Life in Pinpin and the surrounding communities

So much to tell about those five days in Pinpin that I don't know where to start. Perhaps simply by thanking Elsa and Nico who hosted me and without whom I would not have lived in the heart of a local Guatemalan community. It's been a complete immersion in their daily live. Quickly, to present them to you, Elsa and Nico are a French couple. They left in March to volunteer a year in Guatemala. They are networking in partner associations of the CCFD-Terre Solidaire (French development NGO) in the fields of agroecology and women's rights.

I can now describe the environment. Pinpin is a small community in Los Altos (the Highlands), the mountainous region of western Guatemala. In the region of the Highlands, the Guatemalan Indian customs and traditions remain fairly present, even if they are diluted over time. We are still under the tropics, and it's still the rainy season (June-September). At an elevation of 2,400 m / 7,900 ft, depending on time of day, it is above the clouds ... or just below!

Pinpin and other communities are among the most remote of the country (10-hour bus ride to reach the capital). On the border with Chiapas (Mexico) there is a small road that serves the main villages, from which then routes to smaller communities in the valleys, or higher in the mountains. Few have a vehicle, then public transportation is the only alternative. To travel on the main road, you take the “chicken bus”, these old North America school buses repainted in bright colors. Inside it is crowding up (much like chickens in a coop to the market – hence the name, I think!). But that all goes well, we are surrounded by religious images or slogans such as "Jesus te acompañe" or "Dios te bendiga" ("Let Jesus be with you" or "God bless you"). I tested for you: these buses are a ruggedness! Then to join communities, we boarded on a colectivo that takes the form of a taxi or mini-van.

A few quick words on the habitat. The houses are of brick and mud, with roofs of palm leaves or dried zinc. One level, one room for living, others to sleep. Cooking is done on a wood stove that can also heat the house, because it's a bit chilly and very wet during the rainy season. The interior is minimalist but functional.

In communities, almost everything revolves around agriculture, for private use or for selling, door-to-door or on the markets of the region. The topography forces to cultivate lands in terrace, gained on the rainforest. Primarily, these are small crops of corn, the staple diet. But there are also all kinds of vegetables: beans, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, etc.. Fruit trees also provide apricots, peaches, apples, etc.. Lower, approaching the coast, you will find coffee, bananas and cocoa. Each parcela also has few animals. Generally they are hens and chickens, pigs, cows, rabbits or goats.

Elevation (2,400 m / 7,900 ft in Pinpin), hilly environment, tropical vegetation and difficult access makes the work difficult. They often get up early to go and sell in markets. The return may be delayed until the production is sold. Some even walk cross the passes that lead to Chiapas, on the other side of Volcán Tacaná (4,093 m / 13,430 ft) to sell their products. And yet, this is not always enough to live, especially when families have up to ten children. They sometimes have to have odd jobs to supplement. And I got the impression that communities, where everyone is more or less cousin, also operate on the principle of solidarity and mutual assistance.

Generally local producers gather into associations, themselves gathered into red (network, in Spanish) at a regional level. Several advantages to this: exchanges of expertise, pooling resources, technical training, political representation, financing of infrastructure or equipment, etc.. Here agriculture is organic: organic matter is recovered, natural fertilizer is produced (made from ground, chicken droppings, compost), weeding by hand, avoiding hybrid seeds or GMOs. Nico brings his expertise to the Kuchub'al network, a fair trade association.

Society is traditionally patriarchal. Women have little say and yet, in addition to the daily work they perform alongside their husbands, they also charge of running the house (cooking, dishes, laundry, children to raise, animals to feed, etc.). When questioning women, often comes out a lake of self-esteem for most of them. They are unaware of their role and especially their importance within society or their families.

Here women's networks operate, educate, organize meetings and training. These are all areas where women can share, feel valued, learn to make new products for sale (jams, herbal ointments, etc..), or even hear for the first time about family planning. That's just the ground work of Elsa.

Everyday life seem a little hard-drive. But they also know how to party! I had the opportunity to attend a feria agricola -a fair- to celebrate two years of a small market in a remote community. We celebrated the success of this initiative, because it avoids the local producers traveling for hours to sell their products. Next to the market, on the small village square, a small band was installed. Among others, they were playing marimba, the Guatemala's traditional instrument that looks like a giant xylophone where at least four people play at once. Program of the fair: music, speeches, national anthem sang with hand over the heart before the flag (all children of school had the right to join us just for that), speeches again, music again, speeches again, everyone had its chance, including Nico. And as we are in Latin America, we ended up with a small mass, before sharing a meal: caldo de res, broth flavored with vegetables and beef, along with tamales, corn-based dough steamed in a leaf wrapper.

In addition, to celebrate Nico and Elsa's birthdays (both born in early August), the community of Pinpin had prepared a little surprise. They were had the speech of the president of the local association that ultimately left up to two musicians for a few songs accompanied by their guitars. It all ended with a good shared meal: caldo de pollo and tamales (same as the fair but this time with chicken) and of course birthday cakes. It is a tradition to eat a bit with your mouth directly, to allow fellows to crash your nose in the cream. A simple celebration in a unique atmosphere.

Well this was a small description, incomplete and fragmentary. But the important thing is that I could live it!