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Friday, May 11, 2012

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Walk for Water






I am visiting Kenya, Africa. I did not come to Kenya to have a "luxury" vacation, but to experience the women's every day chores. I am visiting Kirabo, Dayo, Farai and Ife. Kirabo is the mom, Dayo is a friend of the Kirabo, Farai is a 13 year old girl and the daughter of Kirabo and Ife is the little sister. Right now I am going to explain my favorite and most labor intense job. 


I woke up at 5:55, got dress and went into the kitchen, to find Kirabo already making breakfast, which happened to be rice with toppings. I ate it quickly and got ready for our walk. We started walking at 6:15. I was not wearing shoes, because I did not think it was fair if I did and they did not, because they could not afford them. Kirabo had invited her friend Dayo because she was strong and could carry more water. Farai and Ife were already sitting outside, when we stepped out of the house, so off we were to the water hole seven miles away on endless terrain. My feet were throbbing but eventually they got numb and I could not feel them. We talked quickly until we reached the water hole. We were there before the other villagers arrived, we were lucky! It took us a long time to fill up the jugs and other bottles that we could scavenge. I had also brought a 2 gallon container as a present for them. They were very thankful because  it was harder for them in AFrica to get containers then I am in the United States of America. We got the water from a hole that had been dug up with water seeping up. Other villagers were starting to arrive but luckily we were finished filling up our bottles. We started walking back  so Farai and Ife could hopefully get back in time to get to school before it was over. By now it was 9:30. We walked and walked and walked, while talking and teaching each other songs. We passed many other women on the way all with different ways of carrying their water, that their family depended on. My back was aching in pain and I'm sure Kirabo, Dayo, Farai and Ife's were in pain too, but they new better then to complain, because it would just slow us down. By 12:00 we were back, and Farai and Ife could still go to school for half the day. They were happy  about this, but I was sad that they do not get to go for school for the full day. When we got back I was tired and went to sleep. I thought about how this is all the water we had and if we wanted more then we would have to go back again, probably tomorrow or the day after.
 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLvBERbC13A?hl=en&amp;enablejsapi=1"><img alt="Play" src="http://www.gtaero.net/ytmusic/play.png" style="border:0px;" /></a>

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Day Three

Today was my last day so I wanted to go to visit all the other members of the group while they were working. I really liked helping run the stores, making and seeing the beautiful and cute handicrafts.  I also liked weaving sheets, but thought that it was very hard work. Now I will think of the this time I spent helping make sheets when go home and lay down on my bed. My favorite place I saw today was watching and helping the farmer, raise animals. Today was a great day and I learned a lot about what women in Guatemala do to make money. For me this trip was filled with lots of emotion especially when I realized how hard some people work to make money and are still happy.

*emotion

Day Two

Today Gregoria and I are going to work. I am going to help her make her make her beautiful sweatshirts. After waking up and having some breakfast that we had bought at the market the day before we got ready to work. The meal she made smelled and tasted so good. She had dedicated a part of her house as her sweatshirt making factory. When we got into her little factory she pointed out the exact fabrics that she had bought with the loan from Kiva. The colors of the fabric really lit up the room. 
  

The sweatshirts felt so soft when I touched them. The first I did was, watch her show me the steps, then I got a chance to try. We talked for a while and before we knew it, it was almost dinner. It was fun to get to talk to her and get to practice my Spanish and let her practice her English. It was a great experience to see how she works so hard. Right after we were done working she offered me a sweatshirt. I took it and insisted on paying her. I also bought another one for my sister and my S0cial Studies teacher John, because when I was looking for someone to fund and showed him the Superaction group he said he wanted one.

      *smell
      *touch
      *people
      *souvenir

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Day One

Today I get to actually meet Gregoria Mercedes Pec Mejia and the rest of the Superaction Group. their names are Isabel Osorio Tuy De Chan, Antonia Cux Elias, Paula Ajin Tecum De Mejia, Santos Estebana Mejia Chay De Pec, Catarina Ulin Choz, Santa Cite Renoj, Santos Petrona Xic Ajin De Mejia, Santa Mejia Tecum De Xec, Ana Felipa Ulin Juarez De Chay, Marta Chay Juarez, Petrona Mejia Ajin, Maria Victoriana Cosinero Chan , Francisca Victoriana Chan Vicente, Juana Chan Osorio De Renoj, Macaria Santos Cosinero Chan, Sebastiana Chay Ulin and Maria Angelina Marroquin Urbina.


Superacion Group


As soon as we got settled and I had a chance to meet each and every one of them, they took me to the food market. We even got to see a few of the stores that some of the women own. We saw a variety of different foods including vegetables, chills, bananas, and other fruits. I tried a little of everything. Some things were delicious, others were sweet, spicy and plain.


There was also clothing, flowers, handicrafts and people playing music. The sound of the fun spanish style music made me want to dance! 




Market, Totonicapan, Guatemala, Central America (1890-98048 / 741-3119 © Robert Harding Picture Library)    Close-up of vegetables at a market stall, Totonicapan, Guatemala (1345-1578 / gt09032120 © Sergio Pitamitz)




*Sound and Taste

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Introduction on Superaction Group

Today I get to meet Superaction Group. This is a group of women in Totonicapan, Guatemala who make sweatshirt, make handicrafts from clay, weave sheets, raise animals and run stores. The lady who founded it and is in charge of the group is named Gregoria Mercedes. She is only 20 years old and is single. She went to school from age seven to fourteen, which is called 'education primaria'. She has six years experience, so that means right after graduating 'education primaria' she started working. She makes sweatshirts and with the money I lent her she is going to improve her sweatshirt production. She hope that in the future she will have a large business and will be able to hire workers, I hope so too. 
 

Monday, April 16, 2012