OAXACA, MEXICO DIVYA DASANI, ‘17

IspentmysummerofserviceinthecolorfulcityofOaxacadeJuárez.Oaxaca

deJuárezisthecapitaloftheMexicanstateofOaxaca.ItisacitynestledhighupinthevalleysoftheSierraMadremountainranges.Itisacityknownforitsdiverseindigenousinfluences.TheseinfluencesareembeddedintothelifestyleinmanydifferentwaysfromtheuniquecraftworkandflavorfulcookingallthewaytopoliticalmessagesshowcasedinthecolorfulstreetartandloudprotestsattheZócalo.

FormytimeinOaxaca,Istayedwithasmallhostfamilyinaseparateroomthey

provided.Mygroup(Erik&Samir)andIwouldhavebreakfastwithourfamilyeverydaybeforestartingmydayatthecenterIvolunteeredat.Theirhousewaslocatednearthecenter.Everymorning,IwouldwalkupthroughthehillstoreachCentrodeEsperanza.CentrodeEsperanzaisalearningcenterthatsponsorsaboutsixhundredschoolchildren.Thesponsorshipcoversthingslikeschoolfees,supplies,uniformsandmealsforthechildren.Thechildrenareenrolledinavarietyofschoolsystems…someschoolsarelocatedwithinthecity-centerwhileothersareinneighboringvillages.

My younger hos t brother and I prepar ing to walk in a parade. My host family and I on my las t day in Oaxaca

AtthecenterIworkedprimarilywithstudentsenrolledinschoolslocatedwithin

thecity.Inthemorningwewouldworkmainlywithprimaryschoolstudents.Myresponsibilitiesincludedprovidinghomeworkhelp,translatingthechildren’ssponsorlettersfromSpanishintoEnglish,andpreparingplayfulandeducationalactivities.Often,wechosetoreadorplaygamesthatchallengedthestudentstothink.OccasionallyIhelpedoutinthekitchenwithbreakfastandlunchpreparations.Iftheweatherpermitted,wewouldalsotakethechildrentoanoldrailroadtrackthathadbeenconvertedtoamuseumandaplayground.Thechildrenlovedspendingsometimeattheplayground.

A l i tt le p lay. ..a l i tt le yoga.

A group picture on my las t day .

Reading with Rocio

Afterthemorningsession,Erik,Samir,andIwouldgrabaquickbiteatSeñoraPatricia’ssmallcafé.WecameacrossSeñoraPatricia’srestaurantonourveryfirstday.Wehadsuchawonderfulexperienceonourfirstdaybecauseshetreateduswithsuchrespectandcompassion.Asaresult,wedecidedtoeatlunchathercaféeveryday.

SeñoraPatriciatookcareofuslikewewereherownchildren.AfterfindingoutIwasavegetarian,shewouldpreparemespecialmealsbecauseshewantedmetohaveahealthymealatleastonceduringmyday.IthinkmyfavoritethingaboutSeñoraPatriciawashoweasilyherpassionandloveforcookingcouldbefeltsimplybytakingabiteoutofoneofhersavorydishes.

Señora Patr icia and I at her restaurant

One of Señora Patr icia's d ishes

Intheafternoons,Itutoredsecondaryanduniversityschoolchildren.Thetutoring

sessionsmainlyfocusedonteachingEnglish.ItutoredstudentswitharangingbackgroundinEnglish.Myfavoritepartaboutmytutoringsessionswashearingaboutmystudents’backgroundstoriesandinspirationsbehindlearningEnglish.Oneofmyuniversitystudents,Karla(picturedtotheleft),hadadreamofworkinginafieldinvolvinginternationalrelations.ShelovedlearningaboutothercountriessoIoftenstructuredmylessonsinawaythatwouldhelphercommunicatewithforeignersandlearnabouttheircountries.Ihadtwootherstudents,JoseandKarla,whodescribedtheirdreamsaboutjoiningthearmy.KarlaexplainedhowbeingabletocommunicateinEnglishwouldbeextremelyimportantandhelpfultoherwhensheapplied,

especiallysinceshewantedworkintheAirForce.Lateronduringmysummerofservice,mygroupandIaddedonasecondservice

site.AtthissitewetaughtEnglishtosinglemothers.Thecenterprovidedtheselessonstomothersforfree.Manytimestheywouldalsoworkoutwaystoaccommodatetransportationforthemotherswhootherwisemaynotbeabletoaffordit.IhadtheopportunitytoteachRefugio(picturedtotheright).RefugioisaverylovingmotherwhowantedtolearnEnglishsothatshecouldbettercommunicatewithhercustomers.RefugioisaseamstressandsinceOaxacaCityhasalargetouristpopulation,sheoftenfindsherselfhavingtocommunicateinEnglish.Sheexplained

howlearningEnglishwouldbeextremelyhelpfulincases,forinstance,whereshemakescustomizedorders.

Therewasonethingthatsurprisedmequiteabit.Foracitywithstrong

politicalviewsandareputationofstartingheatedprotests,thenumberofsmilesIencounteredhardlyeverrevealedthebrutalrealitiesthatmanynativesexperience.Evenwhilevolunteeringatthechildren'scenter,Inevercouldhaveimaginedthetypesofharshlivessomeofthechildrenexperience.Myfirstrealizationofthevaluethesesmilesheldwaswhilewalkingbacktomyhomeinthepouringrainoneevening.Itwaseleveno'clockatnightandtherewasthis8-year-oldboywhowasstillinhisschooluniformtryingtosellsomehandmadeshawlstoanyonewalkingby.ThatboywasIshmael.ThesameIshmaelwhocametothecenterthatmorningsmilingandcontinuedtosmileevenafterbeingscoldedfornotfinishinghishomework.Neveroncedidhelethissmilerevealthatheprobablycouldn'tfinishhishomeworkbecausehewasouttryingtomakeasaleuntilwhoknowswhattime.Forgetabouthishomework,Ishmaelprobablydidn'tevenhavemuchtimetosleepatnight.But,hissmilenevercomplainedaboutthis. Shortlyafterthatpoint,Ibecameawareofalotoftherealitiesofthechildrenatthecenter.FromLuisMarioandJuanitowhohadgoneintohidingforthreemonthsbecausetheyneededtorunfromtheirfathertoMagdalenawhogoestosleephungryinabedwithherdyinggrandfatherbecauseherfamilyhasonlytwobedstwosharebetweenfivepeopleandnomoneytobuyfood.Allthechildren,regardlessoftheconditionstheyseemtoface,hardlyevermissedanopportunitytosmile.IthinkthattrulybecamethemostimportantlessonOaxacagaveme.Thechildrenatthecentershowedmehowimportantsmilingcanbe.

Juanito ( lef t) and Luis Mario ( r ight ) smil ing and mult ip lying

Dedicatingthenextcouplepagestosmiling…

Magdalena complet ing a puzz le Salsa lessons with Javier

Smil ing because that ’s his Lego tower

Luis smil ing at the thought of touching the sky

Our day at the fer rocarr il

Packing sugar to be used the k itchen

Lifecanbequitedifficultattimes.Idon'tthinkanypartofthisworldisexemptfromatleastalittleharshreality.Someplacesandthepeopletheremayhavedifferentsetsofhardshipsthanotherplaces,butregardlessofwhereyouareIthinkhavingtofacelifeduringadifficultphasecanbequitedaunting.Itmightevenfeellikethereisnohope.ButwhatIthinkmadeOaxacasospecialformewasseeinghowtheOaxaqueñosreallyembodythisideathatnomatterwhatobstaclemightbeahead,itdoesn'thavetotakeawayfromanopportunitytoenjoylife.Evenifsomethingseemstrivialitdoesn'tmatter.Ifitmakesyousmile,thencelebrateit.Whetherit'sthroughaparadeoralaugh,justcelebrateit.Itisthroughthisactionofsmilingandcelebratingthelittlemomentsoflifethatwecanbuildupourcourageandabilitytofacethatdauntingrealityaheadofus. DuringmytimeinOaxacaIfoundhowasmiletrulyholdsaspecialstrength.Thatstrengthisendurance.Theendurancetonotonlywithstandandcopewithourdifficulties,butalsotofindwaystoenjoylife,eventhebrutalpartsofit.