Thanksgiving in community

Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.

~William Wordsworth, 1806

the feast!

My experience of the holiday season in Honduras was a bit different than in the US… to say the least. It is the strangest thing to be looking at a Christmas tree in the office while I’m wearing a tank top and sandals… But even though this holiday season is nothing like I’m used to, the people I live and work with have made it a truly memorable experience. We had a huge Thanksgiving feast at our apartment and it got pretty cramped with over 40 people in our tiny living room but it was great to be surrounded by such wonderful people. The preparation process was astronomical! We ended up using 4 ovens between three houses to make all of the food… and there was certainly a ton of it! We made a huge batch of sangria using one of our water jugs… and it was such a hit that it was gone before dinner was on the table! Before we ate, we took the time to go around to every person to share what we were thankful for.  This was the most diverse Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had- with all of the different nationalities we have in the house, the table was filled with Spanish rice, Tandoori fish, and my personal favorite, Mom’s stuffing. (This was my first time truly cooking it all on my own and it was a true success!) Though I would have liked to be with my family on Thanksgiving Day, I definitely have a second family here in Honduras… and I think we are going to have leftovers for the next month.

the ride to Zurzular

Eddie, Maria Cristina and their five children

The next morning after the big feast, a bunch of head packed up and headed out to community at 6am. This community visit turned my Thanksgiving weekend into the most inspiring Thanksgiving weekend I’ve ever had.

I was out in one of our communities called Zurzular for three days participating in public health projects. We worked in a family’s home and in three days, we constructed two concrete floors, a stove, a water pila, and a full latrine with its own septic.  This was the first Public Health project that Global Brigades has brought to the family so it was pretty exciting to the community members. All of the neighbors were crowded around all day, greeting us with smiles and offering us their homemade coffee. The mayor, Don Antonio, was very present throughout the three day process and it was great to see him so involved with his people.

the family's home

I am going to have a hard time trying to explain this weekend- it just simply cannot be put into words how wonderful it was to work with this family and help to change their lives for the better. This family has five children and both parents, Maria Cristina and Eddie, are 30 years old and all seven of them sleep in the same small room, with walls built out of adobe and a ceiling of metal paneling and large rocks to hold it down. Before these projects, their bedroom and kitchen had dirt floors. They used an inefficient adobe stove and would collect their water in a large plastic bin. This bin didn’t have any way to drain so it would get quite dirty and attract mosquitoes, which leads to infection. They also didn’t have their own latrine and would have to use to the bathroom at the neighbor’s house across the dirt road. 

before we started the latrine...

almost there...

...ready for use!

I personally was helping to build the concrete floors and the stove. We build concrete floors for these families because it cuts back on bugs in the home as well as minimize the dust that gets kicked up from walking on the dirt, which can lead to respiratory infections and asthma. Similarly, their stove often leaked smoke into the home and burned wood at an inefficient rate.

their home before we started working

To start, we used a plastic hose filled with water to find a level measurement around on the walls, from which we measured down to create a uniform level height for the floor. Then we used a level and string to form our two maistras or guidelines of concrete. I can’t even count how many buckets of concrete we ended up making but I have about 15 bruises on each thigh from hoisting up buckets of dirt above my shoulders! And this family lives on the side of a cliff and making your way up and down a dirt cliff with a ton of dirt in your arms is no easy task!

mixing and laying the concrete

getting the level for the floor

The two concrete floors took a day each and the third day we spend constructing the stove. We mixed more concrete as the two rows of concrete dried and then used a long piece of 2x4 to level the rest of the room. We scraped side to side to lay the rest of the floor, as someone else went back over the already-laid sections to create the pure cement finish. It was an intense back workout but I’ve never felt better to be doing manual labor. The emotional reward was indescribable. Maria Cristina would peer into her kitchen as we worked and just quietly watch and smile. Eddie, a skinny but undeniably strong man, was running around all day with us, working at a speed that tripled each of us. To have him so involved in the projects and always asking what to do next really expressed how thankful he was and how badly he wants to learn how to maintain his home in a healthier way. Even the children—who followed us around all day, so interested in what were doing—were so excited to be the first the ones of their friends to be getting these projects in their home.

the old water basin

constructing the new brick and concrete pila

The pila was another very exciting project for the family. Prior to our brick and concrete pila, the family stored their water in a plastic bin and cleaned their clothing by scrubbing it on a rock. Now, they have a washboard and an efficient draining system for their water storage so they can clean their collection tank often and easily. Hollie got a good shot of Maria Cristina looking at her pila in almost disbelief, as she repeated “¡Mi pila! ¡Es la mia!” (MY pila. It’s mine!).

the new pila

It took a team of about twelve of us to complete these projects in the three days and though they were filled with long demanding hours, I couldn’t help but think about how hard Eddie works everyday just to maintain the little bit he has for his family. As we worked hand-in-hand with the family and played around with the curious kids in between, I just kept thinking about how proud Dad would have been to see this. He may not have understood why I wanted to move here but I think if he could see these projects he would be able to relate and really see how our efforts directly affect the family. I could see him thinking that this stuff is pretty cool!

the team

Thanksgiving weekend was probably the most appropriate time for such a project, being the weekend to recognize what you’re thankful for. The family was so thankful to now have their own complete facilities and I am thankful that they showed me such a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Maria Cristina

Another hiking adventure...

Real elation is when you feel you could touch

a star without standing on tiptoe.

~Doug Larson

A couple weeks ago, a bunch of us took the Land Cruiser out past one of our communities and went on an all-day hike. This was nothing like the other hikes we’ve been on… this was more like rock climbing! I mean literally, we brought rope and had to use it to get up a few boulders at one point! We were under the impression that we would be following a river the entire was to the waterfall, but instead we were actually hiking through the river the entire time! We were drenched all day- good thing I wore my spandex which dry fairly quickly! It was a treacherous hike and obviously I sprained my ankle again! We were constantly balancing and climbing over rocks, wading up to our waists in water, and scaling down the sides of boulders. A few of us took some spills and were drenched up to their necks the whole time! 

 

 

Community visit to Joyas

"Learning to speak another's language means taking one's place in the human community. It means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is far more than a system to be explained. It is our most important link to the world around us. Language is culture in motion. It is people interacting with people."
- Sandra Savignon

While on the staff retreat at our compound, we took the Panama staff to one of our communities to show them a few of our projects here in Honduras. We took them to a town called Joyas, where we recently had an inauguration because the Water, Public Health, and Microfinance projects have been completed there.

collection tank above the community

We drove about an hour and a half in the land cruiser to the community and then we listened as Ben (our Water Brigades Lead) explained the Water project that he helped to execute in this community. Under the direction of his team, students from all over the U.S. helped to complete a sustainable water system for this community. They laid about 8 kilometers of piping to bring fresh water to the people's homes. It was so incredible to learn about this project more in depth. Ben explained everything- how the pumps work to collect the water, how the pressure of the water builds up as it travels, how the PBC piping is laid in the ground, and how the waters collects in the distribution take above the community before it is distributed to all the homes. We hiked up to the distribution tank where we could see the river in the distance from which the lines collect the water. 

GB brick and mortar stove

pila with wash board shelf

Then we were welcomed into the home of one of the families and listened as Moises (one of the Public Health Coordinators) explained how the PH team constructed an efficient stove for the family. It looked quite simple by American standards but this unadorned stove changed this family's habits and dramatically increase their health. Because of this stove, the family no longer has to breath in all the smoke that it emits- we installed a chimney that directs the smoke out of their home. There was also an accessible latch on the side from which the family members can easily clean the inside of the stove and chimney. Moises demonstrated this process for us to show us just how much soot the stove is emitted- after one swipe, the rag was black. It was almost unbelievable to think that until GB came to this community, the women would cook all day long and breath in all this smoke and so much soot would collect on the ceilings and walls of this home, and the children would constantly be breathing in the fumes. It made me smile inside that GB did such a simple thing for this family but it really impacted their life at home.

old latrine

Next we checked out the pila. This is basically the family sink. It is a concrete water basin that is located outside the home and it can be filled up with a hose from the faucet that Water Brigades installed. There is a top shelf that has a drain so that you can scoop water from the basin and wash your hands and dishes. There is also a wash board on the shelf for cleaning clothes. Interesting how we have a porcelain sink in every bathroom in our home and picking out the kind of kitchen sink you want is often a big deal in the States- it has to match, it has to be the right size, the right height... these people are delighted and so thankful for a concrete one outside of their home.

new GB latrine!

Another project that GB Public Health completed for every family in this community was to construct a latrine at every home. Many of the old latrines (if a family had one) were usually made out of flimsy wooden sides with a cloth serving as a door. GB constructed a concrete one, with solid floors and metal paneling for the door. Every latrine is hooked up to a septic tank, that is either completely new or a renovated version of their old one. These septic tanks will last 10-15 years, depending on the size of the family. The tank is also covered by concrete instead of just wood so the substance doesn't get into the group as much when the wood rots. The system is very simple- there's no seat on the toilet, no handle- it flushes from pressure when you add water. This simple change, however, prevents a lot of disease for the family and also allows them to go to the bathroom close to home, rather than having to hike up into the mountain, which ultimately results in their feces coming back down to their home when it rains.

my boss and 2 other wonderful ladies that I work with- overlooking Joyas

It was so wonderful to get a detailed explanation of two of our most exciting developmental projects. It really made me feel more connected to the communities that we work with, as well as to the rest of the Honduran and Panamanian staff. As I walked through this beautiful community with my fellow staff members, gazed at incredible views, and listened to details about what GB is known for by the people we serve, I just thought to myself how lucky I am to be standing on such a gorgeous mountain in the middle of Honduras with such wonderful people who are dedicated to empowering the lives of others.