When I decided to become a sociology and criminal justice major, a part of me had changed as well. Every class, every learning opportunity, every job I have ever had....I have always wanted to get the word out on how to help others in their times of need.
Since I have been in Moldova, my counseling abilities have been put to rest. Not by my own choice, but by the Peace Corps order in which states I am not allowed to counsel any one person directly. I can only provide advice to my colleagues and then they can provide information to the children or persons that want/need to be helped.
This is something I struggled with at first, because I am so passionate about what I do for living, and also very confident in my abilities to provide such information.
In my mind I had to figure out what was the best way to provide information to people, while still following all the correct policies of Peace Corps. The way in which I did this was by asking the young women in my English Club on what they would like to learn about. These young women gave me a variety of topics: hair, sports, health, drugs/alcohol, USA, rights, self-esteem, etc.
With this information from the women, I took this opportunity as my way in with the community. My turn to provide these women with any knowledge I can that will help them practice their english, but more so talk about their feelings and daily life.
Today's topic in my English Club was "self-esteem." Honestly the feedback I got from the women on this topic blew me away. Each of them had their own opinions on self-esteem and where that comes from. Some of the women had been made fun of most of their life, others had a perfectly normal childhood. It really gave the women a chance to hear about others experiences and brain storm about their feelings, and how this has affected their daily lives.
With this topic we talked about how self-esteem is developed. How parents, kids, men/women, television and magazines play a role in our thought process. Also the women discussed different things that had been said to them during their childhood or currently as a teenager. I took the opportunity to talk about America and my childhood. Simply, nothing is different between America and Moldova. Women struggle with themselves everywhere, whether if thats with fashion, weight, poverty, etc. Very powerful, and as we stand today I believe the women understand me on a different level as well.
I also included anorexia and bulimia in the conversation. The women expressed that these two things didn't exist in Moldova. With my viewpoint, I expressed that I think that it does exist, sometimes it's a little more hidden then other things. Learning about these two areas, really brought many questions from the ladies, and also a better understanding of health I believe.
Day to day I hear of women "not eating," because they don't want to get fat or they are trying to maintain their perfect figure. This is something I feel that Moldova struggles with alot. The majority of the population you see walking down the streets are around 115 pounds, no more, no less. When coming to this country, this was one of the bigger shocks to me, since America has many people of all shapes and sizes. And as a whole we except each other for these things. However the most shocking instance of my day was when one of the girls asked, "how do you become this way." It was almost like she wanted to be anorexic. After explaining in depth about the consequences and the health problems that can occur, I believe she was a little more timid. However, that immediate response/mentality of looking for a way to be thinner was mind boggling.
As I said there is such a demand to be skinny in the world today, and not only that but to be perfect. The one thing I want to bring to my club is not only the opportunity to learn, but the opportunity to advance within their minds, self-esteem, and knowledge about general health. I believe these things are neglected to much in today's society and the opportunity to learn about these areas is just not available in Moldova. I hope with all that I am, that I can make this happen while I am here.
Life is about accepting oneself and being happy with who you are.. fat, skinny, tall, short, smart, challenged, or whatever comes your way... Take time to examine....
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