My project was a Buck-I-Serv trip over Spring break 2024 to Guatemala. While in Guatemala we partnered with Constru Casa, a non-profit that builds houses for families living in poverty. We worked alongside 3 local masons during our week there to perform a lot of construction work and manual labor to create a cinder block house for a young family of 5.
As someone who has traveled a lot growing up I don’t typically feel drastic culture shock in new places like this. I really enjoy new experiences and getting to interact with people living very different lives to my own. However, something that really stuck with me in Guatemala was the lack of innocence that the children possess. Many of them were walking the streets selling goods and trying to help their families early in the morning and late at night. These children were very young and if they were living in the US would have surely been in school or daycare or at home during these times. In addition a lot of the children we saw were living in impoverished areas with little to eat and no clean water to drink. We learned that 1 in 10 children in Guatemala die of a water-born illness because of this. This left us all with a deep sense of gratitude for the safety and security we had as children and still have as young adults in the US.
On the flip-side I was enthralled by the generosity and joy that the people in Guatemala had. Despite the circumstances and setbacks they were facing they were kind and friendly when we interacted on the streets, in markets, at restaurants, on the worksite. The town center was always lively. The people were proud to be Guatemalan, but above all they were hardworking people who were able to make the best of what they had and find ways to do better for themselves. I think this attitude was very encouraging and inspiring and made me want to work harder in the things I do and make sure I’m not taking for granted a lot of the opportunities I’ve been given.
One of the interactions that really stuck with me was when a group member of ours got sick and our host mother essentially dropped everything to take care of him while he was home from the worksite and made him food specifically for him. She had no hesitation and told us it was because he was her son now. She really embodied this generous spirit and modeled the way we should all try and take care of others. In addition, when we were on the worksite the family whose house we were building were there with their children everyday. The children were so eager to help and it made it that much more exciting and impactful to be a part of something that would be changing their lives. The oldest son (about 8 years old) would return from home and immediately try and grab a shovel to help mix concrete because they were so desperate to help and be a part of the action.
I think that all of these interactions and experiences on the trip have changed my perspective and outlook on life. It’s emboldened me to look for new ways to serve others and take care of the community around me, which I’m excited to pursue further with potential internships with.