Volunteering to Change Lives Brick by Brick
By Howard Miller
April 19-25 was National Volunteer Week and no better time to tell the story of six Health Canada employees who embarked on a volunteering mission with the Education in Action (EIA) housing project. Their trip took them from their comfortable First World atmospheres in Ottawa to one of the poorest parts of Third World Guatemala.
Guillaume Colas, Marie-Ève Héroux and Mietek Szyszkowicz from Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety (HECS), Julie Roy and Faye Bancesco from Corporate Services Branch (CSB), and Juanita Bongartz-Perry from Audit and Accountability Bureau (AAB) met in a Health Canada Spanish class taught by trip coordinator Roberto Miranda from CSB.
They arrived in Guatemala not knowing what to expect. They were tasked with building houses for those in Sololá, a community torn apart by civil war, hurricanes, and forced displacement. For two weeks, the volunteers experienced life as a local.
A day in the life of a Guatemalan
“At the break of day we would gather our tools and equipment, load it into the back of our work truck, and stand cramped in the back of an open truck and hold on for dear life,” says Juanita Bongartz-Perry. “(We had) nothing to protect us from the changing elements – and some of the locations were over an hour away!”
The transportation was just an example of a day in the life of a Guatemalan worker. However, as difficult as the commute was, it could have been much worse. “There were many people on the sides of the road not fortunate enough to have an open truck,” continues Juanita. “They were on foot carrying loads on their heads and backs and seemed to literally be crushed under the weight of their burdens.”
The effort put forth by these volunteers went beyond the two weeks spent in Guatemala. Fundraising efforts were made before the trip in order to pay for the materials needed to build the houses. Each house, consisting of a cement block foundation, rough wood planks, doors, windows, and a corrugated zinc roof cost $2,000CDN to build.
A new perspective of life
The volunteers lived within the community for the duration of their trip, giving them a new perspective of life.
“Sometimes we forget to value how much we have and how convenient and safe our lives are in Canada,” says Juanita. “But I will never again forget to appreciate these comforts and conveniences, nor will I complain again when I have to wipe snow from my windshields or tip toe through the rain from my parking space to my 8th floor cubical.”
These six Health Canada employees provided an example of going over and above the call of duty. Helping out even a little can change a lot. For information about volunteer opportunities in your community, you can visit your local volunteer center.