One of the great things about being in Xela is being surrounded by so many inspired people. The city seems to collect young idealistic people looking to change the world. As cheesey as that may sound, it is great to get the chance to meet so many interesting people.
One of the coolest people I have met here is a Guatemala guy named Willy. He runs Cafe R.E.D., which is located about 2 blocks from my house. Cafe R.E.D. is way more than just a restaurant, it's an educational program and a source for fair trade goods and organic veggies. The walls are currently half covered in murals, and the other half in a photo exhibit trying to help young women improve their self esteem. Half the time I go to visit there's some board meeting or class going on. It's a really neat multi-functional space. They host cool events, have art shows, fair-trade/organic/crafts markets, and a whole bunch of interesting people gather there. One of the reasons I have been working with them was to get connected to a co-op of organic farmers that sells panela (unrefined sugar) in powder, which we are using for the ORS/suero project. Willy introduced me to the head of sales at Kuchub'al, and we were able to make that happen.
This is the place where I went to make pumpkin pies.
They actually posted some pictures of the final product, the Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't attend, because I headed off to Antigua with Luis, but I heard it turned out well.
Here is a link to Cafe R.E.D.'s webpage. If anyone is ever in Xela, you should check them out.
Another reason why I like Cafe R.E.D. is the fair trade store. In there, I found a documentary about a coffee farm a couple hours away called Santa Anita. The documentary talked about the events leading up to the start of this farm. The tragic past, tied with the conflict/revolution here gives meaning to what the families there are doing today.
The film is available on youtube, from this website, if anyone is interested in seeing it. After all of my project-work at the clinic, it made me realize that no matter how much I try to treat symptoms of social problems, they will always return unless we treat the source of these problems. True preventative medicine is much more about social issues and politics, helping people meet their needs, rather than prescribing vitamins and such. It's pretty thought-provoking to see what people here have lived through, and perhaps even how little has changed since the start of the conflict here decades ago.
Willy is doing a great favor for me and my friends, allowing us to come and cook on my last night in Xela. It's halfway between a restaurant and a home-made goodbye party, and I think it will be great! Plus it's a great way to support an organization I care about.
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