Each day is better than the previous: more work gets done, the volunteer team grows stronger, and my bond with the children becomes closer. All of this is fabulous, I just know it will make it that much harder to leave. Anyway, I will live in the moment and save the tearful goodbyes for December 12th.
Yesterday, two more volunteers arrived, both from the United States. I'm excited to have two more team members, but, I sometimes feel so frustrated listening to the dialogue that occurs between western volunteers when all the locals are not present. I just listen and think to myself: you came here to do good and learn, yet, the very people you are suppose to be helping you are ridiculing and criticizing behind their back. How could you possibly do good if subconciously you think these people live like animals? You Can't! And while this righteousness infuriates me, on a greater, deeper level it saddens me. One volunteer stormed out of the house, ranting about how angry it makes her to see a 10 yr. old looking after her 6 mth. old sister. It's a challenge not to criticize a culture based on Western ideals. However, when one chooses to travel to a land and culture different from their own it is essential to understand life through the eyes of the very people you are living right next to. Very few cultures besides Americans value independence. Most cultures value interdependence and one is not better than the other. It is simply just a difference in culture. There are so many reasons why things are the way they are: culture, economy, survival, etc. Perhaps, this 10 yr. old girl has to watch over her sister because both the mother and father are working on the farm to cultivate the land and crops that need to be sold at the local market, so the family can make a sustainable incomes that ensures survival. Instead of looking at thow little people have or the disadvantages they encounter, I try to look at how much they do have. Every family, every person, every individual, everyone in the entire world has something you don't have, so embrace it, learn from it, and share, share, share with one another. Don't use poverty to feel better about your life or to feel lucky. Look at what these people have, how they live, what they value, and most of all, what makes them happy. I'm writing this down because these are all things I need to constantly remind myself of. Each day is a new lesson!
Onto the sequence of events that have occurred over the past few days. I have finally got myself into the habit of running again and the other day when I ventured out on a morning run through the banana plantations, underneath mango and avocado trees, passing pineapple plants, I found myself sharing the path with a young boy, 7 yrs. or so. He continued with me for about 15 minutes before I stopped and asked him if he needed something. He responded "I'm fine. How are you?". I think he assumed I asked How are you?. I simplified my language and said "What do you want?" To some, I may have sounded rude, but I knew he would understand me better if I was more direct. He took my hand and said "I want you to educate me." I was dumbfounded, my mind racing, thinking I do want to educate him, but how? It was then I had a revelation, I can't change the world. I can do what I can, one step at a time. My hand reached for his and I said "If you want to learn, you will learn." I'd like to believe in this myself and I'd like to think he understood me. I don't know though. I do know that it just inspired me to keep doing what I am doing.
Apart from that for the past 3 days, I have had children and families visit me at the farm to bring me gifts of thanks. I had just finished my shower (sponge bath) and I still have not managed to save enough water to wash all the shampoo out of my hair, so often I exit the shower, dirtier than when I entered; however, it's beside the point, so I was saying, as I climbed out of the shower, I hear my name being called. Throwing clothes on, I run outside to have Ja Ja tell me someone has come to see me. As I turn the corner, I find the grandmother of one of my students , who brought me a whole bunch of bananas for matoke (traditional dish), standing there smiling. I couldn't express my appreciation to her enough and she felt she couldn't express her appreciation either, that is why she brought me this gift of thanks. This conversation between the two of us took place through variations of hand gestures, signs of affection and translation done by a middle man. The woman was ecstatic to have her photo taken and I was thrilled to have a visual memory of this moment. All I could think of was this woman came from a village 20 minutes away, barefoot, carrying 30 lbs. of bananas. This simple act was so meaningful in its context. How do you even express thanks? In addition to this act of kindness, I have had children bring me corn, eggs, and pineapples just to say thank you, thank you for coming to my country and teaching me and all I can say is thank you for having me. I'm speechless!
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