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.