Throughout my experience in Cochabamba, Bolivia, working for a non-profit organization focusing on children with Down Syndrome and Autism, I learned several key lessons. Firstly, I realized the importance of cultural competency and sensitivity when working in a diverse community like Cochabamba.

This resonated with discussions in our in-class sessions about cross-cultural communication and understanding. Initially, I expected to primarily utilize my technical skills to contribute to the organization, but I quickly learned that interpersonal skills and adaptability were equally crucial. I think having the ability to speak the same language as them definitely helped me out in order to understand them more on a personal level that I would have not expected. Our readings on community development emphasized the significance of building trust and relationships within the community, which became evident during my time in Bolivia. Additionally, I learned the importance of flexibility and resilience when facing unexpected challenges, such as language barriers throughout our travels through airports, translating for my classmates, and logistical issues.

I see a clear evolution in my understanding of the complexities involved in international development work and the necessity of approaching it with humility and openness to learning from the local community. Something that surprised me was how much our deliverables quickly shifted over the course of a couple of weeks. We had initially come up with the idea of preparing content for them in order to advertise their organization to an International Fair that occurs every year in Cochabamba and motivate parents to let their children be a part of this and along the way earn more profit. We tried reaching out to the program director of the International Fair and we received no response. This made it difficult for us to move on with our process and move back down to square one. We knew that the cards that the previous years were not as effective as they used to be when the program initially launched in 2017 so we were really left without much to work with. Going from being stuck to finding ways to create promotional materials in order for them to put it around the Cochabamba community such as doctors offices, hospitals, around the streets would do them more of a service than trying to get them to the fair and potentially get people to sign up to join CEOLI. 

One transferable skill I developed during this experience is cross-cultural communication. In a globalized world, the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds is invaluable. This skill is important to my future professional life as it enables me to navigate multicultural environments, work effectively in international teams, and build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds. Whether I’m working on projects abroad or collaborating with diverse teams in a domestic setting, cross-cultural communication will allow me to bridge cultural gaps, foster mutual understanding, and achieve shared goals.

I developed a greater appreciation for the power of collaboration and community partnerships in driving sustainable change. In-class discussions on community development and readings on participatory approaches highlighted the importance of involving stakeholders in decision-making processes. Leveraging Pitt’s existing relationship with the in-country client enabled us to better understand the local context and co-create solutions that were culturally relevant and impactful.

Comparing my current thoughts to the initial goals and expectations expressed in the first two blog entries, I can see a significant evolution in my understanding of the issues at hand. Initially, I may have approached the project with a more idealistic mindset, expecting to implement preconceived solutions without fully grasping the complexities of the local context. However, through experiential learning and reflective practice, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of humility, adaptability, and collaboration in achieving meaningful outcomes. Bolivia was everything and more than I expected it to be. I truly loved the culture and more than anything the people. We had great on-site liaisons who showed us amazing places such as El Cristo de La Concordia, the ancient Inca ruins, and my favorite part: La Cancha market where I was able to see how Bolivan’s shop on a daily basis. I was also excited to finally be able to speak more Spanish. It’s difficult to practice Spanish, especially in Pittsburgh, so coming in, I was rusty to say the least and being able to practice the language that I was taught growing up made me feel glad that I was able to build these relationships with people where we shared the same language.

Relationships play a pivotal role in conducting work of this nature, where trust and rapport are fundamental to success. Pitt’s existing relationship with the in-country client served as both a strength and a vulnerability. On one hand, it provided us with access to resources, local knowledge, and networks that facilitated our work. However, it also posed challenges, as differences in expectations and communication styles sometimes led to misunderstandings.

Continuing with the project helped strengthen the relationship by demonstrating our commitment to mutual goals and our willingness to adapt and learn from feedback. By actively listening to the needs of our in-country partners and incorporating their perspectives into our deliverables, we fostered a sense of ownership and collaboration that laid the foundation for future partnerships.

In a professional interview, I would explain this project as a transformative learning experience that allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges in international development. I would highlight the importance of cultural competency, collaboration, and adaptability in navigating complex socio-cultural contexts and driving sustainable change. By sharing specific examples of how I leveraged transferable skills such as cross-cultural communication and community engagement, I would illustrate my ability to contribute effectively to cross-cultural teams and initiatives. Having the ability to talk Spanish for a majority of the trip can go a long way when talking about potential international job opportunities. As a global management major who wants to work abroad I learned so much from this experience. Not to mention with this class alongside International Organizational Behavior which is a core Global management course, it has taught me how to deal in different cross-cultural situations and how to approach them adequately where not just us as US citizens learn, but also with Bolivianos feel a sense of comfort. I would pitch this trip as a great opportunity to do consulting, but with a twist of actually being in-country and applying what you have been working on throughout the trip. I definitely learned so much from having the ability to actually get on a plane and talking to Ronald about our ideas to getting feedback from him in person, and being able to give our final product to him and get his approval on things he likes and things he would want to change. I think is a great way to go about any sort of consulting project like this especially at a college level with people who are thousands of miles away. 

The three most important things future groups need to know is having cultural competency. Take the time to understand the cultural context in which you are working, including local customs, language, and values. Building trust and rapport with community members is essential for successful collaboration. Especially if you have never travelled to that country before, it’s important to understand how this culture is not the same to the one back in Pittsburgh and how we have to respect the way that they are accustomed to go about certain situations. Being able to have a lot of flexibility and adaptability is also a big things for future groups to think about. Be prepared to pivot and adjust your approach based on feedback and changing circumstances. Flexibility is key when working in dynamic environments where unexpected challenges may arise. Our group came in thinking how to be more effective with the cards and once we met with Ronald and heard feedback from him on previous deliverables, we knew we had to start from scratch in a short amount of time. Consulting is all about being our your toes and being prepared for whatever curve ball is next. Which is the most exciting part! Lastly focus on sustainable partnerships. Invest in building strong, reciprocal relationships with local stakeholders and organizations. Collaboration and co-creation are essential for developing sustainable solutions that address the unique needs and strengths of the community. I feel like having such a small group and having one on one conversations with Ariel and the rest of the staff made the trip three times better and really allowed us to feel touched by what CEOLI is trying to accomplish for everyone in the program motivated us even more to find ways to help this non-profit organization out in ways we probably did not think of when we first started this entire project. I was truly moved by everything we did in those short seven days. If I could do it again I would. No doubt.