'Mayan Hands' reach Middlebury

Author: Mary Walsh

For most Middlebury College students, Winter Term is characterized by taking an easy class in the morning, skiing most afternoons and spending extended periods of time in the cozy Vermont dorms with hot chocolate, movies and friends. The College - which only requires students to spend two Winter Terms on campus - also allows students to spend the month pursuing independent projects and internships off-campus. Emily Coles '09 is one student who took advantage of the latter.

Nearly a year later, Coles continues her Winter Term work, supporting Guatemalan women through promoting their locally made wares, which are currently on display just outside the campus box office.

Coles spent her sophomore Winter Term in Guatemala working for Mayan Hands, a fair trade program that helps Guatemalan women. By teaching these women communication skills and providing a market for them to sell their products, Coles and Mayan Hands were able to "assist women in their quest to raise themselves out of poverty," Coles explained.

Mayan Hands is comprised of roughly 20 groups, each containing about 20 women native to the same area. The women all weave and produce baskets, jewelry, crafts and dolls. Once a month, Mayan Hands volunteers give a presentation to these women with the goal of promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment.

"In Guatemala the women are repressed, as they have little say in their work, family, marriage or any other aspect of their daily life," Coles said. Mayan Hands aims to provide these women with the tools necessary to represent and defend themselves. Coles noticed that when the women were together and did not agree on an issue, they were not initially able to have constructive conversations because they had never been given the opportunity to discuss anything before.

Typically, Coles worked at Mayan Hands from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, offering an important foreign perspective to the organization. The organization valued her fresh, unattached perspective and wanted her feedback on the way the project worked. As part of her work she put together a guidebook for future volunteers with information about the town and local attractions. Coles found this to be an ideal opportunity to explore Panajachel, the town she was staying in.

While volunteering at Mayan Hands, Coles worked on a project regarding dental health in Guatemala. The opportunity to spend Winter Term abroad gave Coles, a joint Spanish and Anthropology major, the ideal opportunity to gain further knowledge about her two academic passions in a way not available in Vermont.

An average Guatemalan meal consists of tortillas and a six-liter bottle of Coke. While most Americans would be disgusted that the only beverage a mother would provide for her child would be Coke, in Guatemala the soft drink is cheaper than bottled water. In addition, the majority of Guatemalans are not aware of the negative health effects of Coke. Coles investigated the state of dental health in Guatemala for her project, and was able to interview Guatemalan doctors.

"While it is hard to change the ideology of a group, if you start with a younger generation, change can occur," Coles said.

After learning about her interests in Anthropology and Spanish, a member of Coles' church in New York introduced her to Mayan Hands.

The prospect of working with the group immediately interested Coles and she started planning the trip that spring. Because it was an independent project not offered through Middlebury, the trip required significant organization, as Coles needed to arrange a host family, and present the independent project to her advisor so she could get credit for her work.

James Fitzsimmons, an assistant professor of Anthropology, serves as her advisor and was particularly interested in the project, as he has spent time working in Guatemala. Fitzsimmons was impressed by her determination and results and is considering a Winter Term course that focuses on archaeology and anthropology.

"Emily's work could form part of the foundation for such a course," he said.

In early January of 2007, Coles left for Guatemala City. An arranged host family, exciting internship and approved independent project awaited her, yet she still felt a degree of uncertainty.

"I was more excited for a feeling of a higher purpose than taking tests and writing essays," she said. "I wanted to experience the things I had merely read or heard about."

Coles settled into her life living with a "modern Mayan" family in Panajachel, in the region of Solol·, Guatemala. Margarita, her host mom, was considered a "modern Mayan" as she comes from Mayan ancestry but, in addition to the Mayan dialect, spoke Spanish and wore conventional clothes.

When Coles returned to the United States last February, she knew she would return to Guatemala. This Winter Term, Coles will return to Mayan Hands for six weeks to continue her volunteer work, as well as apprentice with a local shaman. She wants to investigate the balance between modern medicine and religion.

While January is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the winter in Vermont and relax a bit after a strenuous first semester, clearly there are other opportunities out there. Coles' experience shows that Winter Term is also the perfect chance to leave your comfort zone, pursue different passions in an unconventional manner, make a difference and take your education to new realms.