Cheryl, International Studies and Modern Languages,
Uniterra Peru,
Nativos Chocolates Amazonicos,
Marketing Officer
This week marks my sixth week in Peru (my fifth in Tarapoto, San Martín), which means that I have almost completed half of my term. It's a little hard to believe, since I feel like everything around me is still new, even though I've been here for months. What a strange feeling!
For my part, I work as a marketing strategy consultant at Nativos Chocolates Amazónicos, a micro-enterprise that produces and sells chocolate. Given that I have never had any formal marketing jobs in the past, I must admit that my work here is certainly full of challenges. I have held positions in the past where I was responsible for creating promotional and informational posters for a federal government representative, among other things, but I have never advised an agent on marketing strategies. This situation causes me some stress, but I am able to manage it. Nevertheless, I am happy to have this experience, which is pushing the boundaries of my marketing skills. Of course, I am not becoming a professional in this field, but I am developing knowledge and skills that I did not have before. The marketing sector is an area that interests me greatly, and that is one of the reasons why I chose this particular position. I am also grateful because, along the way, I have the opportunity to work and communicate with my boss exclusively in Spanish. It's definitely a challenging assignment, but it's so worth it!
When I started working, I also began to learn more about the situation in Peru. In order to develop a concrete and realistic marketing plan for 2020, I had to do research on the internet and with my boss about the chocolate market in Peru, but I also needed to gain a broader perspective on what was happening here. We all know that Peru is not the most politically stable country. Nevertheless, it is not comparable to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Peru, there is a high level of corruption, particularly among politicians. This is, of course, a trait that is not appreciated by Peruvians, but especially by entrepreneurs and small business owners. Indeed, political instability, caused by frequent changes in the cabinet and Congress, has an impact on the development of small businesses. Despite the creation of development aid projects, many of them never come to fruition due to changes in government personnel. For example, a CITE (Center for Productive Innovation and Technology Transfer) was supposed to be set up this year in Tarapoto to help chocolate companies, but this never happened because the minister in charge changed. Unfortunately, this is often the case, and many businesses here suffer from this instability. This is where I recognize the important role of NGOs, which are there to try to help organizations or businesses develop, which makes my work rewarding.
Finally, I had an incredible experience in a city located in the Amazon jungle with amazing, authentic food, and I can't wait to see what happens over the next seven weeks!
