For those of you who I have not met yet, my name is Madison, and I am finishing up my MPPA degree this year. As I am sure most of you know, one great part of this program is the amount of career and skill-building opportunities our professors and advisors share with us. Through this program, I learned about Dr. Khan’s nonprofit organization IOREM. Dr. Khan co-founded the International Organization for Remittances and Migration in 2020. This past spring, IOREM wanted to bring on a student intern, and I jumped at the opportunity to work in the nonprofit sector.

Since being with IOREM, I have been working wherever needed. I even got the opportunity to help plan and facilitate our Summer Workshop, which took place in August. Our biggest win thus far was taking home second place in the Voinovich Challenge for Public Innovation. The challenge is run by the Voinovich School at Ohio University, in collaboration with NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration). 

I was both terrified and elated when Dr. Khan asked me to present with him. I still get nervous when it comes to public speaking, and I knew how significant this opportunity was for IOREM. I was so honored that Dr. Khan trusted me enough for the job and the competition. We spent a lot of time fine tuning and practicing our presentation. On October 29th, Dr. Khan and I presented IOREM and our upcoming research project to a panel of esteemed judges, some of whom were former winners of the challenge. After all was said and done, we took home second place! 

Working with IOREM has taught me so much; not only about the industry but about myself. I have been able to build my professional and personal skills thanks to this opportunity. Ultimately, read your emails and take advantage of everything this program can give you! 

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Here is a discovery I made, based on one interview in Oaxaca, Mexico. I know that for a scientifically reliable insight, a sample size of one is not considered reliable. However, indulge me as I share one remarkable insight into how artisans and crafts persons are surviving the pandemic in Oaxaca, Mexico.  The secret: through barter.

On a recent visit to one of the pueblos in the vicinity of Oaxaca de Juarez in Oaxaca, I encountered an artisan – a lady who works with red clay – and is someone part of a women’s cooperative formed about 20 years ago.

The potters who form the cooperative are all women who work with clay to form various types of products – plates for food, ornamental objects for decoration, and kitchen utensils, too. This has been a way of life for them for centuries, and though sometimes times are tough, these women have stuck it out. I was interested in learning more about how they are surviving the pandemic. One of the women said, “Well, we are not asking for money anymore. We are ok with barter. If a farmer pays us with onions or tomatoes instead of cash, we are ok with it.” 

“So, barter is what you are doing,” a colleague of mine inquired.

“Yes, we don’t call it that; but yes, an exchange of somewhat equal value.”

The leader of the group, Doña Macarena, was not too happy with this setup. Though she didn’t speak to the is sue of barter directly, she pointed out that people sometimes don’t recognize the value and craft involved in making clay pots. “We are artisans making beautiful products, and sometimes we find people who don’t recognize our talents and work,” she said.

However, as I prepared to leave the workshop, after a lively demonstration during which Doña Macarena made a Comal for us, in no more than 10 minutes, an exquisite plate-like object, she added that this was the very first clay object that she learnt to make from her own mother. “I am happy to be keeping up the tradition and knowledge; that is how we survive,” she added. That, and a little bit of innovation and a little bit of pragmatism seem to be the trick to surviving the pandemic for these artisans.

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