I’d like to be able to have a conclusion to my wonderful Kiva journey. I’d like to tell you that microfinance unequivocally helps to alleviate poverty. I’d like to tell you that in 20 years, there will no longer be people who starve to death in Guatemala. But I have no certain thoughts.
I have for three months seen a country silently fighting to get over its bloody civil war and move forward as a people. I don’t know how they are going to move away from penury and towards solidarity. Nor do I know what role foreigner aid/loans/help should play in this process. I’m left with little practical or tangible to tell anyone about my time here as it relates to solving poverty.
In this time, however, I have seen mothers who sacrifice their health to work three jobs so their kids can go to school. I have heard stories of entrepreneurs who used to sell their goods on the street, only to now have a store to sell them in. I have touched the glimmer of hope that is present in a person’s eyes when they know you believe in them.
Two of my favorite Spanish words are homonyms:
Esperar - to hope; to wait
Compromiso- a commitment; a compromise
To raise yourself out of a bad situation requires all of these things: hope for the future, waiting for better times, a commitment to work hard, and a compromise of your immediate well-being for hope of a better future. I don’t know how Guatemala, or the world, will move forward, but I believe that do so in a positive way will require these things from people. And so I will return home committing to hope for future.
Thanks for all of your wonderful support. It would not have been possible to make this journey with all those who helped me along the way. You know who you are. I’ll be home at the end of February, and I will be sure to have a presentation for those of you who are in the Ann Arbor area.
