"The Counterpart"

As Peace Corps Volunteers, each of us were assigned to work with an organization in our site. We call them: the counterpart. I was clueless when I heard the word “counterpart” in training and I thought maybe is just another new word in English. However, when they said it in Spanish “contraparte” nothing came to my mind.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, counterpart is “a person or thing holding a position or performing  function that corresponds to that of another person or thing in another place."

I still didn´t have it clear then, but now that I have been working with my counterpart for over a month everything makes sense. The counterpart is the organization I work for and basically another institution I have to report to. 

HIAS Ibarra Team 

My counterpart is HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. I work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and this is the first time I have worked an office schedule! To be honest at the beginning, it was a little bit hard to wake up that early in the morning and then to go home when the sun was already going down. My counterpart is not only the organization I work for, but also a great way to connect and help the community.

 

 

All these changes are worth it! 

HIAS is an amazing organization that assists refugees. It offers them financial aid in areas like food, rent, scholarships for technical training, and grants to start their own business. Ibarra has a high population of Colombian refugees, and as Colombian American, I feel very happy and honored to be part of a cause that I can truly relate to. 

During the first few weeks, my main focused was working with refugees who wanted to start their own business. One of my duties was to interview these refugees who who needed financial help and wanted to apply for grants for entrepreneurship. I went with them to buy products for their businesses and provided the grants HIAS gave them. 

Chicken Breeding

Salpicon and Fruit Salad

Automobile Parts

Pork Sausage 

Hair stylist

Colombian food

HIAS also organizes work fairs for the refugees. For the fair of September 20, I had the opportunity to participate and help organize it. I also had the opportunity to try their products and spent that day enjoying Colombian food and music. 

Jugos, salpicon y mango biche

Chorizos y perros calientes

Chorizos con arepa

Pizzas Colombianas

Obleas Colombianas

manualidades 

artesanias

HIAS is not only my counterpart. It is also a bridge between the Colombian community in Ibarra and Justin and me.