The Strength of a Community

Today, October 24th, marks my last day of living in the countryside, my last day of teaching English, and my last day of eating home cooked meals. Although my last, this week has been one of the most fulfilling since I've arrived. I have been welcomed into a number of campesino's homes, been handed a number of cups of tinto, and been given the pleasure of listening to each one's story. I was also invited to one of the most important visits the community has ever had, and that was of the United Nations.

Almost 6 months ago, the local association presented themselves to the UN and was given a grant to carry out a life-changing project. Their idea was to bring the cafeteros a number of machines to assist them with the harvesting process, along with the tools and equipment they lacked as an organization necessary to help them stay more connected and thrive as a an association. The association of 10 members began 2 years ago, and with the accompanied support of their families, has since proved itselft to be quite a successful group. They have been working to protect the reserve that encompasses their fincas and the sacred Cerro Quinini, a mountain which overlooks their lands. Along with this, they work to preserve their coffee culture and Panche heritage. The Panche were an indigenous group that once thrived on these lands in centuries past. Having created the reserve themselves, their pride beams as they talk of where they came from, what they have accomplished, and their plans for the future.

These families have been imagining a better quality of life for some time, and it is now becoming a reality. Their hopes for the future remain grand, their strength as a community remains united, and their lives as campesinos will forever be changed.

#fieldwork #aprenat