Month: October 2019

by Ann Yancey, Tufts Civic Semester Participant

I am truly in love with Peru. As much as I miss the comforts of having parents to come home to that understand without me having to explain, being able to take a car to the grocery store, coming home to my own bed at night, and getting to see my sister’s face every day, I’m already dreading saying goodbye to this place and the people that make it so special. However, I have my host-family and the women at Tika (my placement) to thank for making this place feel like home.

Thus far during my time at Tika, I’ve brought new ideas to the organization; however, I’ve undoubtedly received more from working alongside Guadalupe, Mari, Maribel, and Rosi than I could possibly give. In a tangible sense, I’ve learned how to weave (a little bit), and the small amount that I’ve improved is due only to my inability to retain the process, rather than a lack of hours that the women at Tika have dedicated to teaching me. From a philosophical perspective, I’m learning that being hardworking while remaining flexible and relaxed is possible. I struggle to balance work and relationships but the women at Tika always take time in their busy days to sit, talk, laugh, and share a meal together. Furthermore, I’ve learned how to be genuinely hospitable, making guests from any place feel welcome and treating strangers with love and compassion. One day, when a family of tourists from Germany came into the store, sick with food poisoning, Guadalupe forewent her usual demonstration so that she could prepare a medicinal tea for the customers and give them head massages that they swore healed them. In addition, my coworkers have effortlessly shown me how to care about understanding a person for who they are, rather than where or what they come from. From my first day my coworkers were eager to teach me about their histories and weaving processes, so I would feel like part of the family. They engaged me in conversations, asking me about my opinions and experiences here. However, they didn’t ask me about my biological family or life in the U.S. until they got to know me as a person. With time, they showed interest in my life at home, but it felt nice to first be understood in an individual way. Finally, Guadalupe, Mari, Maribel and Rosi are the most generous people that I have ever known. They have a passion for teaching and sharing with others, yet they never expect anything in return. I won’t try to begin describing the countless cultural experiences that these women have shared with me.

In terms of what I’ve been able to return to the women at Tika, I’ve established an inventory system using an Excel spreadsheet to make this collection system easier and more sustainable for future use – given that taking inventory by hand monthly is too time-consuming for the busy lives that the women at Tika lead. Furthermore, I’ve begun making a website for the business, on which I’ll post photos that I take of the women and my Tufts peers this weekend; I think my coworkers are really excited for this, as it will provide publicity for their business. Finally, I hope to create price tags for the items at Tika, to dissuade customers from bargaining, because the products are already very fairly priced. However, when I think of what I’ve given and received during my time at Tika, the contrast in the value of these things is obvious. While the contributions I’ve made are useful for the company, they’re all material. In contrast, I’ve received lifelong lessons from my coworkers. Accepting the reality that I’m the true beneficiary in this situation, I can only hope that genuine reciprocity will result from the friendships that my coworkers and I have developed.

Each day that I have the opportunity to work alongside these incredible women at Tika, our relationships grow, and the amount of time that we spend laughing increases. Over time, the trust that I’ve developed with my coworkers has led me to open up about some of my most vulnerable personal struggles, which for the first time in my life, I’ve found shockingly easy to share. Mari has a unique ability to empathize and make one feel loved without saying a word;  Maribel effortlessly makes me feel completely understood before I even open my mouth to express myself or share an experience. Guadalupe and Rosi have a contagious laughter that makes those around them feel instantly comfortable and included, and they never pass up an opportunity to initiate a good, shared laugh. In return, my coworkers (and trusted friends) have been generous in sharing their own challenging pasts; yet in spite of each of the difficulties that they’ve faced, they are such joyous, appreciative, selfless people.

If I could go back and thank my past self for deciding to press the “send” button on that email to Jessye and Mindy that confirmed my decision to participate in this program, I would – a million times over. Again, I am truly in love with Peru, and I simply cannot think about saying goodbye to this place and these people; I’m already planning out a return visit here – maybe even as a temporary place of residence. While I have loved every hike that we’ve taken as a group, and I wouldn’t trade the incredible daily views that come with living in the Sacred Valley, it is truly the people that make this place so special; I especially have Guadalupe, Rosi, Maribel, and Mari to thank.

Originally posted here.

by Jason, Tufts Civic Semester Participant

When I asked Julio what problems existed on the farm he answered with a simple “we don’t have problems, only opportunities”. The journey of my internship, and any internship, is to create space for future opportunities for yourself. Working with experts and finding mentors develops knowledge and passion for any given field. In my case, I am here to directly learn from Eco-Huella and the Nina siblings themselves. I aim to develop my knowledge and skills in the field of sustainable agriculture, but there is another purpose of my presence here: sharing my perspective. I did not realize this until I was given permission to realize it, when Raquel (our Dragons instructor) visited my placement and facilitated a discussion with Julio regarding our goals and his expectations. Julio said something along the lines of “I want you to start sharing your opinion more, because I value every outside perspective I can get”. I felt surprised, because I thought I had so much more to learn before my perspective became valuable. I thought that my work ethic was the only thing I had to offer. Now, in fact immediately after he said that, I was more encouraged to even just ask questions. I had permission to be less polite and more inquisitive, which he values. So will the farm.

Over the course of the last three weeks I have gotten more comfortable with Eco-Huella. More specifically (and importantly), I have developed bonds with my co-workers. Manuel and I debate the pros and cons of Nuclear energy and the best path forward to fight climate change; Yoel and I share jokes and nick-names and many hours in the invernadero (greenhouse) pulling weeds and planting seeds; and Jessye Nina (Julio’s sister) has become a caring mentor to Yong Quan and I both. This means that going to work is less about watching and listening closely as they show us what to do and when to do it and more about trying to understand the deeper operations of the farm (understanding why they do things).

When I asked Julio what sort of problems he had, I asked the wrong question. To a man like him, that question immediately puts things in a negative context. Instead, I have learned to ask about what is difficult (i.e. an obstacle that will be overcome). Today I asked Jessye this question while we ate at Nuna Raymi, the upscale restaurant in Cusco at which all of the vegetables are supplied by Eco-Huella (yes I remember picking those exact leaves of lechuga). She answered in a serious manner, explaining the difficulty in keeping track of how much they were producing and planting, and that the ordering system (by restaurants) could be drastically improved from what it is now (a simple list sent via Whatsapp). It began to pour out of her, and I could tell that this was something she thought about every single day.

Again, these are opportunities. “Maybe”, I found myself thinking, “I could help with this”. In this manner I have started to find a balance between learning and sharing my perspective productively. It’s satisfying. Allow me to clarify: I still believe my primary purpose is to learn and improve myself, because they would do fine without me, but now I feel like more of a part of the team and that means that this internship now feels like a real job. One that I’m motivated and excited to produce for. And so I am immersed in Julio’s world of opportunities. My co-workers are, and always will be, my guides.

Originally posted here.