear that her venture would be imperialistic. Now, she said she understands the diplomatic value of our language in Macedonia.

“I am happy to announce I am not an imperialist after all,” she said.

Local outreach

Recently, Tara came back briefly to Bemidji to see family and to share her experience with groups and individuals around the area. In addition to presentations, she met with the Bemidji Rotary and the club will sponsor a library project in Demir Hisar.

Now that Tara has returned to Macedonia, she still has plenty to keep her busy in her remaining six months. In honor of Tara’s help with setting up the library programs, locals will be naming the building “Library Tara.” She will be helping with the interactive ethnic camps again this summer and the English essay contest once again come fall.

Following her work in the Peace Corps, she said she is interested in pursuing a master’s degree in international development and then possibly working in Foreign Service for the State Department Abroad.

“I would do it all again,” she said.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: June, 2008; Peace Corps Macedonia; Directory of Macedonia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Macedonia RPCVs





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Story Source: Bemidji Pioneer

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