Final Reflections
Final reflections.
Well, when I first received my letter to join the Peace Corps, I really knew very little about Kazakhstan, non government organizations, corporate social responsibility and living close to poverty in the third world. How things have changed!

•Kazakhstan: Just 27 months ago, I knew nothing about KZ and expected to see a nomadic culture with a lot of yurts (ok, not exactly, but the Internet portrays KZ in this way). What I found was the 17th fastest growing economy in the World. A country full of natural resources and a lot of economic development (mainly as a result of the oil and gas industry). Indeed, the government puts more emphasis on economic prosperity than citizen’s rights, but, in doing so, they have remained the most stable country in the CIS. In the end, the thing that surprised me the most has been the Kazakh people and their genuine hospitality. Yes, in America we have good old southern hospitality but many times we miss true genuine hospitality. For example, when you visit a Kazakh family, they give you their best wine, best food, and kill their last chicken in your honor. I guess I could tell 1001 stories about Kazakhstan and guess I will do just that when I return to the states. Hopefully, my experience in Kazakhstan will help a few other people know a bit more about a barely known country.

•Living abroad: I spent a year living in Hong Kong as an expat but that really can’t compare to 27 months of volunteering in a less than comfortable Peace Corps lifestyle. All I can say is that an experience like this changes you in many ways. The food you eat, the way you think and interact, and probably in ways that I don’t, yet, even know. I guess I have become a World Citizen – a person that embraces many cultures and collects a little nugget from each. Ultimately, these experiences mold you into a NEW person. As a result, you no longer purely reflect your own culture nor have you totally embraced the new ones. You have only become an amalgamation of many. I guess as world citizens we are just modern day explorers.

•Volunteering: Not thinking about my next paycheck or my next career move was refreshing and, at the same time, a strange form of torture. Over the last two years, my primary motivation has been how much I can help other people via training, mentoring, and leading by example. Investing in their future while putting mine on hold. All I can say is that this currency is priceless for the soul but hard on the intellect. As we all know, a balance is likely the best formula. We can feed both – our desire to help and our personal ambitions. My lesson learned is that I need to incorporate regular volunteering into my day-to-day life.

•IBC Group: While in Kazakhstan, I spent 75% of my time working and helping my organization, and I think this story is told in the programs and successes of the organization itself. I will talk more about this in my DOS.

•Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): I don’t think I had really thought about CSR in any serious way before coming to Kazakhstan, but now I can talk about it for hours. The responsibility companies have back to society and the discipline that is being developed to make this happen is quickly taking shape across most multi national corporations. I have worked with several companies on long term CSR programs and even spoken at a conference on the subject. This is a field that I think will continue to grow and combine smart, strategic thinking with humanitarian efforts. Perhaps, there is a good business idea in this concept.

•Host families: I had the great pleasure of spending 9 of my 27 months with two Kazakh host families, and all I can say is that both were amazing. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, I had lived as a single, bachelor for nearly 3 years and I cringed at the thought of living in a 1000 square foot apartment with 5 other people. However, while living with my families, I not only learned an amazing amount about Kazakh culture and Kazakh day-to-day life, but I developed an amazing bond with my Uralsk host family. Even after I moved out from their house, I have kept in close contact with them. I see my host mother every week, when she stops by my office to say hello and my host brother comes to my apartment every Sunday for American movie night. I guess, I initially thought I would dislike the experience but it was truly one of the highlights of the two years. I hope to see my Uralsk host family in the US in the very near future and, if not, I plan to return to Uralsk to see them again.