Throughout my field experience I wrote thoughts, reflections and observations, in a personal journal, I felt were interesting and important. Here are some of these reflections:
The first was the incredible kindness and humility. In the community of Chilan-balan where we stayed for two days and installed panels I met Elisabeth, a mother of 4 children lives in a one-bedroom household. They have two beds, one for the kids and one for Elisabeth and her husband. The moment Maddie and I arrived to Chilan-balan she welcomed us into her home and treated us like queens. Without a second thought she offered us her bed for the night, leaving her and her husband to sleep on a hammock for the night after a long day of work in the field. After installing panels all day, she prepared dinner for us, which I could only imagine would leave her family with less to eat that week.
“Why is it that we who have so much often have so much trouble sharing? Why is it that with all the free time we have we don’t volunteer or do acts of charity as frequently? Privilege I suppose… I can’t choose the family I was born with, but I can definitely fulfill my responsibility to giveback, and hopefully make a better impact on the less fortunate. We think we know so much because we have a formal education, but there is so much that we can learn from these indivduals.”
The second was sanitary habits. Clearly influenced from my privileged perspective and my own experiences, I observed that the living situations were less than ideal and probably unhealthy at times, yet everyone seemed blissfully unaware. Washing your hands before a meal is not a habit. They often slept with their animals, which can’t be good either, they have fleas! On one hand, it’s almost beautiful to live unaware of everything that can harm you, worry free. On the other it doesn’t seem fair that I complain about having to go to class quite often and I have the opportunity to learn, when these individuals don’t always have that option.
“Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this? Don’t they know if you don’t wash your hands you’ll have bacteria? This pig is so cute!…wait jk it probably has never been washed… are they eventually going to eat this?…What if it isn’t clean!? I guess education is more valuable than what you read in a textbook, if these individuals were never taught something then it’s not their fault. Governments should definitely fund more education programs… and get concrete floors for everyone. Is it right that I impose my thoughts or way of doing things to someone who lives in an entire different culture? Is my way doing things even right all the time.”
The third was how important the work ILUMÉXICO is doing is. The thorough and detailed time the community engineers take to install the panels, interact with the community, build relationships and explain their work and how solar home systems work is absolutely incredible.
“It’s quite difficult to imagine and describe what it’s like to live without energy, let alone something as basic as light. Could you imagine living 70 years without light and then one day someone brings it to you. I watched that! It was amazing!
It’s like if someone told you unicorns existed but you’d never seen one, only heard, dreamt and read about them and then one day BAM someone walks into your house with a unicorn. Your world is literally turned upside down and the possibilities suddenly become infinite. That is what ILUMÉXICO does on a daily basis! Giving individuals tons of opportunities by providing light. I think that is just so beautiful, being able to give someone opportunities they could only dream of before.
It was through this fellowship experience that not only did I reflect a lot about life, privilege, solidarity, social justice, but also I realized a lot about myself and what I want to do. In short I discovered three things about myself: I’m a problem solver, I like a good challenge, but even more I love finding solutions. I enjoy working and interacting with others, I need to interact with people, because it gives me life, and it allows me to learn. I love to travel and experience different cultures and traditions, Santa Clara is a bubble, and there is a big world out there with a lot to teach and offer, and I enjoy discovering it little by little.