It’s Thursday afternoon in Berdyansk, Ukraine and the English club is discussing “Bread and Roses,” a poem honoring female strikers of the early 20th century. One young woman is reading aloud and her voice grows in intensity with each word. Upon reaching the final line, she declares proudly, “Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread but give us roses!” She smiles when I ask her about the meaning of the poem. “I think the author wants more than what is basic. To have not only food but also art and love.”
As a Peace Corps volunteer at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, English language instruction was my primary project. I strove to bring critical thinking and analysis into daily lessons. In addition to classroom teaching, I met twice weekly with a small club of students who were dedicated to improving their language skills.
I marveled at the motivation of these learners, who inspired me to try new lessons and to become a better teacher. They attended club meetings when they could have been studying for core classes, earning extra money, or grabbing pizza with friends. They wanted to gain knowledge so that they could improve their lives and improve Ukraine. They were also motivated by an intrinsic desire to learn and valued English as a form of roses in their lives. I admired them.
Upon returning to the US, I sought a job that built on my Peace Corps experience. I wanted to continue helping people to make better futures for themselves and their communities. My position on the Muskie [9] fellowship team gives me an opportunity to stay connected to the region while helping talented individuals gain the experience they need to become better leaders and to improve life in towns like Berdyansk. Knowledge of the region helps me to relate to Muskie fellows and to understand the differences between higher education in their home countries and in America.
IREX’s approach to development encompasses much of what I learned in Ukraine. We believe in a world where each person can play an essential role in the pursuit of life’s best ambitions. I’m proud to work on a project that values people for the contributions that they will make to their societies. Part of making a better world is helping people to obtain both the bread and the roses.
Amy Bernath is a Program Coordinator at IREX