Cross-Cultural Solutions is a not-for-profit international volunteer organization that operates volunteer programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania, and Thailand. Cross-Cultural Solutions partners with communities that are attempting to develop community run projects. Its program in Brazil is based in Salvador where the organization works mainly in the Algados neighborhood, a low-income community in need of basic services like education and healthcare. (p. 87)
We met the principal of the school, who over the past few years has really built the school literally and figuratively. As we entered we not only saw classrooms but also a kitchen in the open (to help promote nutrition) and we also saw a shower in the open (to help promote hygiene). The school washes the kids and teaches them to clean themselves. As we were leaving we saw a whole group of girls in their underwear leaving the showers (probably about 5 years old) walking in a line, holding the person in front’s shoulders and singing songs back to class.
I spent most of my time at the school playing with a class of three year olds. They were real excited to see us (or maybe it was the bubbles and the stickers). Every child in the class, no matter if male or female, wore only shorts; and by the end of our visit they were covered with stickers. Another interesting thing that we noticed was that one little boy kept smashing toys into another toy, as if he was playing the drums. Another difference that this brought up was that here he was allowed to express himself and maybe nurture some talent, while in the United States that would quickly be stopped in a nursery school. I also visited a classroom of 1-2 year olds. They were just walking around and playing with toys.
We left the school after a little over two hours and headed to the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mission. While there we met Sister Mary Claire, who had just started there three weeks prior and had been previously stationed in the Amazon. We visited the nursing home part that had 12 residents; all females who had no where else to go and no one to care for them. We then saw the day care that provides a reliable place for mothers to send their children to. And because many of the families cannot provide food for the children, the mission provides all the meals for the children, sending dinner home when they get picked up. Our last stop there was upstairs to see the children with disabilities. These children live in the mission and are waiting to be adopted. Right now there are only six there. We were going to visit the church right up the hill behind the mission, where Pope John Paul II on his last visit to Brazil inaugurated it after it had been rushed to build in 3 months, but we were unable to go because the Sister thought it would be too dangerous for us. This really shocked me as it was less than 100 meters away. As we exited and walked down the block back to the bus the street felt so much longer. Our tour guide then mentioned to us that this was one of the most dangerous areas of Salvador because the people were so poor.
We headed back to the ship for lunch and afterwards Josh, Katrina, and I headed to the Mercado Modelo, where I finally able to see the basement. As we walked down the spiraling staircase I was sure not to venture off of it, not knowing who was down there. I chill went down my spine as I thought about all the slaves that had been kept down there in order to hold them to be sold. It was dark and it was all water except for large concrete slabs that were placed around to stand on. We then went back upstairs and did some light shopping. Josh was looking for a specific soccer jersey and capoeira pants. Capoeira is a martial arts dance that was started in Brazil by the slaves. Since slaves were not allowed to practice fighting, they instead masked it by making it into a dance. We headed up to the Pelourinho to find these items.
As Katrina and Josh were in a store I waited towards the front. Some beggar came up to me and tried to smooth talk me and then told me that he had AIDS and asked me to buy him milk at the café two doors down. I asked him how much it cost and he went to go find out. He came back and said it was 2.50 reals (equivalent approx. $1). I agreed and went with him to the café. Since the smallest bill I had was only a 5 reals note I pulled it out. The guy pulled it out of my hand and gave it to the person at the counter. I stood there confused for a second wondering where my change was. The beggar then told me, “You pay for my lunch”. Realizing that I wasn’t going to get change because the guy at the counter didn’t speak English, I just got fed up at the beggar and walked out. In retrospect I should have said, “leché solamenté” for my sad attempt at Spanish even though the guy at the counter may have only spoke Portuguese, but at least I would have made an attempt. It was only like $2 but the whole incident just got under my skin.
After Josh didn’t find exactly what he was looking for he settled for the next best stuff. We then headed back down to the Mercado Modelo on the way back to the ship.
On the ship Josh and I went to the pool, then we met all his friends for dinner. And since dinner was pretty bad, we all went up to the Bistro on the 7th deck and paid for better food.
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