First Grant- Manak-Kru
I am happy to report that we have distributed our first grant here in Venezuela to the indigenous community of Manak-Kru. It was an honor to give the grant, not only because they are a strong and vibrant group of people, but also because of their welcoming and enthusiastic participation in our connection and introspection workshops.
I laugh when I think about how embarrassingly unfamiliar I was with small town life when I first arrived in Manak-Kru. Somehow I thought it was appropriate to shout the name of the community chief in the streets of Manak-Kru when we couldn’t quite track him down for our first meetings (think “Stella!!” from A Streetcar Named Desire. I know- rude and ignorant, but for the record I still think the entire community could hear me if I really let er’ rip). Despite our initial communication issues we eventually met with the Chief of the community, Basillio, on several occasions to discuss how he thought the grant money should be used. We stressed how the grants were to be used for cultural sustainability and we were very impressed by his immediate understanding of these goals and his willingness to hear our ideas.
Once we had decided roughly how much of our grant we would give to Manak-Kru, we were able to establish a budget and go shopping. We met Basillo and a number of women from Manak-Kru at the town plaza in Santa Elena and proceeded to shop for the goods they had requested. We made our way from store to store at a fairly swift pace, helping these leaders buy exactly what their community needs was a uniquely rewarding experience. We ended up purchasing two sewing machines and materials for the construction of traditional dance costumes, a large variety of popular local sports equipment and beds for a new healthcare facility in Santa Elena.
I truly believe that these grants will make a difference in the community of Manak-Kru and I am particularly impressed with Basillo’s leadership and cooperation. We are now very close with the chief (“Basillio!!!”) and shared a delicious dinner with him and his family at their lovely home in Manak-Kru last night. I consider this first grant a huge success and hope we can help other communities here in a similar fashion.
-Kelsey