Mary is 55 years old and lives in Wales. She spent a year working on the Guatemala project. She raised her three sons as a single parent. When her youngest son left home she successfully completed the TEFL training course and went to Peru where she taught English to adults for 5 years.

It was during my time in Peru that I learnt to speak Spanish and also became more aware of the plight of so many Latin Americans.

When I came back to visit my sons and my 2 grandchildren I realised that I really wanted to go back to Latin America, but this time as a volunteer. I went to the CAVO (Cymru Association of Voluntary Organisations) office in Lampeter which is where I heard about Peace Brigades International and their work in Guatemala. I was very impressed by the principles of the organisation and the way of working, and I immediately applied to volunteer.

I went to Guatemala from May 2006 to May 2007. It was a really amazing experience where I learnt an enormous amount about the social situation in Guatemala. I gained an in-depth knowledge of the politics and economics that entwine every aspect of life there. I had so many amazing experiences during my time there. The PBI house is in Guatemala city but we do work all over the country.

The best thing about working for PBI is the people; it is amazing to work with them. One occasion I will never forget was when we were invited to a celebration after a group of campesinos had gained land rights following a long and difficult struggle. Although they are so poor, they had put on a great event, with all ages taking part and the women had prepared huge cauldrons of chicken stew for everybody from the local bishop to the foreign volunteers.

Although there were many happy times life in the field can be very challenging. I had a really hard time for the first 6 weeks as I struggled with what I felt was my inadequate Spanish. I was trying hard to absorb the mountains of information I needed to be able to perform my role effectively. During this process I felt really down, but I finally got over that and settled into the swing of things.

The year I was in Guatemala the team accompanied about 10 organisations, such as organisations supporting campesinos in their struggle for land rights (the Union Verapacense de Organizaciones Campesinos and the Movimiento de Trabajadores Campesinos). As a volunteer I had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the country not normally visited by tourists. I was exceptionally lucky in that I also got the chance to visit the PBI projects in Colombia and Mexico as part of an exchange initiative.

I came back from my year very tired and also very satisfied with the work that I had been part of. A great bonus is that my Spanish has improved by leaps and bounds and I’m happy to chat away, mistakes and all, with Spanish speakers. I’ve also developed my ability to read and study economic and social issues to a greater depth and I can apply this to other countries and situations.

I am now working independently, developing a work/education project to take to Peru.