This week, I am traveling to various communities that work with the Association to visit different projects, accompanied by energetic staff and board members, a driver and an interpreter. (My Spanish is decent but not quite good enough for in-depth discussions, plus most conversations in rural areas have to be interpreted from Mam to Spanish to English).
Yesterday we headed to a village called Las Barrancas, which literally means “the ravines.” Tucked away in lush and remote mountains, this gorgeous place feels somewhat forgotten. Although the roads seemed much improved from the last time I ventured out this way about four years ago, the trek still took two hours on pothole-filled, muddy surfaces that are sometimes impassible in the rainy season. We had two trusty 4x4s and great drivers, so we made it there and back without a hitch.
Once we arrived at the lovely town, we were greeted with a cup of Atol – a warm corn and cacao drink. Las Barrancas is lower in elevation than Xela, so it was warm and humid, and we were surrounded by tropical vegetation, banana trees and coffee plants. Most of the people living here work on one of the eight surrounding coffee fincas (plantations) – the majority of them women since many of the men have migrated to the U.S. to find work.
My first trip here back in 2015 or so, we laid the cornerstone for the Association’s first sewing school, on land donated by the local Presbyterian Church. The school is going strong and the women were there to show us their handiwork. A huge thank you to Anne Finch and Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Durham, NC for sponsoring the now FOUR sewing schools the Association has in different villages for so many years. Next week, the Association will host the graduation ceremony for all four schools and are expecting 300 students and family members to attend!
Next stop was to a few women’s homes to see their pigs (purchased with revolving funds), chickens and stoves.
One of the main reasons for venturing to Las Barrancas this trip was to learn more about the new literacy project, which is being generously funded by Concord Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE. Many adults in this community have had little or no schooling whatsoever, so the rate of illiteracy is very high. This past year, the community received support from CONALFA, a government agency that offers literacy classes. Twelve students passed their “first grade” class, learned how to write their name, do basic math, and master the alphabet. They had a graduation ceremony to “thank God for the opportunity to learn and gain knowledge.” Some of these students met with us yesterday.
From March to October, they met three days a week in the afternoon (after they return from working on the fincas) for a total of 10 hours weekly. CONALFA supplied each student with two textbooks, three notebooks and pencils. However, the teacher needed a whiteboard and markers, so the Association paid for 50% of that and the students pooled their funds to pay for the other 50%. The teacher has a table, but the students only sit on plastic stools and write on their laps, which is not ideal. (We are asking them for a budget to perhaps get some simple desks or folding tables – if anyone is interested in helping to cover that cost, let me know!)
While these first twelve students will move on to “second grade” in 2025, there are many more who want to start their journey to literacy, but CONALFA does not have the capacity to accommodate them. Enter Concord Presbyterian Church who has donated the funds to start a second class in 2025! Yay! We are so happy to have Concord on board now, and this is a perfect way for them to get involved in this partnership. We are so grateful!