There is certainly no denying what a grave impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had, and is still having, on the entire world. For most people affected by the pandemic (which is everyone) , this past year of quarantine, fear, restriction, and CDC guideline after CDC guideline has been a difficult, yet eye-opening one. I have personally learned a lot about people in general and my country, and the way that people in my country respond in times of crisis. But the crisis that is the pandemic looks different everywhere. This means different learning experiences, but it also means different hardships. I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to stay safe and not undergo any financial problems due to the pandemic, but people in many other countries have. And I think Puerto Rico is a place where many people have. As a place with higher levels of poverty, a small and dense population, and less or not so easy access to the necessary resources like tests, vaccines, and financial relief, the pandemic has taken its toll. Not to mention the fact that they are still recovering from Hurricane Maria, yet another grave crisis. All things considered, I believe that it is safe to say that Puerto Rico seen some harder times than the rest of the United States, and working with Caras con Causa has given me some insights with regards to this that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Fortunately, I do not find that Puerto Rico’s situation has significantly impacted our project, and I am very glad it hasn’t stopped us from having the opportunity to help Caras.
If you asked me a year ago, I would have never guessed that I would be consulting virtually for a non- profit in Puerto Rico. We all know how a pandemic can surprise us though. Virtual college is one thing, but virtual consulting, especially internationally, is a different ballpark, and it has definitely been a challenge. One of our biggest issues have been the fact that LABCOM, the sector of Caras we are working with, has not been able to fully operate since the last group of students worked with them. This has made it challenging to come up with new numbers for their pricing package and new things to include in their marketing materials. Another issue, and one that also come because we are working cross-culturally, is that we have a bit of a hard time fully understanding what they want and how they operate without being able to work with them in person. Generally speaking, when working with someone in person, you are able to easily bounce ideas off of each other and get a better feel for who the person or group you are working with is. The same can be said about working with people from different cultures; it’s easier to understand and appropriately acclimate to another’s culture when interacting in person. However, the biggest positive and most important takeaway is the fact that we still get to work with them at all. Both our team at Pitt and the team at Caras have the technology that allows us to work together, despite being more than a thousand miles apart. This has been an important underlying theme throughout the pandemic – the importance and ability to communicate with those we can’t be with, and I’m happy that we get to do so with Caras.