From Guatemala to Colombia

By Davi Briggs

Following our program in Guatemala, I set sail for Colombia. Of course by “set sail” I really mean that boarded a United Airlines flight to Bogota; “set flight” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it though.

So far my work in Colombia has been wonderful. Moreover, the work that I have been doing here is largely been a continuation of the work that my group did in Guatemala. Like in Guatemala, my focus area in Colombia is economic development. Unlike traditional economic development plans that have been implemented in Colombia, however, my goal is to continue incorporating the community approach to development that we used in Guatemala.

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Happiness and expectations

By Davi Briggs

We have had numerous talks during this trip about how Guatemalans rank relatively high on the happiness scale despite many of the problems the country faces. Often these talks conclude with our group agreeing that this happiness is the result of lower expectations. If you expect to have trouble feeding your family but are able to earn enough money to do so, you’ll feel happy. Comparatively, if you expect to be a millionaire but instead make minimum wage, you may not feel so great. In an effort to express these ideas further, I’ve decided to make this blog entry a poem about our drive through a rural Guatemalan community. Here it goes:

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A happy group

By Davi Briggs

Two weeks passed too quickly. This trip has been great and I’m sad to leave. However, in celebration of our wonderful group, I have written this poem:

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Sustainability and happiness

By Davi Briggs

During the first week of our trip to Guatemala, we visited a local business that builds high-efficiency, wood-burning stoves. These stoves produce less smoke, use less fuel and have better heat distribution than the stoves currently being used in rural communities. Most interestingly, the man who owns this business defines happiness as his ability to support poorer communities, help the environment and generate an income for his family and the families of his 14 employees. In other words, this man’s happiness requires a balanced relationship between sustainability’s three “P”s: people, planet and profits.

Perhaps this is how sustainability impacts the happiness of all people; by striving to create a balance between needs. I think the challenge with this is in recognizing how we, Americans, can start to live in a way that acknolodges that happiness is embedded in similar things. Do we really need wealth or fame or other frivolity to be happy?

Hello again, Latin America

By Davi Briggs

Guatemala smells like Latin America. The air is a mix of car exhaust and humid earth and something else I can’t quite place. To me, it smells welcoming; it makes me nostalgic for past visits to the region.

We arrived in Guatemala City on Monday night and drove directly to Antigua. Antigua’s old town is comprised of colorful buildings with large wooden doors, tile roofs and cobblestone streets. It is picturesque. However, when you move just outside the old town, this image starts to change. Houses become lower, roads are unpaved and unmanaged waste is more visible.

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Lists, Lists and More Lists

By Davi Briggs

In preparing for our program to Guatemala, I have been making a lot of lists. Lists about what I should pack:

1. Pants
2. A hat
3. Snacks
4. Copious amounts of sunscreen

Lists filled with exclamation marks, reminding me of important things to do before leaving:

1. Fill prescription for malaria pills!
2. Photocopy passport!
3. Print travel insurance card!
4. PACK SUNSCREEN!

(Clearly sun exposure has been a concern.)
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