Isabelle's Volunteer Experience: Leaving with an Overflowing Heart and Suitcase
Isabelle has been a volunteer with Trama Textiles, in the vibrant city of Xela, Guatemala. Her time was filled with learning the traditional art of Maya backstrap loom weaving, fundrasing, yummy eats, and outdoor adventure. Come with us to learn more about Isabelle and her reflections on volunteering at this special women's weaving cooperative.
Meet Isabelle!
I’m 28 and from the United States. I have been in Xela for five weeks; I leave tomorrow which is very upsetting. I was the donations assistant here at Trama Textiles which meant that I helped in figuring out the process of tracking donations and planning events for fundraising.
Isabelle weaving with Amparo (the president of Trama Textiles)
A day in the life of a weaving cooperative volunteer
I work in the mornings at Trama, so I wake up and come here. Normally I work until about 1pm doing either donations or whatever else comes up. Three days a week, I have two hours of Spanish class in the afternoon. Usually, I come back to Trama and weave whatever project I’m working on until about 6pm. Afterwards, I hang out with people, maybe go to the trivia night at Paddy's or get a beer at Antigua Cerveza. Then I go to sleep and do it all over again.
Isabelle’s favourite places to eat in Xela, Guatemala
Rustic
Rustic is a little bakery where they make everything from scratch. They have delicious cinnamon rolls and amazing sandwiches. Every week they have a different special so you can frequently try something new. The staff are so friendly. I went for the last time yesterday and the man who works there was so excited to see me. He ran over, hugged me, and said “I’m so excited to see you.”
The famous Rustic cinnamon rolls
Xela Birria
Xela Birria are the best tacos I've ever had and they are so cheap. On Wednesdays and Fridays, they have a deal on the birria tacos for 10Q. That would probably be my biggest piece of advice for volunteers - take advantage of it!
Learning traditional weaving techniques
I have done three weaving projects; a table runner, a scarf, and I’m currently doing a wall tapestry with two quetzals embroidered on it.
Isabelle´s quetzal embroidery
Lessons in weaving
It's a very deep cultural tradition that is very important to the women. When I first sat down to weave, I thought it looked like such a simple loom, but it is so much more complicated than it seems. You need so much strength which I didn't expect. I think it’s made my appreciation grow for women around the world who are in the textile industry.
Especially with the embroidery, I was watching Amparo do it at first and she was going so fast that I thought it wouldn’t take me that long, but I was extremely wrong. It's very clear the level of expertise that they have and that they've dedicated their entire lives to this art. I love that I am able to be apart of that in my tiny little way that I am.
The bumps along the way
The most challenging part of my role was that it's very specific and there are a lot of technical terms that you need to talk about. Starting that role, not speaking Spanish, and then having to communicate about my duties was difficult. But everybody was so kind and understanding. I was also able to use my English as a tool to help in responding to emails and Whatsapps from English speakers. We better adapted my role to fit what I could do while still meeting the needs of Trama. I think it was a little rocky at the start, but we worked it out.
On communicating with a language barrier
I had never spoken Spanish or learned it until I came here, and I would say that it was a struggle at the beginning because everybody communicates in Spanish. People speak a little bit of English but not enough for me to have a conversation with so I really needed to learn. Xela has a billion Spanish schools, so I started taking classes which was really helpful. I've been here for five weeks and learned so much more Spanish than I was expecting. Also, everybody here is so nice and willing to talk with you even if you aren't the best or don’t understand much. I really felt comfortable speaking in restaurants and coffee shops with the little Spanish that I knew.
What Isabelle will be taking home with her that won’t fit in her suitcase...
All the weavings I’ve made...!
More of a takeaway message – I think something I've learned during my time in Guatemala is that I need to chill out. Back home, I care a lot about being on time and being punctual feels like a big deal. Whereas, in Guatemala, it feels like people are just living their lives and time is passing. It isn't something that needs to be monitored every second. It feels better for my mental state to not be as obsessed with being on time, if things don't go as planned that’s okay.
Isabelle and Amparo (the president of Trama Textiles)
One last piece of wisdom
I would encourage people to learn a little bit of Spanish before coming here. Even though I did it without, you'll get more out of the experience if you have that prior knowledge. I really wish that I had been able to communicate more with Oralia and Amparo, the president and vice-president of Trama. You can take Spanish classes online with Utatlan Spanish School here in Xela before you arrive if you're planning in advance.
A final farewell
I just want to say thank you to Oralia and Amparo for being so kind and welcoming. They really made this experience incredible. The people I met here at Trama were the highlight. I will remember my time here and everybody forever.
Isabelle weaving her tablerunner
You could have an experience just like Isabelle, learn how to volunteer at Trama Textiles! Email us at volunteer@tramatextiles.org to enquire about volunteer opportunities.
Written by Rachel White