Maturity Matters

The seventh day of our trip, the fourth day of service, has come to an end. Today, we experienced another layer of sustainability that drives Los Andes in between intensely productive work sessions. Every morning, our team leaders greet us with more excitement and openness than the previous morning. With their encouragement we’ve finished the fence, chipped off and repainted the entire outside and installed the slide, monkey bars, and swing set! We also completed the frame on which to secure the tin roof extension! Although scrapping the paint off of the outside of the house was frustrating and difficult at times, we got through it with Josue’s jokes, dancing to wonderfully uplifting Spanish music, and our dedication to our new found friends (our construction team leaders). When talking to my specific team leader (Mardoqueo), I learned that he, like many of his friends here, lives by himself in Los Andes. Mardoqueo, at 16, is not only able to cook and fend for himself, but also is the only member of his family who has secured source of income. The level of maturity in each of our team leaders is absolutely inspiring. After a few days of getting to know our team leaders, we’re all hoping to finish the planned work quickly so that we may be able to paint a colorful mural for the kids.

Today, we also explored the infrastructure that governs the main energy source as well as means of recycling in Los Andes. After our morning work session and a much needed lunch break, Jaime took us to see the compost center, where he introduced us to the hundreds of worms that work continuously to degrade left-overs from the Coffee factory into rich fertilizer which is supplied back to thousands of coffee and tea plants. In this way, the process of harvesting coffee cuts down on production costs because the Los Andes Nature Reserve has to spend less on fertilizer for their plants. Therefore, the success of the Reserve is not tied to the success of third party fertilizer suppliers. After a while at the compost centers we willingly hurried away from the piles of smelly fermenting coffee beans to a trail that led us to the hydroelectric plant which produces ALL of the energy for Los Andes. We stopped every so often as Jaime would explain the process of collecting spring water and directing it down the side of the volcano into the hydroelectric turbine and power generator. As an engineering student, I almost passed out at the actual sight of a system which I’ve only seen on paper and through calculations –don’t laugh but this was definitely an “I’m so glad I’m an engineer moment”. He explained that the system that they have so far is very effective in providing for all of their energy needs – but it comes at a pretty high price. As we made our way past the hydroelectric plant, we found ourselves on a trail back to the truck which would more rapidly transfer us back to our construction project.

When we got back to the construction site, we began chipping paint on the inside of a classroom so that it may be re-painted. We found that some of the wood was rotting, and that even Joey’s undeniable power combined with that of the machete was no match for the many layers of paint that coated the wooden walls. After a few more hours of intense work, we were all ready to head home for a shower, another delicious meal and some down time. Dinner, as usual, was chaotically delicious and filled with countless stories and lots of laughter.

After dinner, we listened to Jaime give a talk on conservation and the Los Andes Nature Reserve as an organization. He went into how much time, effort, vision, and planning went into growing the Reserve to what it is today. While there are smaller sources of income such as bird watching tours, their main source of revenue is the coffee and tea sales. Jaime and Olga have other jobs outside of the Reserve but have managed to translate so much of their vision to reality. The most astonishing thing about this Reserve is that, outside of taxes, it is completely independent of the national government. Before leaving for Guatemala, many of us had looked into the political climate of this country (among many other tid bits) and were expecting a country that was totally ridden with chaos and a people living in constant fear. Instead, we found a beautiful natural oasis away from the chaos and fear, where one family is single handedly guiding this community to sustainable and peaceful living.
So, looking back at today’s events, I can honestly say that one of the main themes that occurred to me was the utter maturity of not only the leaders of this town (who propose and help implement ideas of sustainable and ecologically friendly lifestyles), but that of the people themselves who fortify the vision of their leaders. I think we’ve all been inspired by this maturity to work hard to complete our service project and take the lessons that we’ve learned back home, and definitely, implement them in as many ways as possible.

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY APOORVA <3

-Sindhu

This morning we gathered around the kitchen table at Casa Oliver in preparation for our last day of service at Los Andes. Wearing our matching AB shirts, we walked through the large gate, into the soccer field, past the playground and school to arrive at the service location for the last time. Our carpenters Mardoqueo, Pedro, Rudy, Damaris and Eliseo were gathered together finalizing plans and smiled at each of us when we walked through the doors. We immediately began scrapping paint off of the inner walls of the building adjacent to the playground lot with any tools we could find – scrapers, hammers, pliers, and machetes; some even used screwdrivers. The work was difficult but we all really wanted to finish as the inauguration of the playground at 4:30, leaving little time for work after lunch. For some reason, the job seemed more difficult than the paint removal we had been doing the previous days – perhaps we were all saddened knowing the final moments with our amazing new friends was fast approaching. Although the paint was not completely removed when we went to lunch, Josue assured us we would be able to paint at 4 when we came back in order to finish the job.

At lunch, we made cards for the carpenters we had been working with as well as a group card for Josue, their teacher. As I drew my card for Mardoqueo, I felt as though anything I would write would never be able to adequately describe how I felt about the experience we shared and our new friendship. I wrote, in Spanish, many thanks for an unforgettable experience.

We had our final talk from Velma about the women’s leadership in the community after lunch. Women are doing some amazing things in Los Andes; I was surprised to hear how easily Vilma and others came into their leadership roles after a bit of persuasion of the men. This truly seems like an amazing community full of equality and sustainability. By allowing women to take on leadership roles, the community appears to me to be even stronger than those I have seen in the United States. Promoting equality between the genders may have something to do with some of the successes the community is facing.

Our final walk to the job site was a quick one as we were excited and eager to finish painting before parents started showing up with their children to investigate the work we had done. Our painting was hurried and sloppy but we cleaned our mess as the carpenters put the final touches on the roof over the patio. I finished my section of the wall (there were not enough brushes for everyone) and walked outside to take one last look at our work when I heard my name being called. “Kristine!” (pronounced Kristine-aye by the kids). I was so surprised that they remembered who I was as we had only talked briefly through the fence. I went over and started talking with the kids through the fence as more and more started running over to say hi. All of the sudden, they figured out how to get inside and came pouting onto the playground. One after the other, all of the children slid down the slide over and over again laughing with joy the whole way. I sat in front of the end of the slide and got high fives, hugs and kisses from all of the children. It was at this moment that I recognized how amazing the relationships we had built in just 5 days really were. This project was about construction and working with the carpentry students to produce a sound structure but it was also about the community. We helped construct an area where all the kids can come and play safely for many years to come.

The kids were scooted out, however, as the playground was not officially open for business; the ceremony was needed first. At the inauguration ceremony, Sindhu and I gave Mardoqueo the cards we had made at lunch. I will never forget the look on his face at that moment. I don’t think I have ever seen a bigger smile – he didn’t put them down the whole night. Although we spoke different languages and had a bit of difficulty, this was one message that was received without misunderstanding.

At the end of the night, Mardoqueo called Sindhu and me over, with Elizabeth to translate, to explain to us what a great experience he had had working with the University of Maryland students. This meant a lot to me to know that he too enjoyed our relationship and appreciated our different cultures. He even said that he knew this experience would help him in the future. I had just been thinking the same thing moments before. It was gratifying to know that I was not the only one who appreciated the week and would miss my new friends. I can’t even put into words all of the new things that I had learned in such a short amount of time.

The playground was inaugurated when Genna, Josue and I cut the ribbon with safety scissors and the kids ran down to play. They viciously wacked away at a yellow hippo piñata to celebrate their new space after swinging, sliding and playing tag. After collecting all the candy they could carry, the kids went home with their parents while the carpenters and AB group, along with a few members of the community, sat down to talk about the future of the AB program at Los Andes. Many great projects were brought up by the community members but an outstanding idea of fixing up a place for the teenagers in Los Andes really stood out to all of us. The next AB group may already have a project in the works!

After sad goodbyes to our new friends, we returned to Casa Oliver to participate in a tortilla making contest. Since we had been eating tortillas for EVERY meal, everyday, we incorrectly assumed we would all be able to produce some quality food. We were very wrong. At least for most of us anyway – Joey made his into the shape of a Quetzal (Guatemala’s national bird) and almost won the competition! We had salsa dancing lessons from Josue and also were not so great at that either. We want to go dancing tomorrow in Panajachel to see what we have learned!

We made a book for reflection this evening and everyone drew a memorable experience on each page. The mood was somber as we realized that our time in Guatemala had almost come to an end. I now sit and wonder how I can describe everything I have learned from this community when I go back to College Park. It all seems so different now; waving hi to everyone that passes, talking to everyone with more than just small talk, hugging random children running down the road – this is nothing like where I live. But maybe, with 13 sets of newly widen eyes, College Park can begin to change into a more sustainable community of amigos. I think it can.

-Kristine