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Sweet Home Guatemala My experience volunteering and reporting in Antigua -Guatemala.

The Stove

GUATEMALA | Wednesday, 27 May 2009 | Views [1101] | Comments [1]

Today we finished the stove, earlier than I thought. Carolina did it possible, because today the Manchester United and Barcelona play the final of the Champions League. She is a football fan and she explains to me that in the community they are disillusioned by the guatemalan teams, so they prefer following the European matchs. It is true, in the evening the community is desert and the game can be listened from the televisions. Before we leave, we take pictures with Edy, his mother and his brother next to the stove. They are all happy. Smiles.

Then Carolina invites me to see her house and meet her family, they are very nice. In the way she tells me that the guatemalans are called chapines in an affectionate way and that women are called patojas when they are together in groups.

In her house she shows me the evangelical temple that she and her father constructed.

The faith is very important in her family. A common denominator in Guatemala. Though only we see it from outside, the temple is very nice and surprises that it was born as a family project. I continue thinking on the idea of construction, it obsesses me, I believe that ultimately all the goals that someone can make real are tied to constructing and in the slow and discreet of that process. It is so simple that sometimes it is easy to obviate it. On the same topic I continue thinking about the shy that is Edy with adults when he is not in the classroom context. One of these days he needed help with a home work and he was ashamed of asking me, until her mother approached and showed me the notebook.

Also one evening he waalked with me to the shuttle and he was very ashamed to speak. For him and his classmates is difficult to elaborate their own opinions and lift the voice, they are not used to build with words or ideas, as I am not used to build with cement, but if with some help I could make a stove, I hope that they will be able to build a complete universe.

Spanish:

La estufa

Hoy terminamos la estufa, más temprano de lo que pensaba. Carolina se preocupó de que fuera así, porque hoy juegan el Manchester United y Barcelona la final de la Champions League. Ella es fanática del fútbol y me explica que en la comunidad están desencantados con los equipos de Guatemala, así que prefieren seguir los partidos europeos. Es cierto, en la tarde la comunidad está desierta y se escucha el partido desde los televisores. Antes de irnos, nos sacamos fotos con Edy, su madre y su hermano, junto a la estufa. Están todos felices. Sonrisas. Luego Carolina me invita a conocer su casa y a su familia, son todos muy gentiles. En el camino me explica que los guatemaltecos se llaman chapines a sí mismos de forma cariñosa y que a las mujeres le dicen las patojas cuando se juntan en grupos. En su casa me muestra el templo evangélico que ella y su padre construyeron. La fe es muy importante en su familia. Un denominador común en Guatemala. Aunque sólo lo vemos por fuera, el templo es muy bonito y sorprende que haya nacido de un proyecto familiar. Me quedo pensando en la idea de construcción, me obsesiona, creo que al final todas las metas que alguien puede plantearse están ligadas a construir y en lo lento y discreto del proceso. Es tan simple que a veces es fácil obviarlo. Dándole vueltas al tema me quedó pensando en lo tímido que es Edy con los adultos cuando no está en el contexto de una sala de clases. Uno de estos días necesitaba ayuda con una tarea y no se atrevía a pedírmela, hasta que su madre se acercó y me mostró el cuaderno, luego una tarde me acompañó hasta el shuttle para volver a la ciudad y le daba mucha vergüenza hablar. A él como a sus compañeros de clase les cuesta elaborar sus propias opiniones y alzar la voz, no están acostumbrados a construir con palabras ni ideas, tal como yo no estoy acostumbrado a construir con cemento, pero si con algo de ayuda pude fabricar una estufa, espero que ellos sean capaces de construir un universo completo.

Comments

1

Hi,
I volunteered with the Stove Project late 2007. I was just wondering if these boys are the same family? http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicapiche/5266220263/in/set-72157625607032062/ If you would let me know, I would really appreciate it.

Gracias,
Jessica

  Jessica Piche Jan 27, 2011 8:44 AM

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