Beyond Expectations

Being from India, I have seen extreme levels of poverty. When I got the opportunity to pilot an MFI in La Limonada, the first thought that ran across my mind was why not work towards poverty alleviation in India. Then, Santi told me that La limonada has the 4th highest murder rate in the world and this felt like a challenge. The people of La Limonada are in need of help and we 3 UNC students are going to provide as much assistance we can to help them out of their poor conditions.

I had done research only on La Limonada and had a blurred picture of what Guatemala City would be like. On arriving here I observed that most of the city is well organized and developed. Then why is La Limonada is such poor conditions? Haven't the local people of Guatemala City made efforts to help the people living in the slum?I asked several people and found out the there is a stigma attached to the community of La Limonada. People living outside of La Limonada do not interact with those who live in it. In fact, if a person from La Limonada applies for a job outside he is often rejected instantaneously. If this situation persists, then even if the people are willing to work hard to fight their poor conditions they are denied opportunities by others. Therefore, the task is not only of providing financial and educational help but also of changing the outlook towards the people living in La Limonada.

After talking so much about La Limonada, it feels weird to say that I still have kept myself from visiting that place. We have to lay the ground work first. I will be going there on Tuesday, can't wait to talk about my first visit there. Yesterday we met with the local loan officer, Nestor, and discussed our primary concerns and tasks in conducting educational workshops and implementing the MFI successfully.

The place I am staying in has a colonial edge to it. Gustavo and Teresa have been very kind and treated us as if we are their own children. I am very thankful to them. The weather was great yesterday. Reminded me of the monsoons in India. Cloudy skies, cold chills and moist atmosphere. We hope to know more about the city and its people through our observations and interactions.