Service Trip - Guatemala

 

 Office of Women’s Programs

         Woman to Woman International Service Trip

                      San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala

                                May 5 – 19, 2008

“When women help women, they help themselves”

                Wilhelmina Cole Holladay              

 Guatemala

Guatemala is a country of 10 Million persons located at the northern end of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize to the northeast as well as El Salvador and Honduras on the southeast. The Caribbean Sea is to the East while the Pacific Ocean is to the West.

Guatemala’s volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its earthquakes the most devastating and its history of repression decidedly world-class. Guatemala is the Mayan heartland of Central America, though the government has both touted and tortured the Maya – placing pictures of them on its tourist brochures while sticking guns in their faces. Despite this, indigenous Guatemalan culture is alive and well, in the ancient ruins of Tikal, the Mayan/Catholic rituals of Chichicastenango and the blazing colors of everyday Mayan dress.

There are two major categories of people in the country, The Mayans (naturales or indigenas) and the Ladinos. The Mayans are native peoples who already lived in what is today Guatemala prior to the sixteenth century conquest of central and south America by Spain. Since that time they have modified their language, clothing, religion somewhat (adopting Spanish and Catholicism) but most of their traditional customs remain unchanged. They have a strong sense of their tribal roots and many do not speak Spanish and instead converse solely in their native tribal tongues. Those who do speak Spanish, use it mostly to converse with outsiders. The Mayan formed 42% of the population of Guatemala in the 1981 census and are nearly 100% of the rural population in the mountains and other rural areas.
The Ladinos are mostly those who are ethnically Spanish (very few) or mestizo (mixed Spanish and Mayan blood). Ladino is also used to refer to the small number who are mixed race and have some Asian or African roots as well as those who are 100% Mayan but have adopted the modern clothing and customs of the Ladinos.

Guatemala is also a country gathering its wits after 30 years of civil war. In a nation of advanced horticulturists, the land is close to the heart of the people. In Guatemala, 90% of the land is owned by about 7% of the people. As a result of this monopoly on land, a rural family makes on average $2US per day. This is not enough to support a family and as many as 100 families per day journey to the cities in hopes of a better future. What is usually found for work is in the sweatshops (maquiladoras) and in brothels. The program that has been established in San Lucas Toliman is aimed at giving the land back to the indigenous people of the area and providing a healthy alternative to a move to the city and what the locals refer to as the "slow road to death'' - poverty. Unfortunately, women bare the brunt of the poverty in many communities resulting in malnutrition and inadequate health care. The infant mortality rate, as well as the mortality rate of mothers during delivery is high. Women are often uneducated and unskilled, therefore have low self esteem and make poor relationship choices. These choices, or their lack of choices in a patriarchal culture, often lead to situations of domestic violence.

 The Service and the Learning

Please note that although the hosting group is a Christian parish, this is not a religiously focused trip. Those of all faiths are encouraged to take part in the program and are welcomed by the parish with no attempt at conversion or teaching of religion of any kind. Those who wish to attend church services may do so on an individual basis. Most international service agencies are religiously affiliated and this parish is very welcoming of all individuals.

Participants will fly into Guatemala City. From there the group will be driven the three hours to San Lucas Toliman and taken to their residence for the two weeks. The drivers are employees of the parish and to reduce the risk of theft/violence, the luggage is carried in a separate truck. Most often, assaults in the city limits are focused on theft and this will reduce the slight chance of the passenger van being stopped within the city limits.  Following their arrival in San Lucas, the group will be given lunch and then an introduction to the area and service work through presentations by representatives of the parish and meeting with people within the community. Throughout the trip the group will interact with the local community in order to provide the group with a well rounded, educational experience.  There are several service sites to be worked at on a daily basis for service projects and in the past these have included the following; rotations in the local medical clinic, helping out in the elementary school,  a reforestation project, and various construction projects around San Lucas that are sponsored by the parish. 

One of the main focuses of this trip will be continuing construction on and volunteering in the new women’s center. The center includes a laundry area, common living room, class room, weaving room, crafts room, kitchen, and athletic fields for children. The vision behind the center is to create an educational and recreational space for women. The women will be taught many useful skills to supplement the family income, as well as cooking lessons to ensure proper nutrition for the children, water purification techniques and they will get the chance to share their experiences with other women in the community. Up until now, there has been no venue for the women to come together to aid and support one another. The center is located across the street from the elementary school to allow the children and mothers close contact through out the day. This is an opportunity for women from WPI to work side by side with women in the San Lucas community which will allow for cultural and social interactions as well as the ability for students to use their STEM knowledge to aid in the betterment of the society.                                 

Throughout the trip, participants will rotate between the various sites and do projects such as shelling soybeans, sorting coffee beans, bagging dirt, breaking rock, laying cement bricks, and sifting dirt and various other environmental/construction projects, allowing them to observe different initiatives within the community, however the main focus will be on the continued construction on and volunteering in the women’s center.   

In preparation for the trip students will be assigned readings on the history of Guatemala as it pertains to women and will then engage in group discussions about some of the issues faced in the underdeveloped world. It should be noted that this project differs from the IQP in that the emphasis will be more on culture and history as opposed to project design. However, students will get to use their technical knowledge as is applies it to the issues in Guatemala and will be encouraged to use their skills on a theoretical basis as well. This program is meant for cultural enrichment and to gain an insight into the causes of poverty and oppression in underdeveloped nations and in particular how this oppression affects indigenous females.

While in Guatemala the participants will have the chance to take part in some of the following cultural and social activities: a day at a market at Chichicastenango and drive through the mountains; some salsa dancing; a hike on the mountain side; a day on a boat on Lake Atitlan visiting various ports and small towns, including a visit to a memorial on the site of the assassination of a fellow priest during the civil war, and several informative discussions with Father Greg, the founder of the mission. These talks address such issues as the history of Guatemala, the recent civil war, the cause and effects of poverty and the on-going projects to give back land to the Mayans. He will also take questions from the group and tailor his discussion to the interests of his audience. In addition, the students will get the opportunity to work with and hear from some of the long term female volunteers as to what their experience has been like as a woman volunteering and living in this culture.

During this International Service Project, participants will be able to learn about the culture of the Mayans through presentations and more importantly through interactions with the community.  While the focus will be on the female experience in Guatemala, many other aspects of the culture will be explored as well. Participants will learn some of the native dialect and exchange many stories with the Mayan supervisors at the work sites. Participants will also be given the opportunity to learn about the politics behind the oppression and poverty in Guatemala and what is being done to combat that poverty.

 Food and Housing                                                   

The group will be housed in dormitory style housing (see photo above) with running water, including multiple shower facilities. The above photo is one of the possible housing options (all are comparable). All meals are provided by the parish in a separate building located on the property. Three meals a day are prepared and served at specific times. Vegetarian options are available for all meals and special accommodations can be made for those with other special dietary needs.  All meals are cooked with US citizens in mind, so only purified water is used. In addition, an endless supply of purified water is provided by the parish in the dining area, as well as the dormitory. Those who stay in the above mentioned facilities alternate responsibility for dinner clean-up and dishwashing to create a more cohesive community.

Schedule of Trip, Application Process and Follow-up Presentations

August/September – Applications Available

October – Applications due Oct. 1 and selections made – notified by Oct. 3 – deposit due by Oct. 15. Students meet with coordinators bi-monthly meetings to discuss fundraising, and assigned readings on issues facing women in Guatemala.

November – April – Continued fundraising and bi-monthly meetings for readings assignments and discussion of those readings.

May - International Service Trip

September – Displays and presentations to the campus community to share the experience.

Health Concerns and Safety

It is suggested that students are immunized for typhoid, and an updated tetanus. Participants will also be advised to take medication for Malaria prevention. Students would be responsible for the costs associated for immunization. The Office of Women’s Programs will be working with Health Services to order the required immunizations and medications. All participants are free to visit their own physician if they wish. The average cost for the immunizations and medication is estimated at about $300 per student if your insurance will not cover the cost. Sunscreen, and DDT bug spray, as well as a first aid kit will accompany the group and be purchased in bulk by WPI.  In addition, updated information from the Center for Disease Control will be made available to all students, as well as any travel advisories.

Given that Guatemala is an underdeveloped country, only a decade out of a civil war, extra precautions will be taken to ensure participant safety. As mentioned above, transportation to and from the airport will be provided by the service site and will only occur during daylight hours. Following the evening meal, the outer doors to the facility are locked at approximately 9pm to ensure everyone’s safety. No one will be allowed to leave the residential and dinning facilities alone and everyone will remain with at least two other trip members with the preference of one of them being a Spanish speaker. All activities will be group activities and no one will be venturing out on their own. The town of San Lucas is a small town and one that is very used to visitors from the U.S. and has a high respect for the parish. Foreigners visiting the parish are very welcome and considered a part of the community.

Prior to departure for Guatemala, a meeting of the group will be solely dedicated to safety procedures and everyone will be supplied with a recommended packing list. Copies of all students’ documentation, such as passports, other photo id, and health insurance cards will be collected in triplicate. One copy to remain with the coordinator for the duration of the trip and one will be faxed to the U.S. Consulate in Guatemala in the event of an emergency and one to be left behind at WPI security.  There is a telephone at the parish that can receive in-coming calls and one where students may call family members to check in. We will have a limited number of international calling cards purchased by WPI for this purpose. It is recommended that participants bring their own calling cards if they intend to call home more than once during the trip. There will also be a safe available for storing passports, extra money and personal items to ensure safe keeping. This safe is locked in the main office of the parish. We will have access to the items in this safe every morning following breakfast.

Participants will be required to sign a liability release form prior to the trip and will be made fully aware of any and all possible risks including travel and health risk associated with the trip. 

Passports and Visas

Participants will need to obtain a passport and will be responsible for all associated. ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT! In addition, some international students may need to obtain a visa. U.S. citizens do not need visas!

Staff

Staff for the trip will consist of the Director of Women’s Programs and a counselor in the Student Development and Counseling Center in addition to a student coordinator. The student coordinator will be a student who has had experience abroad, as well as experience working with the Office of Women’s Programs and will have the following duties:

Aid in advertisement of the program and recruitment of applicants

Compensation – while the student will still be required to pay the $500 trip fee, should the fundraising goal be exceeded, the coordinator will be eligible for a refund of up to $250. In addition, the coordinator will not need to go through the selection process and will be selected by the Office of Women’s Programs.

Funding

Students will be asked to contribute $500 each as a deposit for the trip. The following is an estimated breakdown of the costs of the trip, followed by a summary of proposed fundraising activities based on a group of 9 students, 1 student coordinator and 2 advisors:

Transportation – Airfare – Approximately $500 per person

Lodging and Meals - $280 per person

$5.00 per day lodging per person

$5.00 per day per meal per person – this includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Additional Costs – Supplies, Exit Tax and Emergency Funds

The participants will need to raise a total of approximately $10,560 or $1,056 per student. With each student paying a deposit of $500, this would leave every student with $556 to fundraise to

                                                       

 

 

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Last modified: September 06, 2007 15:18:33