Volunteer trip to Mexico

Irena Johanka Savková, one of the participants in this year's volunteer trip to Mexico, gave an interview to Monica Vavrušková, a student at the University of Silesia. With Johanka’s permission, we quote from it:

Why did you choose to help in Mexico?

Well, it was not really a matter of choice. Jan was asked for urgent help in building homes for families who were forced to flee from their village because of a war of drug cartels. He was looking for volunteers. I got interested in the challenge, so I signed up. I felt that I wanted to help, that I wanted to go. We were 7 volunteers – 3 women and 4 men from different parts of the Czech Republic. Our intention was to support a community of five families. Based on our exchange with Mayra - a woman from this community – we knew that they bought a piece of land in a safe area of ​​Chiapas. And that they were building ecological houses from wood, clay, and straw. So that families with children will have a place to live. They have been establishing fields - planting corn, beans, sorghum, vegetables, and fruit trees. They bought farm animals. Everything from zero. Camino organized our journey as a "touristic-humanitarian" trip. It was the first trip of this kind. It was up to us to test if it was even possible to connect tourism with humanitarian volunteering. To support a community threatened by the war of drug cartels and at the same time to find time to visit Mayan pre-Columbian monuments.

How did you help?

Our task was to help with a construction of a home. So, we supported them physically, manually. However, I realized later – when I have returned home and rested – that the scope of our support was much larger. We brought not only material gifts, such as kitchen utensils and tools, coloring books, crayons, disinfectants, work gloves, and sweets for children. It was not just about the financial donation of $6,000, which we brought. There was more that counted on the top of that: We were traveling to them from far, we were sharing with them their worries, life stories, singing together and eating at the same table and we became part of their families. Thus, we provided them with psychological support. They knew that they were not alone. That even people from another continent were not indifferent to their situation.

What was your typical day like?

Of course, every day was not the same, so I will focus on the days of construction: We woke up at 6AM and were departing to the construction site at about 7. We ate a breakfast together from 8 to 9 and then were working on the construction until about 2PM. Then we ate lunch together, which was followed by work for about 1-2 hours. In the evening, we visited a town or a historically interesting place. And around 9-10PM, we returned to the place of our accommodation.

Your best experience? What will you not forget?

For me, the most powerful experience was building the house together. I've never built a house, let alone out of dirt and corn stems. The work went smoothly, as if we were professionals – one construction team. Czechs together with parents and children for whom we were building the house. I don't speak Spanish, but it wasn't an obstacle at all. I spoke Czech, they spoke Spanish, and we understood each other. And a very good feeling about the result.

Are you planning another volunteer trip?

I don't expect that I will go abroad this year, although you never know. There is a home for children with disabilities in Ukraine. I often think of them. The last time I was there to help as a volunteer was in November 2019. I will surely visit the facility again when the situation in Ukraine calms down, but that cannot be planned.

But what I plan to do is to support the Mexican community. Remotely from the Czech Republic. I want to share my experience in presentations, discussions, photos, and videos from our trip to Mexico. Voluntary contributions of my audience will support the families in Chiapas.

How can other people help?

Those who are interested can send a contribution to the bank account of Camino. You know, each one of us might end up in a difficult situation when we will need help of others. And we will be happy for any help and support.