Posts Tagged ‘volunteers’

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The Blue Rabbit

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

The plastering last Aguust

Conejo* was the first house we began to construct May 2011. Conejo didn’t get plastered until August 2012. After plastering Tortuga* a rich terra cotta colour, we chose a celeste blue for Conejo. During the plastering Amy and I placed colourful tiles into the wet plaster around the doorways.

Within weeks, a major chemical change took place between the mud, lime and the blue tint. Conejo had turned a pasty white! So much for the differently painted beautiful bright homes for the kids! I was not happy. Looking more like a corpse than a house, the tiles had all but disappeared as well!

Pasty-no-colour, a few weeks later

Fast forward to April. Our friends from SelfDesign arrived with paint gear in hand. Making the best of limited special supplies, they persevered and found a way to use their magical method of painting. The results? A peaceful, absolutely FABULOUS cloudy like look!! I am so in love with how Conejo looks now. AND…my tiles have popped with the blue/green combo!

SelfDesign to the rescue!

Thanks dear SelfDesign friends! We know the kids that live in this house are going to love, love, love it!

-Heather Alicia

*in the beginning the two houses were given the temporary names after the story of the tortoise (Tortuga) and the hare (Conejo) when it was clear the second house was going to be finished before the first house!

And now... The Blue Rabbit is back and better than ever!

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Gabrielle Dubland Guest Blogger on Kids Day

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Once again I feel completely blessed to be here at Project Somos.

Kids on the monkey bars

We had another Kid’s Day for the local children in Chrivabal, hosted by Southridge and Saint George’s school in Vancouver. We didn’t know how many children to expect, because it was an open invitation for all, not just for certain grades like in the past. The day -scheduled to start at 9:30- began instead at 8:50 with 38 children coming early. This was a day they weren’t about to be late to! The final count was over 150 local children with ages ranges from 2-16.

Kids lined up for the slide

The kids instantly fell in love with the playground, especially the slide, because here they don’t have the chance to play nor the resources to have a playground. For most of the children it was their first time on a slide, first time on monkey bars. And they loved it.

Me helping the two girls on the bamboo

For me personally, I have a new favourite memory. The bamboo barrier around the playground acts very well for a balance beam as well. Once the kids found out, it became all they wanted to do-walking back and forth on the bamboo. Seeing girls that needed a hand walking I helped them up and held their hand as they walked across the bamboo. At the end of the bamboo the girls, Leidi and Cindy, would yell “Otra vez!!” “Again! Again!”. So we’d walk back to the beginning and begin again. After walking back and forth about 5 times the girls tell me that its my turn. So we walk back to the beginning, and to my surprise they both took a hand and lead me along the bamboo. It is said that when you give, whether of yourself, time, money etc. you will be blessed 10x back. Well I can say the blessing came back about 100x over. And it wasn’t through money or things, it was through the simple gesture of a child, and I will never forget that.

The girls helping me on the bamboo

 

-Guest Blogger, Gabrielle Dubland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denis doing what he loves!

Group shot!

The parachute was a huge hit!

Southridge girls with some of the boys

Some boys in the playhouse

Saints boys making sock puppets for the children

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Is it Spring or is it Summer?

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

They say Summer is upon us here. I know back in Canada and the USA, everyone is excitedly anticipating the arrival of Spring. It seems that Summer is defined by the change of weather just before rainy season. It has been very hot and very dry these days. I remember it was like this last year when we had the students here.

Ready to start work the first morning!

Our 35 students and four teachers have just started their second work day. We have teams working on a variety of different projects that will help us move forward in a big way. We’ve got students digging a grey water septic field, making lamp covers for the children’s bedrooms and of course, all the things for the playground; building a big climbing mound over tubes that will have a slide, sanding and varnishing benches for the moms, preparing bamboo that will be used for swing sets, pyramid, etc.

Nico and Dora are excelling in the kitchen, working hard to prepare yummy lunches and dinners for everyone. We have two kitchen shifts each day where two students assist with all kitchen-related tasks. I know for some, this is a new experience. The rule is simple though-you eat/you help. Seems fair, don’t you think?

Dora and her kitchen team

Inventorying all the books!

Between a generous donor and Southridge schools, we now have the first 70 (YES, that’s SEVENTY!!!) children’s books in our library!!! I couldn’t be more excited! Keep ‘em coming friends!

The students are blogging about their experience here. Check out their blogs; Saints and Southridge.

Off to check on all the progress!

-Heather Alicia

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Spring Break 2013

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

Tomorrow morning we will welcome 35 Canadian students to Project Somos. They are coming to volunteer during their Spring Break for the next two weeks. This year we have 18 students from Southridge School in Surrey and 15 from Saint George’s School in Vancouver. Plus four teachers!

Spring Break 2012-Building the perimeter wall

Last year 27 amazing students came from these same two schools and built the 400 meter perimeter wall around the Children’s Village. This year, the group will be building the playground for the kids!

Last night both student groups arrived at Aurora Airport in Guatemala City and immediately made their way to Antigua. Today they are exploring Antigua in the sunshine.

Lunch in Antigua-Saints' students

Lunch in Antigua -Southridge students

Glamour Camping-minus the mattresses, bedding and pillows (still to come!)

Here on site, we are busily preparing their glamping tents (glamour camping) and readying things for their work.

Stay tuned to follow their progress here in Guatemala!

-Heather Alicia

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Hasta Pronto Mo!

Monday, March 11th, 2013

Tomorrow morning my dear friend, Maureen Cameron gets on a plane back to Canada. After three months of volunteering with us, we are all very sad to say goodbye to her.

Mo, Dad and I at our favourite coffee shop in Tecpán

I first met “Mo” back in 1988 when I attended a parenting class that she and her husband taught. Three years later she and I began working together in Wondertree’s Homelearners Network. We worked together for five years. We offered courses, put on an annual homelearners conference, published a newsletter and travelled throughout BC, meeting with homelearning families.

After we stopped working together, Maureen and I stayed close friends. Maureen is one of the most beautiful and loving women I know. I feel honoured to call her friend.

Maureen hasn’t travelled much in recent years but she was willing and excited to come to Guatemala. She came with an open mind and open heart and I believe this set the tone for her experience here. She embraced her work with such enthusiasm and flexibility. With very little Spanish, she worked alongside Nico and Dora, teaching them healthy and delicious recipes they will prepare for volunteer groups.

Cooking class

During their lively cooking classes, the fridge door would fill with dry-markered Spanish and English food words, delicious wafts of onion, garlic and ginger would fill the air and always, there was the sound of laughter as the women worked together.

No one wants to say goodbye to Maureen but the reality is, she has a life and life calls. We hope this nothing but “hasta pronto” and that we will soon see Maureen’s twinkling blue eyes and huge smile as she steps on Guatemalan soil again!

Table moving

Vaya bien Mo!

-Heather Alicia

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Beautiful Silence

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

Quiet

We are nearly two weeks out of production. The finca is basking in the beautiful silence. We are recovering. It was a full and intense number of months leading up to and during production.

Larry, Carol and Greg in Ajijic, Mexico

Greg and I have been to Mexico and back. We went to Ajijic, where we visited with our dear friends, Carol and Larry. We ate good food, shared many heartfelt conversations and we breathed in the inspiring colours and sites of Mexico.

This week we are preparing for the arrival of four schools and 55 students! They won’t all be here at the same time but will spread over a month. In preparation, we are counting beds, pillows, sheets, forks and spoons to make sure everyone has a place to sleep and something to eat with!

Maureen has been volunteering with us for the past three months. She has been working on the menu for the students and training Nico and Dora in cooking new recipes. Susan has been working closely with Jane of Stratosphere International on all the details of the students’ travel, etc. For the most part, I think everyone is feeling ready!

The students will be building the playground, planting trees and plants, painting, making lamps, etc. As always, there is no shortage of work to do around here. Greg is busy designing the stations in the playground and organizing how it will all be executed with the students on site.

The colours and inspiration of Mexico

As always, I wish I was blogging more. And as always, I am finding the days full to the brim!

-Heather Alicia

Greg and I in Mexico

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Progress

Monday, February 4th, 2013

We are still in the midst of this television project. As this happens, we continue to plug away at an array of details that need our attention. Thanks to our awesome team of volunteers, we are making progress…

-I am plugging away at the application to receive children. Because photos are needed to showcase where the kids will live, etc. I await completion of a few things

Conejo Kitchen

-Kitchens are nearing completion in both houses. Conejo’s kitchen is 95% complete. It awaits curtains on the cupboards, drawer fronts and an upper cabinet

Tortuga's Kitchen

-the kitchen in Tortuga awaits tiles on the countertops (the cabinet wood needs to dry), drawers, curtains and a couple more shelves

Bathroom sinks

One of the showers

-the bathrooms are looking awesome and only need a bit more painting, towel racks and toilet paper dispensers

-all the bedrooms, living rooms, etc. await tiles, the tiles are purchased and are waiting to be laid

Cooking Classes with Mo

-Maureen is giving cooking lessons to Nico and Dora in preparation of our March/April school groups

-paint touch ups have been done

-new beds are nearly completed for our volunteer groups

One of the light fixtures

-light fixtures are slowly being hung

-the children’s bedrooms are ready for furniture…and children!

Stay tuned for more photos and progress as it happens!

-Heather Alicia

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Lots Going On…

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

I don’t believe things have ever been busier around here…

Between our nine participants and TV crew, 14 local workers and our team of five volunteers, we are running, running, running!

A typical scene around here these days

Because we are obliged to keep quiet about the “The Project” I will not go into any details in that department. (it is exciting though!) We will continue to reveal more when we are permitted.

The majority of our guys are working with the participants. Others are working to complete the two family homes; “Conejo” and “Tortuga”.

Many of you know that we’d hoped to do compacted earth floors with linseed oil. We have experimented in one of the bedrooms and the decision was unanimous; it won’t work for us. As cool as it looks, we feel that it is too dark and a bit ugly. It could work in a small home with lots of furniture but for larger spaces we feel it would be too overwhelming.

 

Compacted earth floors with two coats of linseed oil

We are concerned that the department of children, who will be approving our application, might have concerns about it, thinking it was dirty. So…we are going to tile the house. We have already done the kitchen in Conejo and today the tile in Tortuga’s kitchen will be completed. Both look amazing and we are very happy about the choices we made.

Conejo kitchen is nearly completed and looks amazing! It’s being used by our team of volunteers and they are loving it! Light fixtures are being hung and paint is being touched up in both homes. These two places are looking more and more like homes every day!

Tortuga's kitchen tiles will be completed today

We are also preparing for March and April when we will have four different schools and 50 students coming to volunteer with us! Menus are being planned and beds are being made in preparation of their arrivals!

My godfather, Derek working on building more beds for the students

Maureen working on menu plans for the students

Step by step,

-Heather Alicia

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Guest Blogger- Maureen Cameron What Would Love Do?

Friday, January 18th, 2013

Today is Tuesday . Dawn comes fast and early at this latitude.  It is barely 6, I’ve been awake now for over an hour watching the brightening light through the curtains in my bedroom window.  The work day begins early and now the sounds begin with the dogs announcing and sometimes challenging the arrival of Maco opening the gate, the workers bundled up for the early morning cold, and the sounds of people in the house and outside beginning to move around.  The smell of coffee might be the first indication that Corey’s up and ready to go.  Last night we had our first real success at getting several of us on the internet on our individual computers, and at a good speed.  It is unpredicatable and patience is certainly called for.

As a volunteer you quickly learn that flexibility, resourcefulness and going with the flow creatively is the way for a satisfying time here.   Heather and Greg have a bumper sticker on the fridge: What Would Love Do?  I love reading that and see that it is key to how Project Somos was conceived and is being nourished.  So much is in flux and flow for us living together here, from systems for dishes, keeping food safe, cooking and cleaning chores, where does the toilet paper go? What about the chicken bones?  Who knows where the honey is?  How do we get groceries?  And my favorite from this week around the dishes: we have little light in the outdoor kitchen to know when the dishes are clean, so either we decide to do them in the morning, or as happened this week, Denis picked up a night washed pot, looked at it and begain soaping and rinsing it all over saying, it WAS clean, but now it’s “CLEANER”.

Most of the volunteers have varying degrees of Spanish fluency and the workers and crew are wanting to learn English, so there is a lot of exchange going on amidst much laughter.  Today I am off to Antigua to study at Sevilla Spanish Academy and stay with a homestay family for a few days.  I really do want to be able to have more  conversations with people so hopefully this brain with cooperate and make room for espagnol.   So my mosaic almost finished second sink will have to wait a bit…or someone else will finish it.  I will look forward to returning to the finca and everyone as it is an awesome team and yet I’m told Antigua is a great place to visit.

Love to all   Maureen-a   or MoMo  my new nickname here.

 

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Guest Blogger-Maureen Cameron

Thursday, December 27th, 2012

Hi Folks!

Me in Guatemala

Maureen Cameron here.  I arrived as a long term volunteer on Sunday December 16th from my hometown of Creston BC in Canada.

Domingo was my smiling welcoming driver from the airport and soon acquainted me with español, making me repeat everything back to him as we drove the over 2 hour trip from Guatemala City to Tecpan.  Despite the crazy…and I mean it… driving techniques of Guatemalan drivers, the rattles and creaks of the taxi and the fully armed guard at the gas station, I felt at home and taken care of.  We drove through the dark and fog into less populated areas, and I was soon aware of the cultural differences in road and house conditions, and the simple yet powerful impact of no English signage.  Domingo insisted on buying me some chocolate. So my first Guatemalan food was a Snickers Bar!

Fellow volunteer, Corey and I enjoying the sunshine

Today is day 3 and I have no doubt about coming here and committing 3 months helping Heather and Greg with all that is happening here on the ground with Project Somos. I already have so many stories and impressions to recount. Corey is here (he has a blog posting too) and there is an El Camino volunteer group here at the same time, plus Fern and Sam from Vancouver. From the first trip up to the ‘finca’  (land)  I was moved seeing the project in action: experiencing the Mayan landscape and people, watching the unfolding of the building and the teamwork, hard work and camaraderie of  workers and volunteers. I became even more aware of the complexity of the Project and the underlying respect and positive attitude that is evident here.

(Alicia) Heather and I have known each other for over 20 years, and I’ve been aware of the evolution of Project Somos since the beginning.  She always made it clear I was welcome, but the timing wasn’t right until now. We had worked together through Wondertree Homelearners Network and remained friends since then.  As Project Somos materialized I was a champion and promoter of it. This summer something changed and by the fall I knew I was ready for a more hands on experience and to find how I could fit in and help out.  One of the many strengths of this Project is that it survives and thrives on just that: people finding their place with their skills, resources and inclinations. This information is encouraged and accessible through the design of this website and the variety of ways that people can choose to support these efforts.

I want to truly thank the people in my life who have donated to both myself and to Project Somos in various ways and to those who are cheering me on and encouraging me to keep telling my part of this valuable pProject.  I am so happy to be part of the team on the ground at this time, doing whatever Alicia and Susan (Project Somos Volunteer Coordinator) put me to work on.  (be gentle eh!)

-Maureen

 

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