Apr 22 2008
True community
by junior Faran Dulberg
My trip to Belize was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have had thus far in my life. It opened my eyes to a completely different way of living. I feel really cliché in saying that it changed me, but it really did. I learned that even though people are living at poverty levels they are still happy and seemingly content with their lives. Even if they do not have the latest technologies or hot running water in their homes they are able to enjoy life to the fullest they can. Since they have never known all of the advancements we have in the United States, the people of Belize do not miss them. I almost wish that we did not have all of the technologies we have today in the U.S; they seem to isolate people from interacting with each other. With the everyday use of i-pods and video games people are so out of touch with what is going on around in their communities. Technologies that were supposed to help connect people instead actually isolate them.
When telling people about my Belize experience I tell them about how beautiful the country is, how warm and welcoming the people are and about the problems that exist which are not visible at a first glance. The politics of Belize are complicated and corrupt and much worse than in the United States. I tell my friends and family how lucky we are to live in a country with a developed governing system which for the most part is fair. We are lucky to live in a country which teaches people the importance of effective waste management, because in Belize trash is simply burnt in people yards, exposing the people to toxins and contaminating their resources.
I gained a lot from my ASB experience and wish that everybody could take such a trip. I don’t feel as if I gave a lot to the people of Belize. Sure the group helped build a sidewalk, put on a new roof, constructed tables for a school, painted a craft center and a tortilla room, as well as taught in schools. The real experience came from what the Belizeans taught to us as a group. They gave us so much more than I feel like we could have ever brought to them. They completely changed my viewpoint of people living in developing countries. I came away from this experience with memories that will last a lifetime and a connection to my host family which will hopefully be kept up for a lifetime as well. I really hope that one day my host family will be able to visit the U.S. and I can offer them American culture. It is important for people to expose themselves to as many cultures as they can, because this world is extremely diverse and Americans tend to be ignorant of other cultures. Belize was an AMAZING experience!