Independent Study

So what else is new? Once I finished my language classes, I started my independent study, which has given me the opportunity to meet with several different organizations. By the end of training, I’m supposed to have a finished product of sorts. So far, I’ve met some really interesting, inspiring people. I’ve been working with the Municipal Women’s Office (OMM), Los Patojos, and Cambiando Vidas.

I’ve tried scheduling a meeting with the director of OMM in Antigua (local tourist city), but it hasn’t quite worked out yet. The office works in empowering women through organizing workshops that give them skills so that they can earn an income--anything from pastry-making to sewing. While that may sound like a luxury, knowing those skills can help women step out of the home, earn an income, and be financially independent. This is especially important in situations in which women are in abusive relationships and finances restrict them from leaving their spouse. Hopefully, I will be able to meet with the director (who is also the mayor’s wife) and help out at one of the workshops.

Another organization that I work with is called Cambiando Vidas, a Montessori method-based school for low-income children. When I first visited, I played with the kids and taught a by-request English lesson on the fly. Last week, I had the opportunity to do 20 minute charlas on teeth brushing, which meant lots of singing and a race to brush a coca-cola soaked egg. I’ve also teamed up with some volunteers to paint a world map on one of the courtyard walls. When I returned on Monday for the map after teaching my Friday morning charlas, I was greeted by not only the teachers who remembered my name but by tons of smiling, waving students, shouting “Seño! Seño!” to get my attention. Some even started singing the song I had taught them. It made me realize the importance of building relationships with kids and teachers in the schools.

The last organization that I’ve been working with is Los Patojos, quite possibly my favorite. It’s an after school program for kids and teens in Jocotenango, the next down over from Antigua. It was founded by a young Guatemalan, Pablo, who believes in popular education and giving kids the space and resources to be creative individuals and agents of change. The organization has two buildings--one for little kids and one for the pre-teens and teens. The first time I visited, I played with a bunch of kids and taught them some hula hoop tricks. Since then I’ve spent my time hanging out with the older kids. At their center, they have time set aside for homework, but also for beat boxing, creating music for films (with their 5 acoustic guitars, keys, and drum set!!!), break dancing, hiking (on special days), and other assorted projects. Last Friday, a group of young filmmakers came and showed four different Guatemalan shorts to the kids. Then they discussed the importance of Guatemalan film and how it contrasted to that of Hollywood. I was really impressed with what everyone shared. Throughout this, the filmmakers took a bunch of still shots while one of them recorded the audio, leading me to believe that they’re creating a really sweet piece of mixed media. Afterwards, they had the kids go around and create a character and a story based on it, everyone adding something different. It was really fun and inspiring to see these kids so motivated, intelligent, and active. Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be teaching some girls how to do yoga.

It’s really inspiring, encouraging, and quite simply, beautiful, to see Guatemalans working hard to empower one another, especially the youth of the country. When I talked with Pablo the other day, he admitted that his dream was to study music in the capital city. He wanted to develop his art, but instead he’s sacrificing his dreams for the dreams of all the kids he’s working with. He explained to me that his culture is not one of “me, me, me,” but rather, us. Because of that, “It’s not I eat, but we eat. It’s not I write music, but we write music. It’s not I paint, but we paint. It’s not I dream, but we dream.” Puchika.

Check out the websites here:
Lospatojos.blogspot.com