Today we continued our work with the Dream Project. Upon arriving in Barrio Blanco, the group split into two parts – one working with the kids in the school and the other working on the bookshelves. The group that worked with the kids focused on helping them create a dreamcatcher. Many of the kids were extremely dedicated to the project and put a lot of effort into perfecting it, resulting in a final project that they were proud to show off to the rest of the class and their parents. Though I was not in this group (I worked with the bookshelves) I could see relationships starting to form between the kids and the AB group. Some of the people who worked with the kids both yesterday and today said how bonded to the kids they felt already, validating our work with the Dream Project. If the AB group can form close connections with the community, maybe our time there will have a long-lasting impact. The group that went to the bookshelves had to first scrape off the excess glue from the day before, then remove any dirt that was stuck, and finally paint the shelves. The first two tasks did not take very long to complete, but the third took us through the rest of the day. We had a few paint colors to work with, but we made many more through color combinations. After all of the bookshelves had a base coat of paint, we started making designs. One of the Dream Project employees started drawing flowers, cars, and other fun shapes onto the bookshelves so we had an outline to paint by. About halfway through painting designs, a few older kids wandered by and asked to help. Even without sharing a language, it was very easy to communicate with them about which colors should go where. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by how artistic they were: they easily stayed within the lines on each painting and picked out a variety of vibrant colors for each bookshelf. I can’t wait to give them bookshelves out tomorrow and see how the kids react!
I love how close-knit the Barrio Blanco community is. Everyone wanders around freely and is so welcoming that kindness and warmth seem to be the norm, not the exception. Over the past two days I have seen countless examples of this. From people shouting “Moto moto!” when a motorcycle is about to fly down the street, to when mothers go chasing after toddlers that aren’t their own, Barrio Blanco is a community that looks about for its members in a way I have never before witnessed. Sure, in America we have some values and show a basic level of care for people that aren’t our responsibility, but Barrio Blanco has taken the word “community” to a whole new level – to me, they seem more like a family.
-Mara L.
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