Information Addict - Canton Sacpulup

My favorite image of yesterday: Johnny wedged in the back of a pick-up truck, surrounded by a gaggle of giggling school kids hanging on to the tailgate as we wound our way up a steep dirt road, a rolling green valley behind him.

We were on a field visit to several Friendship Bridge clients in an area called Canton Sacpulup, 35 minutes -- in the back of a picop -- from the main highway (Chupol) in the Chichicastenango department. We had risen early (5:30!) to make our way there, catching a chicken bus that was featuring ABBA's Greatest Hits. Half-way through "Dancing Queen," Johnny and I looked at one another and said, "Is this for real? Are we dreaming?"

Canton Sacpulup is one of the more remote areas we've been to so far, and we were more of a novelty than usual. As we made our way to the house where the first meeting would take place, a small herd of kids formed and followed us all the way there, laughing and staring.

The homes were made of mud with metal roofs, and as usual there were plenty of chickens clucking about with their chicks, dogs napping and scratching (ohmygodpleasedon'tgetyourfleasonme), and floppy-eared pigs tied around the ribs with rope. (Yep, I am still a vegan at heart).

In this area they speak Quiche, one of 22+ Mayan languages in Guatemala. The groups were lively, laughing, asking lots of questions and telling stories -- I could catch the gist of the conversations (Spanish words and phrases were thrown in here and there), but of course I wished I could communicate with them more directly. Johnny was a big hit with all the ladies, as usual, and helped out as the official photographer.

All Friendship Bridge meetings include an informal educational workshop, and this one focused on how to save money in simple ways, like conserving water and electricity, reducing cell phone use (yes, most have cell phones), making fresh food instead of buying junk, and investing in chickens, pigs and other animals for long-term savings. We calculated how much money could be saved by not buying liters of soda once a week (about 3,600 quetzales a year, roughly $400!) and set a savings goal of 5 quetzales a week ($0.63)

Interviewing the president of the Trust Bank, with help from a translator.

During the soda discussion, one woman who was probably in her 20's raised her hand with a question: "When I drink soda, it's brown," she said. "But when I go to the bathroom, it's clear. What happens to the color?" The loan officer quickly explained the important role of kidneys.

The question struck me. First of all, good for her for asking! I also wondered how long she had been pondering this phenomena. Regardless of how much education we are fortunate enough to receive, we humans are curious creatures and there is always something new to discover about the world around us. When I'm curious about something, I plug it into Google (from my home computer or smart phone) and have a wealth of answers at my finger tips in an instant. This woman may have been waiting the entire month for her loan repayment meeting to ask her question.

For the rural population of Guatemala (a majority of the country), information is ellusive. Computers and Internet access are mysterious, not to mention inaccessible and expensive. Most people are too occupied with work to spend time reading, and again don't have access to libraries, books or money to buy the paper (assuming they can read Spanish). There's the radio, and there's word-of-mouth. Among the women I interviewed in this area, 8th grade was the most education they had received. Many of the clients had not attended school at all.

Street in Canton Sacpulup

Not having received an education doesn't mean you aren't smart in other ways, of course. Let's see me try to raise a chicken, weave a blanket or find a plant to cure what ails you... It is agonizing, though, to see unfulfilled curiosity, the thirst to learn that goes unquenched. As a child of the Internet age, an "information addict," it's hard for me to imagine what life would be like without access to a computer, to the internet, to books, magazines, newspapers...

I think of the times I felt in the dark about something or out of my league. When I felt unsure, I could research and prepare. I realize -- and am grateful for -- everything I do have stuffed in my brain, and I definitely feel lucky -- not only for my education, but also for this easy, frequent access to information.

Chicks!

Cara and Johnny in Canton Sacpulup, just before hopping a pick-up truck back to the highway. 

Permission to miss the great photograph

I´ve been taking plenty of pictures of our adventures and life in Guatemala, driven by the desire to capture the memories, the essence of the place... perhaps to prove to my incredulous kids someday that their parents used to be cool. Especially when traveling, I tend to get hung-up in the pursuit of the great photo, the one that is artistic, that tells a story. The one that could easily be featured in, say, National Geographic, if I only cared to submit it.

As I lamented to my friend Shannon, (who is a real photographer), what I most want to photograph here are the people: the women in colorful, mismatched woven huipiles (blouses) and cortes (skirts), their waists cinched tight with a hand-woven belt, elegantly balancing goods on their heads; the impossible loads of firewood strapped to the backs of old men, pulled with a strap around the forehead; the exquisite babies with big brown eyes staring out; the nonchalant men with machetes; the bored shop keepers snoozing in their stalls; the gold-studded grins of people with hearts and stars drilled into their front teeth for decoration; pretty much anything happening on a chicken bus ride.

The problem is that I feel disrespectful taking pictures of people as they go about their daily lives. I think to myself, how would I feel if everyday on my lunch break in downtown Denver, there were tourists sneaking photos of me going about my business? (Maybe pleased with my outfits at first, but probably annoyed shortly thereafter).

Given Guatemala´s relatively recent political history, with its persecution and disappearances, I wonder if there aren´t those who are genuinely suspicious, uncomfortable or afraid having their likeness captured by a stranger. Even in group meetings for my volunteer work, after everyone has signed a photo release and understands why I am taking a photo, I often find that their smiling, happy faces quickly turn grim when the camera is pointed at them.

Though I feel frustrated by my lack of portraits, I am letting go of this desire to capture everything. I had to sit myself down and decide that being respectful of privacy and culturally sensitive is a greater priority than my future coffee table book. I´ve given myself permission to miss the great photograph. 

 This is also a moment to reflect upon my own behavior, my near-addiction to "media" and the extremely camera-happy culture in which I live at home.There´s a pervasive habit of documenting our existence down to the minute, and a constant urge to take pictures of everything. I love looking through old photos, and sometimes snapping that picture of a delightful lunch or a simple moment with friends is a way to appreciate it, show gratitude. Other times, the camera-slinging gets in the way of being present.

I´m still sneaking in some people-pictures here and there, so please forgive my hastily framed, slightly blurry photos of people´s backs... that´s the best I can do for a compromise.If they aren´t perfect, or if I don´t get them at all, I´m finally ok with it.

Monterrico - Our trip to the playa

Casita de Monterrico

We spent the weekend on the coast with friends from Johnny´s Spanish school. The founders of the school, who had recently celebrated their anniversary, decided to join us for some R&R on the black sands of Monterrico.

Getting our dose of fruit at "Johnny´s Place"

The trip centered around relaxing, getting tossed about by the strong waves (Johnny came home with bruises), trying every licuado (fruit smoothie) on the menu at Johnny´s Place and sweating.

We got up early for a boat ride at the Nature Reserve, a mangrove marsh full of "four-eyes fish" and swopping egrets. At 5:30 in the morning, we paddled through the calm waters for a nice dose of nature, along with the fisherman who work the fresh and salty waters.

Another highlight of the trip: the pineapple truck! You can buy three amazingly tasty pineapples for 10Q (just over $1). The vendor quickly cuts it for you, turning the green top into a handle for chowing down. Pineapple drumstick!

Johnny also made friends with a rather large pelican...

 See all the photos here.

 

Sunset on the black sandy beach.

Getting around the field

On Monday, Johnny and I took the bus to Chimaltenango, not far from Antigua, for a follow up interview with a Friendship Bridge/Kiva client. 

Typically, I get myself to the general area where the clients meet, then meet up with the group´s loan officer who takes us "in." We´ve walked up steep trails, puttered and buzzed in tuc tucs, taken microbuses and vans and piled in the back of pick up trucks (called picops). 

Monday was the first time I hopped on a motorcycle. Don´t tell Dad.

Cruisin´ with Oswaldo in Chimal. Earning my investment in travel insurance.

Part of this client´s daily walk home in Xela

Tuc tuc

How to support the women of Guate

Trust Bank members in Chimaltenango

Friends and family have asked how to support the women and Trust Bank groups I´ve been lucky enough to meet. There are a couple ways:

1. Make a donation to Friendship Bridge. Based in Denver, they provide an impactful combination of microcredit and education to Guatemalan women. I´ve been pleased to find that they have an excellent reputation in the field and here in Guatemala.
2. Become a lender on Kiva.org. Kiva connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. They leverage the internet to let individuals like yourself lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. A worldwide network of partner institutions, called Field Partners, are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans. Friendship Bridge is a Kiva Field Partner. 

On a field visit in Patzun with loan officer Francisca. 

I am growing out my bangs. Sigh.

You can lend directly to a Friendship Bridge client through the Kiva site by searching for "Friendship Bridge" in the Choose a Borrower search, or you can search by country (Guatemala) and look for the Friendship Bridge logo in the loan description.

For example, the "Uvas Group" (The grapes! What a name...) is a Friendship Bridge client currently listed on Kiva.org that needs funding. 

(Click here to see their profile and lend).  Good news... looks like this loan has been funded!

Kiva lending is unique and fun (even addictive) because you learn about the individual who receives your loan contribution. You have a sense of connection to that person. And remember, this is a loan, not a donation. Bit by bit, your money is repaid.

During the loan cycle, you will receive an update on how the client´s business is doing and the impact the loan has had on her life. This follow up is written by a person such as myself, who attends a loan repayment/educational meeting and interviews the client directly.

Cara interviewing a Trust Bank president in Xela.

The clients I have interviewed so far have already received their loan disbursement for this cycle, and are typically one or two payments from completing their loan payments. The write ups I composed after the interviews are posted to their client profiile and emailed to the lenders who funded that loan (as far as I can tell, you cannot read them on the Kiva site). 

However, many of the clients  I met plan to participate in another loan cycle once theirs concludes, which means they will likely reappear on the Kiva website.

In the coming months, keep an eye out for these Trust Bank groups in Guatemala:

• Mujeres Activas
• Mujeres Chimaltecas
• Las Princesas
• Las Orquideas
• Las Claveles Rojas

And of course, there are many many worthy groups and individuals around the world to be found on Kiva.org, so feel free to lend to whoever inspires you. 

My experience working with Friendship Bridge and Kiva has only solidified my faith in the effectiveness of microcredit lending as a tool to alleviate poverty. I´m a believer!

P.S. If you decide to lend, I would love it if you´d leave a comment below.

related post: Microfinance and a free Kiva trial

Generals, genocide and documentary footage

Last Friday, former dictator General Efrain Rios Montt was sentenced to 80 years for genocide and crimes against humanity. This is an historic verdict: the first time a former head of state was convicted in his own country for such crimes. It also has potential implications for the current president:

"There is serious evidence that the current president, the former military commander Otto Pérez Molina, who took office in January 2012, may have been involved in the same mass killings for which General Ríos Montt has now been convicted." - NY Times

There are many layers to this tale, from the CIA's involvement in the coup that overthrew the president in 1954 to documentary footage shot in the early '80´s by an American filmmaker which was later used as evidence in the trial.

Before we came to Guatemala, many people recommended the film When the Mountains Tremble as a valuable introduction to the years of civil war that scarred this country. (We got it on Netflix and watched, and got nervous about our trip...).

The "sequel," a documentary called Granito, tells the story of  how out takes from the 1983 documentary provided key evidence for bringing the indictment. The filmmaker literally went digging through old footage from decades before and uncovered key interviews and other evidence that built the case for genocide.

It is available to view in its entirety until May 25 on PBS.org. It is fascinating how footage from decades before has come back to haunt the present day. Anyone interested in film production will especially appreciate this. I hope you will all make time to watch.

Watch Granito: How to Nail a Dictator - Trailer on PBS.

Watch Granito: How to Nail a Dictator in full until May 25 on PBS.

Dig further into the drama with this read: 

Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala. 

'"Bitter Fruit" is a comprehensive and insightful account of the CIA operation to overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954. First published in 1982, this book has become a classic, a textbook case of the relationship between the United States and the Third World. The authors make extensive use of U.S. government documents and interviews with former CIA and other officials. It is a warning of what happens when the United States abuses its power." - Goodreads.com

Microfinance and a free Kiva trial

Since we came to Panajachel, I have been working with an international non-profit NGO called Friendship Bridge (Puente de Amistad), which provides microcredit and education to Guatemalan women so that they can create their own solutions to poverty for themselves, their families, and their communities. They have several offices throughout Guatemala and are headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado.

Friendship Bridge has a partnership with Kiva, a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva leverages the internet (crowd sourcing) and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, to let individuals like yourself lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world (pick Guatemala!).

This video from Kiva does a good job of explaining it in a nutshell.



A few years ago, my boss Sue gave me and my co-workers each a Kiva gift certificate for the holidays, and since then I have been hooked on Kiva lending (thanks, Sue!).

If you´ve never tried it, I highly recommend you give it a go. An anonymous donor is currently offering a free trial to new donors so you can try Kiva for free. You get $25 to make a loan free of charge. Your $25 will be disbursed to a business owner, who will repay it to the sponsor. If you want to put up your own dinero, the repayment comes back to you.

I´m so grateful to have the opportunity to support these two very fine, very effective organizations. I am responsibe for visiting Friendship Bridge/Kiva clients at their repayment meetings where I conduct follow-up interviews (in Spanish or with a translator who speaks their Mayan language), and drafting the stories that are then posted to the Kiva website and sent to those who helped to fund the loan (That could be you! Just sayin'...).

Interviewing clients in Chichicastenango. My shirt makes me look like a missionary.

This charge has taken me to more off-the-beaten path areas that I otherwise would not get to see, and of course, brings me face-to-face with amazing women who have made tremendous strides in improving their lives. So far I have met with six groups in Quetzaltenango, Patzun and Patzicia (Chimaltenango) and Canton Patzibal (Chichicastenango), and the experience has made a believer out of me: microcredit combined with education makes a real difference.