Part 32 "Young Beaders"

Michelle writes:
I'm getting an education about fair trade products. Fair trade is defined as products from third world countries where the people are paid a fair wage for their work. Fair trade is often calculated by the time spent in making the product and materials used, based on the daily wage of the region. 
There are no regulations as to what is truly fair trade, and many products are sold with that labeling but were bought at the markets with haggling and desperate vendors involved. 
     Many of the street vendors here will keep dropping their price in hopes of a sale. Often you realize they can't pay for their supplies and time selling at the low prices they are willing to take, but the economic reality is such that they need some cash to take home after a day of attempting to sell to the few tourists. The tourism industry has been hit hard since 9-11 and the recent housing slump.

These are the young beaders who make necklaces and bracelets (shown below) to sell in the US as fair trade products.

The young beaders who work for "Sharing the Dream" are delighted to have a job where the beads are supplied and they are paid for each piece created, not having to wait until after the sale. A couple of the girls had previously sold their products to a local shop. They found that after they were paid, the money received would only cover the purchase of new supplies. They had not received anything for their time.

Part 23 "Many Worthwhile Projects"

Michelle writes:

There are many, many worthwhile projects here. There is a library here that was the dream of a gal from California who had been a Peace Corps volunteer here eight years ago. These children aren't accustomed to books. Most come from homes where the parents are illiterate. They speak a dialect of Mayan and some Spanish, but the Mayan language is not a predominantly-written language. A priest (who was later murdered) had translated the New Testament into this language. The library is a bright cheery space where students come to study and have access to resources like maps which, due to lack of funding, aren't available in the classroom. 

I also visited a school that received funds from "Sharing the Dream" to assist with construction. The parents had come and hand-dug the side of a mountain to create a flat spot. A cinder block retaining wall had been built below to hold the dirt during the rainy season. This year's project is building a retaining wall to prevent a home above the school from washing down. Fathers of the students stay at the school each night to prevent vandalism. The mothers prepare and serve the snacks and meal. The few students who receive scholarships are interviewed, assuring that the student and parents are committed to the success of the student. The student must do community service to give back to the village. This is an integral part of "Sharing the Dream." Every recipient of monetary support must perform community service for the betterment of the village. I really love this philosophy.

Here's some information from their website: 

"Sharing the Dream in Guatemala is a non-profit organization that promotes fair trade with cooperatives and small businesses in Guatemala. We are committed to providing fair wages and employment opportunities to low-income artisans, which will result in creating sustainable markets for their products. Our craft products are handmade by Mayan artisans using many traditional techniques. Purchasing these crafts not only provides work for these artisans, but the profits go to support community development projects in Guatemala. Friends of Sharing the Dream is a 501c(3) organization which accepts donations to be used for projects helping the artisans and their families."

If you want to know more about "Sharing the Dream" in Guatemala, go to http://www.sharingthedream.org/

Part 21 "Santiago Atitlan"

Michelle writes:
Hola, from my new volunteer location. I have joined a group of women from South Dakota and Minnesota here in Santiago Atitlan, which is a 2-1/2 hour drive northwest of Antigua. Atitlan is a fairly large lake with 12 villages scattered along its bank. The villages are accessible by boat and road. Actually, part of this particular village was wiped out in 2005 from mudslides down the steep volcanic slopes caused by a hurricane.

View from the Rooftop of the Hostel

Three volcanoes surround me, but this time they are very close. The fire volcano in Antigua is active, and I did see red, molten lava one night while I was there. How's that for excitement? There are others in Guatemala that are currently active, but not these here, thankfully!

I had a tour of town and have been learning about the war. I took photos of the Peace Park, with its graves of people killed while trying to talk to the military. The soldiers were raping the women and girls. One girl got away and ran to town; the church rang the bells, and the town mobilized. The men and boys went out to the military base with their machetes and hoes (the only tools they had) and white flags. They were mowed down. This park has grave stones of people from age 6 to 53. Sad.  
      At some point, the mayor went to the government with a document which was then signed, saying that if any military personnel come to this village, the people have the right to kill them on the spot. No military is ever welcome here again. 

      This village is only accessible by boat or a long trek along the side of a volcano. Because the village is so remote, the war really took its toll. That is why there is the Elder Center. These women have no families left to take care of them. I will meet some of the elders tomorrow.

  

Part 20 "Adios, Babies!"

[Cheryl's Note: Follow the rest of Michelle's adventure in the March blog posts.]


Michelle writes: Tomorrow I take a shuttle bus to Panajachel, a popular tourist town on the lake. From there, I take a boat to Santiago Atitlan. Then, I'm supposed to show a tuk-tuk driver the photo on the flyer for the Elder Center. That is supposed to get me there; if not, I have a phone number of a lady. It is all an adventure! Everyone is so helpful, I'm not worried. Is that called blind faith?


I will miss the babies.

Baby René

Mario, an independent nino, follows you around the hospital.

Sweet Juan Antonio always sucks those middle fingers to fall asleep.

The twins voice their opinions.

This 4'10" nurse is a powerhouse, keeping Casa Jackson's babies fed, changed, bathed and charted!

Part 18 "La Merced"

Michelle writes:

Went to Catholic mass on Sunday evening at La Merced. What a beautiful church! Of course, I didn´t understand all of it. It was the usual Catholic mass and beautiful guitar music.  The musicians playing and singing were broadcast over a good PA system to the plaza outside. 

Part 14 "Street Scenes"

Michelle writes: 

San Felipe held a festival for St. Valentine's Day. On my way home from Casa Jackson, I bought my lunch from the street vendors: atol (a drink topped with corn), mole, and fresh guava. Yum!

I truly enjoy the street vendors with their tasty food for a reasonable price, the flowering trees everywhere, the colorful clothing of the Mayan people selling their textiles, the assistance of others--whether they are tourists or locals--if one is lost and needs info, the size of the city with people walking everywhere. And of course, the happy smiling faces and the pleasant greetings from the passers-by.

There are daily fireworks celebrating something--birthdays or anniversaries-- that sounds like a heavy rain on a tin roof.

The colors, the colors! The colors of the buildings, the surprise of looking behind the walls and heavy gates that face the street to see a beautiful oasis. 

Restaurants, homes, hotels and private spaces, all constructed with basic building materials: stone, concrete, cinder blocks and tiles.

After being here a while now, certain comforts of home become more apparent. We take for granted the toilet paper available in most restrooms that you flush rather than throw in the trash, sidewalks and streets without a lot of obstacles and holes, dish soap that doesn't feel like cleanser, emissions control (the diesel buses here are belching black exhaust), even having space for practicing yoga that feels clean (the courtyard here is always open to the dust of the city). And long, hot showers! It's good that I'm used to river trips and that the weather here is usually warm. These are small things that we take for granted.


The opportunity to gain an education is another thing that many of us take for granted. The Scheel Center (see earlier post: Part 12) is in the process of raising $10, 000 to fund their school here.  Their deadline is Easter Sunday, April 24th, and they've already raised $4,000. If you want to contribute, please go to www.globalgiving.org. Type "Scheel Center" into the website's search box, and you'll find donation options that will benefit The Scheel Center.