I felt more connected to the community of Rancho Quemado today, more than ever before. We started the day by laughing out loud when the itinerary stated that WE would be teaching local kids soccer, but of course it would end up being the opposite. The kids were so accepting of our questionable soccer skills, and eventually, we all improved together! I am thankful to say that I made new friends today, got to practice my Spanish, and connected with the local soccer team. After our intense game, a friendly handshake, and cold starfruit juice, we left for the gold mine. Don Juan, a local and the owner of the mine gave us his backstory and immersed us fully in his everyday work. After we found real gold and were fed like grandkids, we got to listen to stories from the elders of Rancho Quemado. Doña Carmen told us her story and proved how much her town has flourished just within the past few decades through the initiative of the community. Through her translator and friend Sandro, the 90-year-old Dona Carmen told us about her early days in Rancho Quemado, when she had no neighbors and only her family to search for gold. When we asked her if she preferred Rancho Quemado now, she said ‘of course’ and celebrated all of the connection she felt to her community and the wonderful people in it. This all let me fully see a theme that has been coming together over the past week: that many of our life experiences are universal. Three-year-olds all over the world just want your attention and love, children everywhere want to teach you their games and share their laughter, and elders want to spread their wisdom to open ears. Once we realize that we really are not all that different, we can break down any divide. Then, we can fully embrace the community and work together to fuel our mutual positive intentions: pursuing ethical and environmental leadership together.
Con cariño, Hannah