My name is Rorisang Kim and I will be doing my co-op placement in a town called Comitancillo located in the western highlands of Guatemala. I will be working as a Program Assistant with a local NGO called Asociación Maya-Mam de Investigación y Desarollo (AMMID) which is a partner organisation of Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D). The indigenous Maya-Mam people experience extreme poverty and discrimination. Thus AMMID and PWS&D seek to overcome these challenges through projects that improve food security using agroecological farming techniques that are more sustainable. Other projects include raising awareness of land rights and protecting land from harmful mining operations.
Thankfully, I will have an opportunity to be part of such a dedicated and community-based organisation, and will help in the organisation and implementation of different projects and workshops. I hope to gain some professional experience in the field of development. When studying IDS in university, sometimes it may seem too theoretical, so I believe this co-op placement will give me a good idea of how development actually plays out in the field and how to do research in the field. I really hope that I will make most of this amazing opportunity and not only learn, but also contribute. I believe that every opportunity is given for a reason and I hope you will also take a chance and challenge yourself this year!
God Bless