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01.24.07 Mary Odum, left, making bread with her host family, Chaca, Laura, Dona Lourdes and Don Moses.
Peace Corps assignment takes Erskine graduate to Bolivia By the time Mary Odum graduated from Erskine College in 2003, she had enjoyed life in two small towns — her hometown, Prosperity, which is near Newberry, and her college town, Due West. She was ready to see something of the larger world, and she took action to accomplish that goal, step by step, winding up as a Peace Corps volunteer on a two-year assignment in Bolivia beginning in the summer of 2006. The Peace Corps chapter of Odum's life was preceded by two experiences that fed into it: living with a family in Spain in 2004, and working on a master's degree in health, exercise and sports science at The Citadel in Charleston, graduating shortly before her departure for Bolivia. First-hand experience of the Spanish language and culture as well as studies in the area of health has proven valuable for the new volunteer. On her first visit to Sopachuy, Bolivia, the town where she will be living and working, Odum was impressed with the hospitality shown to her. "Sopachuy is a southern town," she wrote in an e-mail message to a number of friends. "I've come to this conclusion not only because of its location on the globe, but because of the gracious welcoming I received during my visit in July and the continuation of this hospitality throughout my first six weeks." Odum was introduced to the Bolivian style of celebration when she attended a farewell party, or "despedida," for Erin, the outgoing volunteer. "This festive event morphed into a welcoming party for the new kid in town and as a guest of honor I had the lovely surprise of giving a speech, in Spanish of course, over the loudspeakers to a group of nearly 100 people," she recalled. "Definitely need to practice spur-of-the-moment speeches in Spanish!" Odum found she was just as unprepared for what followed her speech. "In the midst of recovering my wits, I was surrounded by several women who led me through a solemn handshaking ritual and decorated me with confetti and streamers," she said. "I was given a special ceremonial loaf of bread, shaped as a wreath and covered with little flags, which I paraded around the stage like a Bob Barker beauty at the whispered prompting of Erin." Next, Odum was given the opportunity to join in Bolivia's national dance, the "Cueca." She had never even heard of the dance, but she was on the spot, having been led onto the dance floor by a local resident. "Apparently (the Cueca) involves a slow series of perfectly timed twists and turns while delicately waving a white handkerchief above one's head," she said. "After wowing the crowd with my amazing dancing abilities, I was led back on stage and handed the microphone again." But this time, Odum was relieved to learn that she did not have to give a speech — it was Erin's turn. After participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the completion of the departing volunteer's project, Odum, who needed to return to her training site in Chulla, was "whisked away on an overcrowded bus, next to a lady with live chickens stowed in a burlap bag in her lap … for an overnight bus ride." Odum rented a room from a family in Chulla during her first weeks in Bolivia. Because of the demands of Peace Corps training on her time, she was grateful that meals were included with her rent. Although she did not have to cook, she showed the family how to bake cookies, to the delight of the family's youngest daughter. Since completing her 11-week training course and passing language, cultural and technical exams, Odum, now designated a volunteer rather than a trainee, has been exploring ways in which she can offer service in Sopachuy. Meanwhile, she is renting an apartment from an elderly couple. Her new living situation differs in one important way from her accommodations in Chulla. "The best part is the piping hot shower," Odum admits. "Three months of bathing in a bucket led to an immense appreciation of such modern conveniences. "I arrived in May with the best of intentions to accept whatever living conditions I was given, but am unashamed to say I am relieved to be going to a town with running water," she said, adding, "I like to think of it as having more time free to promote healthier lifestyles!" With limited Internet access, Odum has yet to report on what projects she is pursuing in Sopachuy. She will be checking in with the Peace Corps office in Sucre, a six-hour bus ride away, once a month. During the same monthly trips she will collect her mail and purchase food or other needed items not available in her assigned town. Sopachuy differs from other sites, Odum said, in that there was not a specific project waiting for her. "My main projects will be determined as I work with the mayor's office," she explained. Working with the mayor's office will help her to learn more about the political system, Odum believes, and lead to connections in the community. "I am only working with them part time and have the flexibility to pursue any other path in health in my spare time," she said. "I am pretty pumped about my work situation." Odum said she has met with the principal of a local high school as well as leaders of several organizations, including a non-profit agency that works with installing or improving water systems; a non-profit agency that is setting up a public library in the town; an after-school and soup kitchen program for children; and a local women's group. "All seem promising secondary project possibilities," Odum said. "I am excited about the freedom to create my own job and am hoping that health education and promotion will become a large part (of it). "I originally applied to the Peace Corps hoping for a health education position, but have ended up in a better place," she said.
Mary Odum, right, pictured with Erin, the outgoing volunteer. |
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