Participants Blog

Dreaming with C.

Dreaming with C

My host niece Cand I have shared many special memories and have a beautiful relationship. She is a bright young girl aged 15 who prides herself on her diligently done schoolwork and being the responsible eldest of 6 siblings. She is soft spoken with a great sense of humour and a willing smile. C works very hard and like me wants to someday become a doctor.

My relationship with C took off when we were both asked to play on the Morochos’ women’s soccer team together. Our soccer experience stands out in my mind because it was something that was an unexpected part of my trip and was a lot of fun. I remember the excitement of our first game, getting ready together, making plays on the field, high-fiving, and scoring! Being on a team together definitely brought us closer together as well as many more experiences that were of just us.

She was the niece who went through the bustling Saturday marketplace with me to buy my whole traditional Anako outfit, helping me along the way to barter for the best deals. She was the niece who first taught me to dance to the Quitchua music on the cement patio in her mother’s flowery yard. She was the niece who I stayed up with almost the whole night watching the Twilight series as her siblings slept soundly amongst our giggles and laughs. Also during my stay, Morochos celebrated their anniversary festival which included an election of reinas (princesses), a huge procession through arcs of bienvenido (welcome), a folk band from the big city, the final matches to the soccer league, constant dancing, and delicious food. Cathy was one of the participants and I got the honor of judging the competition and being able to see her go through and succeed to win! She is a beautiful girl with a loving heart and I will never forget how she has touched mine.

From her perspective I think she really looked up to me. She probably felt happy that she was no longer the eldest of 7 kids and had an older relative that she could talk to, confide in, and have fun with. I think that she felt special when she got to accompany me to the marketplace and very proud of herself when she taught me to dance. I think she felt very close to me that night when we watched the Twilight series. During the election of reinas she was probably more nervous than she would have normally been to have me as a judge but when she won she would have felt even more happy than maybe she would have too. Proud that she had achieved this in front of someone who she sees as a role model.

Like me, C hopes to someday become a doctor and is working towards that goal with determination and patience. She loves to talk about it and I think that she finds it really neat that we share this dream. I think it was an important thing for her to see someone older than herself trying for this goal, not making it, and then still keeping the dream alive.

One of the sweetest memories I have of C was taking the bus back from Otovalo one of the last days I was staying with her family. During the ride up the mountain she explained how some high schools have a more direct entry into a medicine program so she wishes to switch schools but that it isn’t possible for her to do so. She said that after she has graduated from her high school she will have to write many more tests and that it will be much more difficult for her to get into a medicine program. I told her that she was doing a really great job and that she should keep up the good work in her school and in her family. I told her that no matter what, no matter how many tests she would have to write, she must never give up and she must keep trying until she realizes her dreams. I think that she really appreciated to hear those words, maybe felt inspired. For a girl with many more challenges to overcome in order to realize her dreams, inspirational words and conversations are necessary, happen far and few between, and are taken to heart.

This was apparent with how she answered me. She explained that because of the fact that her mother had married when she was only 15 years old, that many people had just expected her to follow suit. With a bold look out of the dirty window she said that she was going to prove them wrong. That she was going to make something of herself and be somebody.

“I am going to keep working hard until my dream comes true,” she said sheepishly with her big bright smile.

I told her how wonderful she was and how good it was to hear her say that. We laughed together. I think she felt proud of herself to have told me what she did. I also think she was really happy to have been able to get those feelings out and confide them to someone she trusts and admires.

I think and I hope that my presence has given her hope and inspiration to realize her beautiful dreams. I know one thing for certain, from the tears that we shed when we said goodbye, that she cared for me deeply and that we are true friends.