Mi Sitio
Drum roll please…I finally found out that my new home is going to be in Nahuala, Solola!! This is actually one of the sites that I visited during our first field-based training. Two weeks ago, my program coordinator drew a huge map of Guatemala with chalk on the basketball court inside the training center. She then blindfolded each of us and led us to the place on the map where our sites are located. We were all so excited because we could hear each other’s voices and whom we were near. When I opened my eyes, I was standing directly next to one of my best guy friends, Eric. We both looked down and saw that we were in the same town! He’s in a different program called Small Business Development for Youth – so he will be working in the schools teaching basic business fundamentals. My two favorite girls in my program (Olivia and Kara) were also standing pretty close to me – so needless to say, I was very excited to discover that they are located only 2 hours away from my site! They both have awesome sites because they are located directly on Lake Atitlan…but they can only get there by boat, which makes travel a little bit more difficult.
Anyways, immediately after we found out our sites, one of the host families’ threw us a fiesta in order to celebrate. The party was held outside underneath clear blue skies, and included lots of traditional cuisine – tostadas, guacamole, tortillas, bean dip, etc. Following the party, Eric and I decided to take a different route back to our homes – over the mountain and through the woods. What a mistake! Not only was it quite a hike, but we ended up getting lost and didn’t made it back home until after dark (which is something you should never ever do in Guatemala!!)
So on the 4th of July, instead of celebrating our country’s independence, I celebrated my own independence by traveling to my individual site, Nahuala. The day I met my counterpart was probably the most stressful day I’ve had since being here. I can compare it to an all-day job interview that’s not in your native language. Talk about hard!!
My official assignment is going to be working with Nawal Estereo and The Voice of Nahuala, a community radio station that broadcasts three languages (Spanish, Kiche, and Kaqchikel). The partnering organization is called ADEP – Association for Development and Popular Education. Radio communication is the most successful medium in this country because many people here are illiterate and unable to afford television and more often electricity. My organization works to defend the rights of the Mayan culture and people, to communicate with the people via the radio, and to work and improve the lives of the Mayan people through collaboration with community organizations. It seems to be the most influential force in Nahuala – and because of this, they are able to create projects and programs within the community. Most of their work revolves around promoting the identity of the Mayan culture, education for women, local participation and community organization, illiteracy, health education, and youth programs. They requested a volunteer to help in the areas of marketing/promotion and business development, but I have already found that they actually need help with a little bit of everything. Most importantly, they seem to be very open-minded and I can already tell that they appreciate the assistance and sharing of new ideas.
So here’s a little bit about Nahuala…. it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere…what some would probably call rural with a capital R. It’s about a four hour bus ride from Antigua on a chicken bus, and then I either have to walk 5 miles or catch a ride on the back of a pickup to get to the town. It’s at approximately 2,500 meters, so the climate can be pretty darn cold and the geography is mountainous. However, the countryside is absolutely beautiful! The people still wear the traditional dress and most women weave. (It’s the only place I know where men wear skirts!) There are supposedly around 58,000 people that live in Nahuala, but only about 8% actually live in town. The native language is Kiche, and many people (mostly the very young children and the older adults) can barely communicate in Spanish. In the office, my co-workers speak Kiche, unless I am taking part in the conversation when they try to work on their Spanish. (Basically, that means that I will be taking Kiche classes once I move there!) About 65% of the population is illiterate, and the average salary is about 16 quetzales per day…that is about $2.50!
Also, it appears that Nahuala is a pretty popular place for volunteers to go in general. There are groups from Brigham Young University that come around for 3 months in the summer to do research, and an organization called Intervida also brings in groups of gringos from time to time to do medical work. I feel pretty confident of the potential opportunities to help with other projects in Nahuala, not directly related to my primary assignment. One project that just started concerns potable water – the government has placed red flags all around town to show the homes that are still in need. Unfortunately, there are still people in Nahuala that wash their clothes in the river because of the lack of water. The town also got hit really hard during Hurricane Stan last year, and the effects can still be seen all around.
One primary observation about the people of Nahuala is that EVERYONE has a family member that is working in the U.S. It’s one of the first towns that I have been to in which every corner that you turn, there is someone that has a loved one working in the U.S. and sending money back to Nahuala. In fact, my counterpart mentioned that this is probably one of the most striking features of the town – because there’s such a dramatic number that have fled to the U.S to support their families. The father of the family that I stayed with last week had just returned from the U.S. after living in Florida for 8 years – and only just saw his 2 year-old daughter for the first time!
During my visit, I stayed with my counterpart’s sister and her family. Most people here in Nahuala live within a family compound. For example, the house I stayed at consisted of five different families, all related somehow. The inside of the compound is like a maze, with small alleyways leading to different family quarters. I played basketball with 5 or 6 little girls during the evenings – all cousins of one another. (I also made the mistake of inviting them up to my room to play cards one night, and couldn’t get them to leave!) Unfortunately, I was on my own for meals – so I pretty much ate peanut butter sandwiches and cereal all week. Finally, I didn’t take a shower all week…since my only option was to bathe in a ‘tamascal’. Tamascals are typical in the more indigenous areas… it’s basically a very low, small brick house with a teeny opening that’s filled with hot coals. To bathe, one is supposed to squat in it like it’s a sauna, and then rinse off with cold water. No thanks! I’m just praying that I secure a normal shower once I move there…
On Thursday, my counterpart and I walked around so that he could introduce me to some of the prominent folks in town. We visited the mayor’s office, the local police, the fire station, the health center, and the post office – mainly to inform them of the ‘gringo’ that will be living in their community so that no one is suspicious. Afterwards, I checked out the two coolest things in Nahuala. First, they have a daily market in the center of town – but on Thursdays and Sundays it’s absolutely huge! It’s pretty chaotic because there are so many vendors and people walking around doing their weekly shopping – but they sell everything from fruits, vegetables, meat, coffee, dishes, ripped off CDs and DVDs, traditional dress, etc. Not the most hygienic because there are flies and stray dogs everywhere…. But since Nahuala only has small convenience stores, most food is bought here. I ate the best pineapple I think I have ever eaten from one of the fruit stalls! The second best spot in Nahuala is at the very top of town. The community turned this area into a public nature reserve and it contains short walking trails. It definitely provides a great view and also is a quiet place just to hangout. (Forgot to mention that the Catholic church in the center of town plays loud music all day long– and you can hear it for miles around!!!)
On Friday, I went around town attempting to find a place to live for when I return in three weeks. I only had luck with one family, and it’s an extremely small room, but the lady of the house needed to check with her husband about the rent. Also, I was hoping to have meals included…since I can’t cook worth a dime. She was going to consider throwing both meals and laundry into the price, so keep your fingers crossed…
I went to Antigua on Sunday with some of the other volunteers to watch the World Cup championship game between Italy and France. The bar we went to was absolutely packed – and most everyone was rooting for Italy. I ran into a guy there that was wearing a University Maastricht t-shirt. Pretty crazy! He was from Tilburg, Holland (the city where I lived for over three months) and he just graduated from University Maastricht (where I went to school). We spent a good deal of time reminiscing about Holland – and I am hopefully going to meet up with him again during his travels around Guatemala.
Finally, one sad aspect of leaving to go to my site is that my training group has become very close and now we are going to be sent to new parts of the country on our own. I’m lucky enough to be placed with another business development volunteer who is in my group, but once again, we are changing locations and being taken out of our comfort zone that we had created during the last 3 months in training. Enough mushiness, but I am so lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of people! You guys rock : )
Hasta Pasta! (as some of my amigos would say..)
Carin
