This week all UK volunteers had the pleasure of a homestay for two days in the houses of our national counterparts, in the rural, mountainous village of La Asomada. Here is a small insight into a fantastic opportunity we had to truly become immersed into their rural community.
Emma: the female perspective of life in La Asomada:
The moment I stepped over the threshold into the house of my national counterpart, Maryuri Sarahi Argueta, all my previous fears of language barriers and a different way of life were put at ease. They welcomed me into their lives with open arms, and made every effort to make me feel at home. The family own a corner shop, or a 'Pulperia', as it is known in Honduras. As they go about their daily tasks, people from the village pop over in order to pick up basic products. It was interesting to witness the blurring of lines between both roles of working and home life. I soon learnt that food lies at the heart of the family. The exotic aromas and colours of the family's cooking followed me around the house for the duration of my stay. I learnt about the process where products are prepared from their most natural, basic form, and transformed into a steaming hot plate of food on the table. For example, small grains of maize go through a vigorous and lengthy process of drying, washing and boiling, before they are taken to someone in the village who has a small machine, which can grind the product into flour. I will forever hold an everlasting appreciation for the skill involved in preparing the dough, and the effort taken to delicately shape it into soft tortillas. As well as cooking, I also ventured into the natural surroundings of La Asomada. I will never tire of gazing on the natural backdrop of the village; wherever you turn huge mountains soar up into the sky, decorated with lush greenery.
A trip to the village's source of water provided a real insight into their dependency upon this erratic supply. We witnessed a carefully crafted waterfall which tumbled down into La Asomada, with many man-made efforts built into various points in order to stabilise the system. The natural bounty of fruits and vegetables surround the landscape; the national volunteers showed us trees full of mangoes, avocados, coffee, plantain, and many other exotic fruits. It is normal for the nationals to pick these delicious treats to snack on during their walk home.
It was beautiful to witness the abundance of community spirit in La Asomada; all the inhabitants seem to know each other, and were interested in the welfare of their neighbours. This is something which I would love to experience in England, where my local city is too big to see many friendly faces.
Ben: the male perspective of life in La Asomada:
The first time I entered a Honduran household, I was at once taken aback by the warmth and hospitality of the inhabitants within. My friend Nefi, a nineteen year old local from the community, was kind enough, along with his entire family, to take me in for a period of two days. I have found, in this time, that there exists a different way of life, which is incomparable to the British lifestyle. Apart from the obvious differences such as the style of Honduran rural homes, the natural landscape etc, the people here live their lives in a uniform way. The men who farm have their work dictated by the seasons, whereas the women are constantly on task, working over a hot stove in the kitchen, sweeping the interior of the house, or attending to the children.
Nefi has guided me all over the local area, throughout the hills and the mountains. The most intriguing of our many walks so far has been through his family's land. He showed me in detail the work zones, described in Spanish how the work is completed, and also explained the differences in farming practices. As I stood there between coffee plants and sugar canes, I couldn't help but admire the many men farming, hard at work in the excruciating heat, with no shade at all, hacking away at weeds with overwhelmingly long machetes. On finishing a day's work, cutting, thrashing and tending to crops, the men of La Asomada, as is the local fashion, return to their homes or the village centre, and proceed to spend the rest of the day engaging in conversation, eating, drinking or perhaps venturing out to play football in the local league.
This cultural exchange experience has given me a unique insight into the various ways in which people. It was a joy to experience the hospitality and build on our friendship with the national volunteers through living with them during our homestay in La Asomada.
By ICS volunteers Emma Hooper and Ben Anson
