AMIGOS Austin Chapter Alumni Spotlight: Darien Clary

As part of our newsletter efforts, we have created a new section to spotlight our veteran AMIGOS Austin volunteers. For this first edition, we are honored to spotlight Darien Clary, who was an AMIGOS volunteer with the Austin Chapter in 1996 and who served as a volunteer in Oaxaca. Having recently completed her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Darien is currently living in the Dominican Republic, working with Columbia University Center for Environment, Economy and Society. We asked Darien to share some of her experiences with AMIGOS and her current work:

• Could you provide a little background on your experience with AMIGOS? I first heard about AMIGOS during a presentation to my Spanish class during my sophomore year in high school. At first, I was intrigued most by the opportunity to experience a culture so different from my own and to improve my Spanish. I began training with the Austin chapter that Fall (1996) and spent that summer in the beautiful mountain town San Lorenzo Albarradas in Oaxaca, Mexico working on latrine construction and oral hygiene education (“¡Arriba! ¡Abajo! ¡En forma circular!” – do they still teach that song in volunteer training?).
  
  
  
  
• What high school did you go to here in Austin and what year did you graduate? Where did you go to undergrad and what did you major in? When did you finish your MPH and what did you do your thesis on? Any other relevant information on your background would be great. I went to Austin High School (go Maroons!) and I graduated in 1998. My AMIGOS experience during high school set me on the path that I am on now. As a volunteer, I saw first-hand the health issues that affected members of the community because they did not have access to preventative health care. With my volunteer experience in mind, I went on to study Biology and Spanish at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and then I got my Master’s degree in Public Health in August of 2008. For my MPH thesis, I conducted household health interviews in the Dominican Republic and analyzed water samples that I collected in the area for enteric pathogens and antibiotic resistance. Today, I work in the Dominican Republic on a sustainable economic growth project. I feel like I am still doing AMIGOS work, even 13 years after my volunteer experience! It’s wonderful!

   

• What were your favorite memories/experiences when you were a vol with the Austin Chapter (e.g., training)? As part of our training, we took a trip to Rio Bravo, Mexico. During our trip, we learned that one house in our area of work was in danger of being torn down because it was in a future construction site. The house was made of corrugated tin and was only one room, but it was the only shelter that the family had. Our team went inside the house, uprooted it, and carried it to a new location. It must have been a funny sight to see a house with about 10 pairs of feet walking caterpillar-style through the settlement. During that trip, our volunteer group became much closer, and it was rewarding to see what we could accomplish when we worked as a team. (I have attached a photo that was taken when we were “walking” the house to its new location. My feet are in front – it looks like I am about to step into a hole).
  
  

• What were your favorite memories/experiences when you were a volunteer with AMIGOS in the field? There are so many! One of my most poignant moments was soon after I arrive to my town, and I saw some little girls playing with toys that they had made out of bottle caps and sticks. They were having so much fun and had the most contagious laughter. At that moment, I realized how happy the kids in my town were even though they didn’t have fancy clothes or the latest toys. Throughout my stay, I always took pleasure in seeing how inventive the children were for simple ways of staying entertained. This reminded me that happiness isn’t found by sporting the latest fashion or having the coolest gadgets, but instead with loved ones and a little creativity.

   

• Please describe your current work in the DR. As I mentioned, I am currently working on a sustainable economic development project. We have two project areas: (1) Water quality and access, and (2) Sustainable fishing. All of our initiatives are community based, and aim to promote social and economic development through environmental preservation and resource management. This integrated approach that includes the active engagement by community members has allowed me to further develop the skills that I learned through my AMIGOS experience. My days vary greatly, depending on what phase of each project we are working on. Some days, I am leading a team of Scuba divers as we conduct reef surveys, others I am facilitating community needs assessments with my coworker, and sometimes holding meetings with local stakeholders. (our project web site is http://cees.columbia.edu/programs/esseg if you want to check it out)

   

• How has AMIGOS affected your life? (e.g., career, personal development, life perspective) I partly answered this in question number two. But also, the challenges that I faced as an AMIGOS volunteer in the field made me realize that I am quite capable of many things if I push myself. I came home from my summer in Oaxaca with a new sense of what I could accomplish and overcome. I became stronger and more confident in my own abilities, I became more self-reliant, and I became a stronger leader.

• Do you have any tips or advice for young people who might be interested in AMIGOS? Do it! It may seem scary at first, but it will be one of the most formative and valuable experiences of your life.

   

• Ok, now a few cultural questions: What is your favorite DR food/plate? Do you dance bachata? Do you like Grupo Aventura?
  Favorite DR food/plate: “La Bandera”! This Dominican dish consists of rice, beans and a meat. My meat of choice is pollo guisado. Mmmmmm!!! The funny thing is that I eat rice and beans every day (sometimes twice a day), and I still love it! Other special treats are jugo de remolacha con limón (beet juice with lemon), tostones, and all the amazing fresh fruit – mangoes are my absolute favorite and they are as big as my head!
  
  Dance Bachata?: ¡Por supuesto! I love the laid-back feel of it. I am becoming quite good at salsa and merengue, as well.
  
  Grupo Aventura: ¡Yo tengo “un obseción” con Aventura! Love them. I also had the chance to see Luis Miguel play live, and that was a wonderfully surreal experience. And, of course, you can’t forget Juan Luis Guerra.
  
  

• Please tell us an interesting experience or aspect of DR life. I find it funny that “ahorita” doesn’t mean “right now” like it does in Mexico. Instead, it can refer to something that just happened, something that will happen in 10 minutes, or something that will happen in 2 days.
  
  Also, there are very few gas stations in the region that I live in. Soon after I arrived, I noticed small stands on the side of the road that have open beer bottles sitting on a table top. One morning, I saw a man pull up to one of the stands with his moto. The owner of the stand handed him a beer bottle in exchange for some pesos. I thought it was early in the day to start drinking, and I watched the man turn the bottle upside-town into the gas tank of his moto. I was looking at a gas station - not a beer stand!
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Editor’s Note: For those who have trained with the Austin Chapter, please send us an update about what you are doing these days to include in future newsletters. Submissions can be made to: andrew@austinamigos.org or to the contact information on our website.