|
Wednesday, July 14
This group is an early bird group. Probably because we are in such close quarters that
when one of us is up, the rest follow. I got up about 5 and put the coffee on. The rest follow and by 6 we are
all hanging out and chatting. We have breakfast here and I bought some Guatemalan bread and some juices. We also
have cereal and milk if anyone wants it. There are not very big eaters in the group which makes cooking quite easy.
Everyone takes their turn in the bathroom showering etc. Again no one needs a lot of time in there so things go smoothly.
We just hang out drinking coffee until Ruth comes at 8. At 8 we start our orientation. Everyone introduces themselves
again and talks a bit about themselves, their connection to Sharing the Dream, and why they came on this trip. After
that Ruth and I go over the guidelines and explain about the philosophy of Sharing the Dream. We talk about being invited
into people’s lives and that when that happens there is a responsibility. We talk about cultural situations and
what is considered polite and what is considered rude. We also spend some time talking about safety and health issues.
At
9:30 we take off for Upavim. Upavim is women’s cooperatives that was started in a squatter’s settlement.
It has really developed in the last 20 years and I don’t think it is even called a squatters settlement anymore.
The area is called”Esperanza” (Hope) Upavim is one of the best developed cooperatives in Guatemala,
mostly due to my friend Barb’s organizational skills. Barb worked with Upavim for close to 18 years. She
now lives in Texas but still works with the women quite abit and comes down frequently. Upavim is now 2 large buildings.
It has a dental clinic, medical clinic, Montessori school, a scholarship program, bakery, a regular school, a bakery, and
several other things. One of the bigger parts to the cooperative is the crafts program. There are 60 women involved
in this. The crafts program not only helps the women involved but also goes to support many programs. After having an
orientation to Upavim by several women we went on a tour of the facility. I will let Kay give you her impressions.
From
Kaye: It’s early so these impressions may be a bit confusing but I’ll give it a go…..When we first
arrived at Upavim we gathered in a circle with the women representing the various programs. Each spoke about their program
and as I listened I was struck by the inner strength of these women whose lives have not been easy. There was a feeling
of community and pride in what had been accomplished. As a former Montessori teacher at the Infant/Toddler level I was
very interested in that program. The teachers talked about how successful they felt the Montessori approach was in giving
the children a joy in learning and the ability to work independently. I also teach infant massage and one teacher wanted
me to show her some of those techniques. They were eager to learn from us as well as share their program. I forgot…..before
we toured the various programs the women served us a delicious lunch….rice with vegetables in it with black beans to
go on top and very good salsa to top it off. We ate a lot!!
After we returned to the Share the Dream office,
Hector, a friend of Ruth’s came to talk to us. It was a very powerful and thought provoking presentation and we
all were touched by his willingness to share his personal history as well as what he has learned through his thesis work on
political violence. He is interviewing people who lived through the violence here in Guatemala, giving them an opportunity
to tell their stories as a first step in the healing process. Hector is from San Salvador but came to Guatemala with
his family when we was young. Two of his sisters died because the family couldn’t afford the medical help they
needed. For six years as a child he rummaged through the dump looking for items to sell to help support his family.
Many people pick through what is dumped there and either sell it or take it home. Through people he met he was able
to go to the US and study. His gentle spirit and hope for the future, touching one person at a time, was a powerful
reminder of what each of us can accomplish. When Hector left as a group we talked quite awhile about Guatemala, different
experiences etc.
This is Diane again. I will write now until I can persuade someone else too. We made our own
dinner here. We had scrambled eggs with tomatoes and cheese and fresh fruit. The pineapples here are especially delicious.
This group is so wonderful, everyone works together. The table was set out in the garden area. We now have 4 plants
so it is our garden area. We had some flowers on the table and lighted one of the candles from the candles group.
We really enjoy each others company. We talk to each other even when we don’t have too.
After dinner we
went over to Ruth’s and watched the video Precarious Peace, God and Guatemala. I had just gotten the video and
thought it would be a good follow up to Hectors talk. It is interesting for me because the women who are in the video
are women we work with in Sharing the Dream. Kyle is going to write about the video.
Here’s Kyle----( He
is the one that took the best notes.)
The movie starts off with quick snap shots of how the Guatemalan people live
their lives. Not to long into the movie, The Violence begins to unwind. The Atz family, surprisingly a cooperative, is the
trauma shared with the audience. In 1979 The Violence began. The Atz family ran a weaving cooperative with all of the women.
The military began coming and harassing the villagers preventing them from getting work done, so fleeing became an option.
The military killed, raped, and tortured the people of Guatemala and many years of repression resulting in guerrilla warfare.
The guerrillas were the only defense people had; however, punished many rather than protect. Nobody was safe from the military
“search and destroy” mission for any signs of guerrilla warfare. Catholic priests and their translators were accused
of helping the movement and were tortured and executed. The Violence just got worse for now the military had their own sense
of justification for the crimes they were committing. Morphed from a Robin Hood (give to the poor and steal from the
rich) to the worsening of the cause, put the guerrillas in a “pickle” . There are many different religions in
Guatemala, but no faith was untouched by The Violence. The Monte Regime was the government at this time, and still to this
day, had its new political campaign running. The anti- corruption campaign. As a matter of
fact this propaganda still covers
the poles on every corner of the street. Anyways the campaign symbolizes the genocide of all indigenous people, meaning
killing off their history and their own people. To conclude, These people who suffered trauma from The Violence are now searching
for their shalom, which is satisfaction in all parts of life.
That’s it for today.
Diane, Kaye, Kyle and
group
Quote for the Day from the video, “ What the U.S. could use is a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission.”.
|
