Doctor Jimena Fernández accompanied Priscilla and I along the bumpy dirt roads of Quingeo to the Allpacruz meeting house, where a sizable group awaited us on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. Ascend Ecuador had arranged a free counseling session, a lecture and open forum for local women to discuss issues and gain access to information resources regarding substance/spousal abuse.Everyone seemed shy; the room was deathly silent as the doctor began to lecture and ask questions. I snapped some photos. Jimena was having a hard time evoking a response from the villagers.
In that moment, I realized two things. All of the children, with their mothers locked in the meeting house, were nervously scratching and peering in the windows, trying to see what we were doing to them inside. Also, looking around I became painfully aware that not only was I the only extraterrestrial white person within a 30 km radius, but more relevantly I was the only man in the room. So I passed my camera to Priscilla, bailed out of the meeting house and started a game of fútbol on the concrete court with the anxious children.
As more and more children materialized out of the corn field and the playground to join our match, the meeting house erupted with discourse. By the time Priscilla and the Doctor emerged, I was drenched in sweat, having made a lot of new friends and realized how bad I am at fútbol.
I don't know exactly what they talked about, but I could tell it was a positive experience from the attitudes exhibited. Doctor Fernández was particularly pleased with the experience and expressed her desire to continue with the sessions.
Ascend's programs are seeing success in Allpacruz due to our own hard work, but also because of the other crucial component of change: the cohesion and willingness of the villagers to assemble, communicate and work with us, and the desire to utilize the resources that Ascend provides in order to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Allpacruz, Quingeo, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley)
1 comment:
Seeing the "big picture" with other people who are currently undergoing substance abuse counseling will definitely be helpful as they'll realize that they are not alone with their trials and struggles.
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