Traveller’s Blog 19: LETY

Thursday, 22 May 2008 | posted by Juan

Since I left Guilford I have faced new problems and new experiences some of them good and some of them bad.  I want to start thanking everybody especially to the British council because since I left Guilford I have started a process of changes. Sometimes this changes maybe frightening but the memories and all the things I learned at Guilford help me every day with my road. I can only say that for me Guilford was the start of everything, the start of changes, of realizing that hope exists, of learning, of knowing, of sharing, of helping, of growing up...the start of living a new style of live where it is possible to be listen. I returned to Mexico as a new Lety.

I think I hadn´t realized how wonderful and perfect my experience was in Guilford with my "global family". I will always keep in my heart and in my mind the 59 activist. I can heartily say that I admire you and that you inspire me a lot every day. It hadn´t passed a day without remembering something about Guilford. I spent only one week at Road to Davos but it changes my whole perspective and life. Before I start with my traveller's blog something that I want you to know is that I think that what we lived in Guilford wasn't the Road to Davos it was the start of the Road.

On April I traveled with all my classmates to Veracruz. It is a state of Mexico located in the Gulf so it had a beach and the weather was warm. We arrived to one of the rural and poorest zones of the state. Although the economical situation of the natives is low they created a nature reserve to protect the green Iguanas and the ecosystem. The nature reserve has only the essentials things, so my class and I organized the travel to help them to improve the installations of the reserve. The jails of the Iguanas are built with aluminum so they had a silver color. The color alters the temper of the Iguanas and that affects the reproduction process. As they are nervous and angry because of the metal that reflects the sun light they don´t produce enough eggs. We decided to solve that problem by painting all the jails with an ecological green paint. We work two days to paint all the installations and at the end of the work the natives taught us more about the conservation of the animals in that zone. The problem is that Veracruz used to be his home but as people start to populate the zone the animals loosed their homes.

I enjoyed it a lot, no matter all the inconvenient like the long trip, the animals and insects that live in the jungle where we stay. Here are some pictures:

My group

Working 

The Iguanas

As most of you know I´m part of a non-profit organization name "Al mal tiempo...Buen Causa" which means in "Bad Times...Good Cause". I have also continued my activism as a member of that organization. At my return I was named director of Human Resources and we started planning a new performance for "La Casa de la Niña" it is a special place for girls that are orphans or that suffered abuse from their parents so the government take care of them.

The performance just passed last Saturday and it was amazing. Well I think that I have to explain what the performance is about. We sing and dance for needed people our objective is to impulse them to face the music, to give them hope and giving them a helping hand. Let them know that if they believe they can do it they will. May be as you read the last lines you maybe think that is not a big deal. But I love it.

We prepared the performance with months of anticipation and we practiced the songs and the dances during hours and hours along those months. But all the work is insignificant in contrast of the smiles, hugs, and kisses we received from the girls after the performance.

One of the girls really impressed me her name is Arianna she is six years old and their parents lost the rights over here because they hit here.  She also has a physical problem one of her legs has a deformation so she can hardly walk. In one of the songs I took here in my arms so she could dance, I got a say that I received the warmest hug ever.

The performance

The Girls

With the Girls 

My organization is growing we will present on September in one of the most important non-profit organizations of Mexico. Maybe you have heard about it its name is "Teleton".There is a little bit of what I have being doing. I wish with all my heart we can meet soon. Cause thanks to Guilford I love activism even more. You make me realized that I can make a difference. And as some of the activism sang. Tell me what you want what you really really want!!! I WANT I WANT TO REALLY REALLY REALLY CHANGE THE WORLD!!! I love you guys and remember keep in touch and Speak up!

LOVE, LETY