A Virtuous Cycle: Pedro and Manuel’s Project in Xesiguan

By Michael Bakal

 When sharing the work of Voces y Manos, we’ve tended to highlight students’ accomplishments: PowerPoint presentations, tree planting projects, and community gardens. But behind each of these achievements are hundreds of hours of work in the classroom and the field. The outcomes are impressive, but the magic is in the quotidian. What does a typical day working with students look like? Michael’s blog below describes his experience accompanying students Pedro and Manuel during their community interviews:

The essence of Voces y Manos’ youth leadership program can be distilled to a single event: A team of two Rabinal teenagers plus one Voces y Manos volunteer approaches a home in Rabinal and calls out: “Buenas Tardes! Do you have a few moments to speak with us?” The ensuing community interviews are a springboard for the student projects that will follow. More than just an opportunity to collect information, community interviews generate trust between students and their community.  They provide a chance for students to demonstrate their commitment and responsibility to their neighbors; they are a rite of passage, of sorts.

In the case of Pedro and Manuel, the two students I am working with this year, it is a 45 minute ride of passage; a 45 minute uphill cycle to Pedro and Manuel’s home town of Xesiguan, followed by a 30 minute hike to the center of the community.

At 11:00 AM, I met Manuel and Pedro in the center of Rabinal for a quick lunch of eggs, beans, and tortillas. We then jumped on our bikes (I recently splurged on a used, lime-green 18 speed) and headed up the mountain. By the time we got to the community, we were all exhausted. We chugged down every drop of water in my 32-ounce container in about 30 seconds.

Xesiguan is a close-knit community of just over 1,000 residents, most of whom Pedro and Manuel know personally. With limited access to land, and even fewer opportunities for employment, many in Xesiguan are forced to cut and sell firewood to earn a living.  The resulting deforestation is apparent, as Pedro pointed out from atop a Xesiguan hillside.

After introducing themselves and briefly explaining the Voces y Manos Program, Manuel would open the interviews by asking (sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in Maya-Achí), “Is deforestation a problem in your community?” The most common response was, “Yes, deforestation is a problem, but what else can we do? We need firewood to live!”

As Pedro furiously took notes Manuel would proceed, “So, do you think deforestation is a problem that can be solved?” Here, the consensus seemed to be that deforestation could not be fixed easily, but could at least be offset by planting trees. When Manuel mentioned the idea of planting fruit trees, excitement instantly appeared on faces of community members. “Now that’s a great idea!” one middle-aged father said. Manuel built on his excitement: “It would be a double benefit, improving nutrition, while also addressing deforestation!” In the end, men, women, young and old all expressed their enthusiastic support for Pedro and Manuel’s project, “Héchenle ganas jóvenes! (Give it all you’ve got, guys!)”

At the end of the day, Manuel was bursting with enthusiasm, “I loved the way the community responded! They motivated us, and they were all happy to participate in our project!” I told Manuel and Pedro that the day’s work reminded me of a story recounted by Martin Luther King Junior about an elderly woman who participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  When asked how she felt after the long walk to work she said, “My feet are tired, but my soul is rested.” As I finished the story, I wondered whether its meaning had been lost in translation. I was pleased to see it seemed to resonate: “Yeah, that’s exactly how we feel!” Pedro said.  Manuel added, “Our bodies are tired, but we are satisfied knowing that we are helping our community.”