Privileges!!!

Even when we think we do not have all the things we want we are privileged because we at least have some of those things. I remember when we did that exercise during the pre-departure session about judging people i realized that i had judged myself not privileged as compare to my Canadian peers. It was humbling to know that despite the fact that I came from an 'underdeveloped' country i had still been fortunate in many ways. I am always conscious when i am in certain situations - working in indigenous communities - how fortunate i am. But i am also aware that these people do not want to be pitied or given handouts. They want the chance to change their situations with their own hands, from their work and sweat. They recognize that there are advantages to accepting our help and would like us to treat them as equals.

Some of the things i learnt with working with indigenous communities was how smart they were, their innovativeness, their humor and their spirit of kindness. I consider them privilege in many ways for the kind of relationship they have with their environment that I would love to achieve but mostly consider myself the privileged one for the opportunity i have had working with them. I have always made an effort not to differentiate myself when working with them because of one experience. When i first started doing field trips i would talk my walkman with me and in my down time i would retreat to my hammock and listen to music and read. One of the students from the village told me after we had become good friends how irritated he use to be with me because of that. He had wanted to listen to my music but was unsure how i would react to his asking. My response of course was after working with me for over a month previously he could have more than asked me to listen to my music. But when i though about it i realised that while he had taken his money to help his family i had taken my and bought something like a walkman. I have since learnt to be more sensitive to the people and the circumstances and now i can say that i am an accepted daughter of the people of the North Rupununi.