After 4 flights, 2 boats, a cab, a few bus rides, a shuttle, and a weekend in Guatemala City, Maggie and I finally made it to San Juan la Laguna on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. It's our last Look Out Loud stop for now, so we figured we had to relish the 7 days of travel.
Ale, a dear friend from Elon, was the most amazing host in Guatemala City. We were able to spend time with friends and really get a local's tour of the city courtesy of Ale and her boyfriend, Charles. But we also learned a lot about the civil war that plagued Guatemala for 36 years and the effects of which still burden the country today, especially the Mayan communities we are working with here on the lake. It was a great way for us to learn more about the issues fueling poverty, discrimination, and socio-political tensions in the area we are working. (Thanks, Ale and Charles for the fun and all of your help!)
Ale, a dear friend from Elon, was the most amazing host in Guatemala City. We were able to spend time with friends and really get a local's tour of the city courtesy of Ale and her boyfriend, Charles. But we also learned a lot about the civil war that plagued Guatemala for 36 years and the effects of which still burden the country today, especially the Mayan communities we are working with here on the lake. It was a great way for us to learn more about the issues fueling poverty, discrimination, and socio-political tensions in the area we are working. (Thanks, Ale and Charles for the fun and all of your help!)
Now, we are all settled into our latest abode. It is a small, white, one-room house with a view of epic proportions. I think we have just about the best vista in the entire pueblo of San Juan, looking out over the vast Lake Atitlan and the towering volcanoes and mountains that surround it. It is the perfect spot for us! The house is part of a local family's compound that they have added to over the years to host students, visitors, and volunteers. I first met Petrona, Gaspar, and their family 3 years ago when I spent a summer here in San Juan, and they were my friend Liza's host family. Now we eat with the family and live similar to a home-stay situation but with our own space for living and working.
This week, we met with Daniel, the principal of La Escuela LISI, a high school for girls learning secretary skills based in San Juan. They are a great organization that provides subsidized education for indigenous Mayan girls. It is huge, especially for these young women, to become educated, as they are the some of the most marginalized people in this society. We're stoked to be working with them, and tomorrow we have our first Photovoice session! We're also getting to know San Juan and the neighboring village, San Pedro. Maggie is taking a few language classes to brush up on her Spanish this week at a school called Corazón Maya (Heart of the Maya) in San Pedro. It is a beautiful place right on the lake near a farm, and I am sitting in the school garden writing this while Maggie is in her first session! |
We are constantly overwhelmed by beautiful things here: the lake and the monstrous volcanoes, the colorful traditional traje, or typical Mayan dress, intricate natural-dye weavings, scarves, bags, and clothing that pour out of small tiendas run by women's weaving cooperatives. We can't wait to see the photographs that our new participants take, and hear the the stories behind all of these outward aesthetic pleasantries. We expect to learn much about the inner beauty that these communities hold, but also know that behind the brightly colored cortes (skirts) and embroidered huipiles (blouses), exist pain from a generation of suffering due to the civil war and genocide, and a struggle to overcome poverty, corruption, and discrimination against the indigenous Maya communities.
These stories will be ones you don't want to miss, and we can't wait to hear them. We'll let you know when we get started with our newest batch of participants!
Meagan and Maggie
P.S. We highly recommend Googling around a bit to learn more about the Guatemalan civil war that only ended in 1996 and the brutal violence and human rights violations that occurred just one country away from the United States for almost 4 decades. Here is a link to a brief timeline of events: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/jan-june11/timeline_03-07.html
Meagan and Maggie
P.S. We highly recommend Googling around a bit to learn more about the Guatemalan civil war that only ended in 1996 and the brutal violence and human rights violations that occurred just one country away from the United States for almost 4 decades. Here is a link to a brief timeline of events: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/jan-june11/timeline_03-07.html