Persistence

I am writing this blog while sitting in the back corner of one of the rooms at EPC Ombreira watching the Fresh Dance Hip Hop group. I just saw one teenage boy practically hyper-extend his elbow when spinning in circles on it and then hop back up to try again. Not ten seconds later another young man who was hopping around doing a one handed hand-stand fell on his head, rolled over and shook it off. They might be beginners and they might not have all the equipment they need to protect themselves, but they sure are persistent!

Last week I had a conversation with a student who has been studying for the vestibular exam for over 5 years! 5 YEARS!!!! He has tried taking the test for different majors and each time he has come close but not close enough to enter UFC (Universidad Federal do Ceará- the best and completely paid for university in the state). He might not yet have experienced the success he is looking for but he is persistent! And, one day he will pass the entrance exam.

I spent an hour this morning walking through the vegetable garden with the lead gardener going over the names of each vegetable and fruit in both Portuguese and English. After 30 minutes of trying to remember the names in English he had the brilliant idea to get a pen and paper and write everything down. We then spent the next 20 minutes learning the words again. He was persistent!

Right now many within the PRECE movement are involved in educating their community about the upcoming elections, the candidates and their positions. They made a pledge over 15 years ago that they would not stop until public education in Ceará was changed for the better, and this requires support from the government and elected officials. Many steps have been taken in that direction and things are improving. But, the work is not done and therefore no one is slowing down. They are persistent!

What is it about some people that will not allow them to give up? I remember when I was a child my gymnastics coaches always telling me “but, Kacy, you have so much potential!” at the exact moment I wanted to give up and quit. If it weren’t for them and others I would never have been as good as I was. But, most of that drive didn’t come within- it came from rising to the expectations of others. So, what is it about some people that pushes them to keep striving even when everything and everyone around them says take taking a nap in a hammock would be so much easier and more enjoyable?

Let me introduce my Brasilian family...

In the United States I am lucky to have a never ending circle of family members. They are, of course my biological parents, sister and grandparents who I love more than words can say. But they are also those people who have encouraged me and loved me through all of my joys and frustrations- from childhood to two weeks ago. Without them I would not be who I am today, and every day I thank God for blessing me with their presence. In Brasil I am so blessed to be surrounded and loved by an equally amazing circle of support.

The Andrade family, as many of you know, created the foundation for the PRECE movement and is guiding every step of the journey. Dona Fransisca (with whom I share a birthday! see picture to the left!) and her husband Areo open up their home to the many visitors of PRECE, their son Professor Manoel Andrade can be named as the "founder" and General Coordinator of PRECE (though in his modesty he always credits the first 7 students as the true founders), and each of the 10 Andrade children is somehow involved in the PRECE movement. They are some of the most hospitable people I have ever met as they are continuously opening their doors to friends and strangers alike, preparing great spreads of food for the hungry traveler and all the while stopping at nothing to improve the public education system in Ceará. Dona Fransisca even built a church on the side of her house because she recognized the need of the community!!

The best word to describe Manoel Andrade's family (see picture to the right) is "inspiring", and those of you who have met Andrade, Ana Maria, Alzira, Alice and Ester know so well the charm they bring to everything they do. It may be Andrade's insistence to continue the fight until real change is made and lives are improved, or it could be the energy Ester brings when she comes bouncing in to a room, the quiet beauty of Alice or the determination of Ana Maria and Alzira. Whatever it is, the spirit of this family is truly amazing.

Then, of course there is my family- those who have opened their doors to me, prepared a bedroom for me, handed over keys (and trust!) and welcomed me in to their home- Dona Arneide, Carol and Iasmyne (see picture to the left). Those of you who know me well know how much I love to live alone- to walk around all day in my pajamas (or less!), to clean up my mess and my mess only, to not have to tip toe when I come home at 3 a.m. and to be accountable to only me. So, when you heard that I would be living with a family (all adults, but still, other people) you were justified in your concerns. But, you need not fret because these three women are amazing. They provide all the support and guidance I need but at the same time they are able to read me and give me my independence. I have discovered, living with them, that Brasilian women, like women all over the world, are everyday miracles. The thing I appreciate the very most is that they will teach me how to do something once and then expect me to do it by myself the next time. They don't do it for me, they don't hold my hand and expect me to follow behind them, and they don't treat me like a child. They lead by example and then expect me to make my own footprints. This might sound like a simple thing, but it hasn't been my experience with everyone in Brasil- especially many Brasilian men. So, this is my quick shout out: Thank you to women everywhere who help others stand on their own two feet!!

Many weekends I travel the dirt roads all the way to Cipó and the other small rural communities. When I do this I stay at the Andrade's farmhouse. But, some weekends I stay in Ombreira only teaching there. When this is the case I stay with Dona Luiza and Antonio, the parents of Ana Maria. Here Dona Luiza and I have conversations about anything and everything. The problem is, most of the time she can't understand me and I can't understand her, but that doesn't stop us. One of us will talk while the other smiles and nods. And, vice versa. Her husband, the quiet type, will sit on the porch sewing a fishing net which is truly an accomplishment. They, and their daughter Lucia (photo to the right), stop at nothing to make me feel comfortable... and very well fed. It only took them a month to finally realize and actually believe that I am happiest with a piece of bread, some cheese and a cup of my favorite tea- Capim Santo (delicious grass from the yard!). So, now when I wake up I am always greeted with hot tea, fresh bread, farm cheese and scrambled eggs. Occasionally they will try to sneak in fish (because they have learned well that I don't eat any other type of meat!) but they know I am satisfied with simple food!

Those of you from the various churches know the Oliveira family well and you know of their care for all persons and their willingness to wrap everyone in their loving embrace. It was Aureo who first began making the connections between his church/seminary in Fortaleza and many of the churches in the U.S. Pastor Aureo is instantly a pastor, guide and well of strength for all who cross his path and Dona Ruthe knows no stranger. They are a phenomenal couple and I am so lucky to consider their children Iriana, Marcos and Mauricio as some of my best friends!

I of course would be remiss if I neglected to mention Mauricio and Isabela. These two are my lifeline in Brasil. Isabela, after living with me in Atlanta for 3 months, knows me better than anyone else here. She can read my frustrations, my joys and my concerns before I even speak. She understands my broken portugues and I can always depend on her to help with whatever I need- a glass of wine or help finding a portugues teacher. And, Mauricio is more similar to me than almost anyone I have ever met. Somehow I often think that we are the same spirit walking different paths. He can both drive me crazy and keep me sane in the same breath, and without him I would be lost. These two are truly my saving grace in a country I am still seeking to understand.

I once gave a painting to my best friend Pegah that says, "Your true family is not one merely of blood but of love and respect in each other's lives". Never before has that quote been more appropriate than now.

Juxtaposition

In Brasil you can't close your eyes and turn away. In Brasil you can't ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist. In Brasil you can't separate yourself or run away. The juxtaposition between great wealth and extreme poverty is everywhere you look and on every street corner.

When I run each morning I pass the same street children sleeping in front on the same store fronts wearing the same clothes they wore the day before. And, then I complete my run at the $200 a night beach-front Marina Hotel. When I walk down the sandy beaches of Breir Mar I see coveted ocean front million dollar condominiums only to turn around when I reach the favelas without a proper sewage system. I take a deep breathe, hope not to appear apathetic, say a prayer and keep moving. But, it isn't good enough. I can't ignore the deep divide constantly infront of me, begging me to feel something and do something. But, what?

In the United States we (and, by "we" I mean those of us with privilege) hide away our oppressive actions (even if unknown or unintentional) and we pretend that everything is fine. We create zoning laws that separate the wealthy neighborhoods from the poorer neighborhoods. We push the Section 8 and public housing to "undesirable" areas of town. We build gated communities (Kacy!) to keep the "danger" out. We clear out homeless shelters at 6 a.m. so that business men and women do not see houseless persons roaming the streets on their way to work, and the police perform sweeps arresting houseless men and women to "clean" the city before big downtown events. We turn our backs, close our eyes and go through our days not even acknowledging the pain we create.

I think about this often- at least once a day. And, I don't know which is worse. To live in a system that places the pain and the joy side by side and daily forces its people to live with it... even if they do nothing about it (possibly because they are incapable). Or to live in a system that builds a facade and allows people to ignore reality and create a fairytale. I continue to ask myself this question and continue to seek an answer.

What more could we ask???

I have now been teaching English classes at PRECE Benfica twice a week for nearly a month and I have yet to write about these students. Think back to when you were in college- the weekend parties, the sleeping until noon, the skipping class and then pulling all-nighters before an exam. Not many Americans can complain about their college years- we all had fun, some of us “too much” fun! But, I have a feeling that the PRECE university students I work with in Fortaleza have a very different college experience than I did. Don’t get me wrong- I worked hard, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the work these students are putting in!

Let me give you a little glimpse in to a week in their lives. Monday morning they wake up in their “dorm room” in Fortaleza and all week they study at UFC or another university in Fortaleza. They are all studying various subjects and serve as leaders in those areas. At least 2 times during the week they will end up at PRECE Benfica in order to attend a meeting or facilitate a study group. Some of them are also involved with the Cooperative Learning program that Prof. Manoel Andrade leads at UFC. This means that they have a Cooperative Learning project related to their course of study on top of their regular classes. With their Cooperative Learning group they have to research an issue, create a program/solution and then present their work to others in the Cooperative Learning program. Sometime during this hectic schedule they make time to come to English classes every Monday and Thursday night. Then, every Friday evening they catch the bus back to their hometowns in the rural areas 2 hours outside of Fortaleza. All weekend long they facilitate courses in their PRECE communities and help students prepare for the university entrance exam. On Sunday night they make the journey back to Fortaleza. Whew- just thinking about their schedule is exhausting to me. When do they find time to study? To eat? To go to all the college parties?!?!?

The amazing thing about these students is that they take nothing for granted! They are so grateful and appreciative of the opportunity they have to study at the university that they give 100% effort 100% of the time. And, they know that the continuation of the PRECE movement depends on their dedication. If others before them gave so much to help them get in to the university, they will stop at nothing to provide that same opportunities for the next group of scholars. They are nothing short of incredible.

How does your garden grow?

People who have never lived in a dessert climate often cannot completely understand the struggles of people who live without easy access to water. Those of us who are privileged are quite wasteful with our water- leaving the faucet running when we brush our teeth, taking 15 minute showers, watering our flowerbeds for hours so that they look better than our neighbors. I can’t lie- I miss my long, hot showers, but I have learned a lot from the people of Ceará about how to conserve and responsibly use water.

One of the most impressive and resourceful ways I have seen the PRECE communities use water is in the vegetable garden at EPC Ombreira. One of the location’s projects is a vegetable garden that provides fresh produce for the community. But, how are you supposed to grow a garden when it never rains and you have no money (or access to) an irrigation system? You get creative and develop your own method!

Luckily, EPC Ombreira is located near the reservoir which provides drinking and bathing water for the entire municipality. With the help of Prof. Manoel Andrade (a biologist who specializes in plants) the men of EPC Ombreira have developed a system where they use old water bottles punctured at the top to create an irrigation system. The water bottles, connected to an old pipe that serves as a hose line the rows of peppers, cilantro, lettuce and green onions. These water bottles slowly provide enough water to help the plants grow without being excessive and wasteful. And, this sustainable system requires very little money. Ingenious!

So much for samba!

All over the U.S.A. people are joining dance clubs, taking lessons at night clubs and paying lots of money to experience and learn the sensual moves of samba. American women covet the curves and sway and ease of motion that Brazilian women possess, and they are doing all that they can to prove that they too can learn to dance like Brazilians. If those women are like me they fail miserably. Before I left Atlanta I was with my best friend at “Latin night” at a popular Atlanta nightclub when a man came up and approached me. Before he could get in a word I said, “oh, I am sorry, I really can’t dance”. He responded with “Oh, I KNOW you can’t dance. All I had to do was look at you to know you can’t dance! But, I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you look!”. All I could do was laugh!

Here in Brazil many people are putting aside their samba moves and picking up the hip hop and break-dance moves popular in cities across the U.S. One of the most popular programs at EPC (Cooperative Popular School) Ombreira is the hip hop club, Fresh Dance, which meets for 2 hours every Saturday and Sunday morning. These guys are amazing!! Whenever I walk in to the room they are learning something new- a new way to stand on their hands and spin around, a creative way to position their hands under their back so they can support their entire bodies, or some new steps to help connect each trick. And, these things aren’t easy!! I should know- I try to join them... but like samba, I don't have much luck!

Like every other group that meets in the PRECE EPCs the hip hop club is filled with energy and excitement despite the lack of materials, the use of music from the 90s and early 2000s and fact that they have no space to call their own. These are the things that might cause an American group to give up hope before ever beginning, but they do not deter these hip hop lovers. The boys are there religiously doing what they love and learning from one another. The hope is that one day they will be able to form a formal hip hop dance troupe, perform for others and set an example for the positive impact music and dance can have on the lives on young people. This of course, requires help from others- financial support for materials and strong examples from other groups who can share their wisdom and experiences. Fresh Dance members know that all of this will come in time and they are beginning to look for organizations with which they can partner and share experiences. But, for now they are excited to have the community that develops when they gather together to dance, and they are thankful to have the support of EPC Ombreira and a location to test out their new moves!

If you know of a hip hop organization in the U.S. that would be interested in partnering with Fresh Dance or are interested in getting involved and supporting this group please email kacyleighbrubaker@gmail.com.