For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, our ICS returned volunteers share their stories of some of the incredible women they met during their placements in Central America this Summer. They also took part in the UN #OrangeTheWorld - #DíaNaraja campaign to raise awareness and take a stand to end violence against women.
As a former Progressio ICS volunteer, I feel very happy to volunteer again in this beautiful programme, which is such an important one because we are working on the theme of the environment.
The programme is also important because it helps with personal and community development, while always focusing on protecting the environment.
As Progressio ICS volunteers, we are taking part in many activities that are pro-environment. This makes us active youth, working hand-in-hand as brothers and sisters protecting the environment.
In the UK we are experiencing an increasing number of people who have started to grow their own fruit and vegetables. These people have cast off the shackles of the supermarket grocery aisle in favour of the peace of mind and sense of satisfaction that cultivating their own crops can give them.
We have started the work with my new fellow volunteers. It will be 11 weeks of hard physical labour, but all will be for the benefit of the Santa Marta community. Recently we started a clean-up campaign in the community and started re-collecting bottles to create eco-bricks.
I would like to thank local organisation ADES - Progressio and my fellow former volunteers (cycle 6) for having trusted me to resume my ICS volunteer experience and to continue benefiting the development of my community.
In Parque Cuscatlán, with dozens of new faces, history hangs in the air. El Monumento a la Memoria y la Verdad stretches like a pavement, engraved with the names of civilian victims killed or gone missing during the 12-year Salvadoran civil war. In groups, we rake through the blackboard of “O's” and rolling “R's” in search of a single name. The task was completed after ten frustrating minutes, but for those families still searching, closure is a long way off. Our perspectives are stretched in the park that afternoon.
Heading back to the UK and it’s the time to write a final blog about the time in Santa Marta. It’s pretty incredible to think that ten weeks ago I was packing for a journey where I had no idea what to expect. At the end, I didn’t want to pack again because I didn’t want to leave. My Progressio ICS experience has been an interesting one. Being the oldest UK volunteer amongst a young team has brought about its own challenges but through facing these, I’ve learn more about myself than ever before.
I’ve fallen in love with a small community called San Felipe located on the other side of the mountain to Santa Marta. There is an air of tranquillity that comes over you when you arrive. San Felipe has a certain overlooked charm where for example the community have chosen to stop deforestation so to reduce pollution.
A question that almost all of us were asked before we came to volunteer in the community of Santa Marta is, “so what are you actually going to be doing in El Salvador?” Since, at the time, I wasn’t exactly sure of the answer myself, I would often reply with something vague, along the lines of “we’re building a school” or “we’ll just be doing whatever needs done!” Sometimes the reaction to this somewhat underwhelming response would be a look of confusion.
There were many things I had anticipated when arriving in El Salvador with Progressio ICS in July; no more flushing toilets, power showers, air con or wifi. But one thing no one could have prepared me for was the sheer volume and variety of noises created by animals in the early hours of each morning, and how unnecessary my alarm clock would become.
Santa Marta, the community which I am calling home for the next ten weeks, can be sees as simultaneously the most beautiful and ugly place that I have ever been. Upon arriving, you’re met with luscious mountains, rainbow butterflies wafting through the air, and fresh fruit dripping from the trees. But also rubbish scattered through the streets, and a stream running blue with detergent. Why is it like this here? The problem is complex, but there are at least three issues, which are helping me to understand.
