Helping out in Honduras: A Peace Corps volunteer from Los Altos makes a difference in Central American country
Helping out in Honduras: A Peace Corps volunteer from Los Altos makes a difference in Central American country
Helping out in Honduras
A Peace Corps volunteer from Los Altos makes a difference in Central American country
By Bruce Barton
Town Crier Staff Writer
ristina Stevens is a true believer in the old saying that actions speak louder than words. Studying Spanish literature and Latino culture wasn't enough - she wanted to experience that culture firsthand.
Stevens' quest would take her on a two-year, three-month stint with the Peace Corps to the tiny community of Santa Maria, Honduras, in Central America. There, she lived a bona fide adventure that was both emotionally and physically challenging.
The 24-year-old Los Altos resident overcame corrupt officials, stifling politics, town apathy and horrific conditions to orchestrate construction of a water system that resolved unsanitary conditions she said were brought on by the coffee bean industry.
In the process, she earned the respect of the townspeople and helped to empower local women who, until her visit, had little or no say.
"She went there with no civil engineering background," said her proud mother, Nancy Stevens, "and she was asked to design a water system."
"She's a person who wants to share and has a lot of adventure in her spirit," said her father, Tom Stevens. "It was a dangerous kind of assignment, and while that bothered us, we knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she got the experience out of her system."
"Humans can do so much more than we give ourselves credit," Kristina Stevens said. "(After Honduras) I feel like I can do anything."
Stevens is now adjusting to life without mosquito nets, having returned to ultra-comfortable Los Altos this past August. She went through three months of training before traveling to Honduras in August 1996.
The water system was the pinnacle of many accomplishments for Stevens in her role as a water and sanitation technician. According to Peace Corps supervisors Martin Rivera and Geraldine Schafer, other achievements included supervising two latrine projects benefiting 70 families in Santa Maria, planning and conducting seminars involving watershed protection and maintenance, and promoting the study for a sanitary landfill in the village.
But her role went beyond technical expertise and physical labor. Stevens helped to change some attitudes that had been apathetic and geared toward simple subsistence living. She made many villagers more environmentally aware, and even helped to form an environmental club. She also created acrylic paintings for greeting cards to fund scholarships for rural women who wanted to continue a high school education, and collaborated in annual seminars that promote empowering rural woman.
Just before leaving, Stevens was treated to an elaborate goodbye party in which the whole village showed up to show appreciation for her efforts.
"They want to do a sewer system now," Stevens said. "I showed them more than anything that they can change their lives. ... They had been lied to by so many agencies that they felt powerless."
Stevens said she'd like to pursue graduate work and perhaps work for nonprofit organizations focusing on Latin American issues.
"We were very proud of Kristina's accomplishments," said Tom Stevens. "She tackled a difficult assignment with little formal training and many obstacles. It's good to have her home - safe, happy and self-confident."
Brendan Daly, press director for the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., said Honduran Peace Corps workers had high regard for Stevens. "They were quite impressed with her work," he said. "She was one of our better volunteers. She was committed to what she was doing and she really made a difference."
The recent appearance of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras caused widespread damage, but Stevens said Santa Maria was far enough inland to be spared from the storm's major impact.
