"For almost four months now, thanks to Mission 21, I have been able to experience an incredibly valuable time in the south of Chile, my current home. And now I am sitting in front of my computer and trying to somehow put this experience, or at least part of it, into words. In doing so, I find myself deleting words and entire sentences over and over again. I am afraid not to do justice to the feelings and thoughts. The whole experience in Chile is so much more than a certain arrangement of words and cannot possibly fit into an article. Nevertheless, I will try to share a small part of my feelings here.
I am most grateful for all the great people I have had the opportunity to meet here. My employees are at the forefront of this. Every single one of them radiates an incredible joy of life and honesty. They are probably the most generous women I have ever met. At our first meeting in Santiago, a few months before I started work, one of them invited me to stay with her for as long as I wanted.
She was the one who picked me up at the bus station in mid-April. At home, a perfectly prepared room and dinner were waiting for me. My gratitude for this first gesture and the feeling of being at home cannot be put into words. From the beginning I felt supported and accompanied, and they, together with the other colleagues at work make a feeling of loneliness almost impossible. On the contrary, sometimes I don't know where to put all my emotions because of my gratitude and happiness.
The next day, my first day at work, the other colleagues were waiting for me with great joy and a huge breakfast buffet. Each of them gave me such a heartfelt and sincere hug as I receive and know in Switzerland only from my closest friends and family.
Exactly this honesty, dedication and endless understanding and empathy for their counterpart is also reflected in their work. They put their own needs behind those of others. This is probably essential to their professional focus: They pass on their knowledge of personal development and medicinal herbs to marginalized women who have experienced violence in some way in their lives, thus providing them with more self-confidence.
Activities with a women's group.
In addition, they are committed to visualizing the violence perpetrated against women in Chile and thus taking the first step against it. They have written a play for this purpose, which they perform in various municipalities in the region in order to raise awareness among the women affected.
Through their dedication, they show me what really matters in life and what direction I want to take for my future. That's why this experience in Chile is so valuable for me and this for life. All of my co-workers are huge role models for my future and that's why, like all of my time in Chile, they will forever have their place in my heart."
Text and pictures: Tabea Krebs, student and PEP!ler in Chile
This text is a personal experience report and reflects not necessarily reflect the view of Mission 21.
