Students at the Labor de Falla school perform a traditional dance during the school assembly.

Students at the Labor de Falla school perform a traditional dance during the school assembly.

For me, the journey to the rural Mayan villages of Labor de Falla, Cerro Alto and Bola de Oro on March 10 was one of reconnection. In 2011-2012 I worked as a BTS intern alongside the passionate and dedicated health promoters and midwives in these communities. During my time living and working in Cerro Alto, it amazed me how quickly my feet memorized the muddy roads and footpaths through the cornfields, how quickly my hands reached for tortillas by instinct at every meal, and how quickly my new friends became like family. But when I went back to Ottawa at the end of my placement, the comforts of a soft bed, hot shower and full fridge put a lot more than physical distance between me and my friends in Guatemala. I had trouble holding one world in my head while navigating another, and I let Cerro Alto slip out of focus as I re-rooted in my Canadian life. But in March of 2014, as our little microbus full of BTS delegates ran out of asphalt and began bumping and wobbling along the familiar dusty road, I felt that distance begin to re-close.
Our first stop was the vibrant little school of Labor de Falla; the last stop at the end of the dirt road connecting the three villages. The warm and excited welcome of the young students and the teachers melted away many of my nerves about returning, and we had a wonderful morning filled by a school recital put on in our honour, and just spending time with the kids, teachers and women’s group members. One of the first people I saw on this return trip was the very same person who first welcomed me in 2011, Dña Vilma; my friend and mentor, and a talented health promoter and natural healer who dedicated many hours to showing me the ropes of health promotion in the rural highlands. Vilma also has a talent for making me laugh loudly at the most inappropriate moments, which I missed while away! Hers was the first of many stories I would hear about dedicated women who had been facing increases in brutal working conditions, unemployment, and worsening poverty in the 2 years since I worked with them side by side. But these daily struggles had not dampened spirits or perseverance – they had faced similar struggles before. After serving the first of several meals of chicken, rice and tortillas that we would have in our 2 short days in the villages, the Labor de Falla women’s group shared with us the challenges they have faced, the strength they found and the great accomplishments their group has made in spite of these challenges. The microcredit loans that the group manages have grown from an initial $3000 to $65000Q per year as the women developed hard-won but successful models of investment into local projects. Projects range from personal investment in the materials needed for weaving, to raising animals or growing crops. The group is now 29 people strong, the majority of whom are women. They work toward financial, social and educational empowerment for their members. The conversations we had also touched on the importance of these delegation visits. Not only do they strengthen the relationship between BTS and its partners in Guatemala, but they give us the chance to provide moral support and encouragement to each other in our mutual struggles for a more just world. We all draw strength from being together, hearing each other’s stories, and bearing witness to each other’s struggles and strengths.

The women in Labor de Falla have been organizing for 20 years and now have 30 women participating in the micro-credit project.

The women in Labor de Falla have been organizing for 20 years and now have 30 women participating in the micro-credit project.

When it was time to leave Labor de Falla, we walked and drove back down the dusty road and took in the beautiful valley views on our way to the home of Dña Francisca, affectionately known as Dña Pancha, who is a strong, warm woman in her 80s and a fixture of the community. On her patio we met with the Bola de Oro women’s group, another group 21 women strong that focuses on managing microcredit loans. One of the first group members to arrive at Dña Pancha’s was the grandmother of my internship host family. Seeing her again was a wonderful moment. I remembered the day she put her newborn grandson into my arms and officially welcomed me into her family. I suddenly could think of nothing else other than seeing my host family again, so I snuck out of the meeting and headed back to my old home. I heard my name called out down the road long before I could see the house, and broke into a run. There was lots of hugging, and lots of tears; I couldn’t believe how much the three kids had grown! That little newborn I remembered was now 2 and a half, and full of fun and mischief.

dona pancha

Dona Pancha grows enough corn every year for her personal consumption and to sell.

After a quick reunion and promises to return, I went back to the presentation of the Bola de Oro women’s group. Here too we heard stories of struggle and resilience. We heard about the difficulties of managing and returning small loans when pressing issues like illness, keeping children in school, and even just putting food on the table so often take spending priority over investment in small businesses. With a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice, this group too was finding strength against the odds and making the microcredit a success. One story that many delegates found particularly inspiring was that of Dña Pancha herself. With pride she showed the group the stockpile of corn that she had invested in, planted and harvested on her own, the pens full of chickens she was raising and collecting eggs from, and the artesanía she was creating in her ‘spare time’. For an 80-something year old who refuses to wear shoes and is never short on laughter, these accomplishments seemed impressive to say the least. As the sun slowly set behind the chicken coups, we had another meal of chicken and tortillas, spent time with the women of Bola de Oro and their children, and perused the mini-market of artesanía that sprung up like magic on Dña Pancha’s patio. Once we wound down, it was finally time to take the gang back my old home to spend time with Leona and her family. We spent a bit of time chatting with Leona and playing with the kids, but since it was already quite late we were soon ordered to rest. We piled 4 delegates into my old bedroom, and Leona and her husband piled 3 kids into their bed to give us more room. Soon I was lying in the dark, listening to the soothing sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking. Now I really was home.

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