Name

Karol Lopez

How old are you?

I’d rather keep that a secret!

Where do you call home?

Colombia

What do you do for a living/profession?

This will be my third year serving as a Community Health Adviser for Peace Corps Madagascar.

When do you feel most empowered and alive?

So many things make me feel this way. There is traveling, continuing my journey here in Madagascar, continuing to discover who I am. But as of right now, I must say that every time I get together with my girls’ group, Fikambanana Tovovavy Mijoro, is by far the most empowered and inspired moments I have. There are 16 girls between the ages of 10-14 years, and every weekend is a learning moment for all of us. I love seeing how their eyes brighten up when I teach them something new. Or seeing how happy and proud they feel when I give them a task and I congratulate them for their ex as well as giving them the space and time to enjoy being girls is by far one of the best moments I get to live over and over again.

Where do you see compassion shaping your life?

It is helping me pave my path to find what it is that I want to do in my future. I long to keep helping those who are left behind, individuals and animals. Compassion is shaping my life to fight for those who seem to have everything against them. They only need that one person to believe in them to keep fighting. It is not an easy path to walk. You may feel defeated many times and even find yourself feeling that your job is going nowhere. Yet at the same time, it is also a very rewarding path.

What dreams/goals do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

I’m not really a planner so it is hard to say what I will do in the next 5 years, but I know what the rest of 2017 is going to be like. I will be dedicating all my energy and efforts to continuing my work in my community. Not to mention enjoying my life here on the Red Island. I know in 2018 I will be traveling for about 2 months throughout different African countries before making my way back home, to Colombia that is. After that, I haven’t really given much thought yet. My dad wants to start an NGO to provide help to people who have been displaced by the internal war back home. So, as far as I can see, I think that’s where my future is heading.

Who is your role model and why?

For the last 2 years, I have had the pleasure to work with my local doctor, dokotera Esperance Hanitriniaina. I am proud to say that she has become my role model. In a country where obtaining higher education is very difficult especially for women, she became a doctor. In a country where being a woman mainly means to be married at a young age and bear lots of children, she has decided to postpone marriage and children for the right time. In a country where doctors often leave their health posts in the rural areas to enjoy the life in a bigger town, she works Monday thru Saturday and even Sundays all in a rural village without the modern day luxuries of city life.

She leads a health post for a community of roughly 15,000 people and yet she still finds time to lead the women’s association as well as supervise over 25 community health workers. I recently learned that she is going to further her education by pursuing the equivalent of a Master’s in Public Health. This means that she will not only have to continue her very busy work schedule, but also find the time to fit distance learning into her schedule. Dokotera Hanitriniaina is a strong, courageous and unbelievably determined woman, and has made a lasting impression as my role model.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Mmmmm…this is a hard one. I wish I had the power of photographic memory so I could learn a lot of things and always have them store in my brain and ready to go whenever I need them. I would love to have this power specially to learn more languages.

What is your favorite veggie-friendly dish?

I’m in love with kataka frampay. You make this by simply smashing breadfruit, but if you add a hint of Pakistan spices then it is heaven in your mouth.

Bad Vegan Lady Vegetarian Style

For how long have you been vegetarian?

I believe this is my fourth year as vegetarian. I lost count.

What is the funniest misconception about vegetarians?

Being vegetarian in Madagascar is like being an alien. Even though, due to accessibility, a lot of people’s diets are vegetables and beans, it is very shocking to people when I say that I don’t eat meat. I have to specify that includes fish, seafood, pork and chicken. The concept doesn’t register and they think I don’t have enough calcium and vitamins in my body.

What is your favorite part of being vegetarian?

How inexpensive the grocery list can be and how fast your meals are cooked.

What is your advice to those testing the waters of vegetarianism/veganism?

I would say just start small with simple things on your daily life. If you love burgers, try a good bean burger and see how that works out. Compare grocery prices, we all like to save money and if eating more veggies and fruits and less meat saves you some bucks, that could be your starting point. What about doing a small diary about how you feel when you eat and don’t eat meat. You may find that it makes you happier. Just try, you got nothing to lose but a lot to gain.