Peace Corps Volunteers embark on a journey that involves living in a new country, learning a new language, and working alongside others in a new community. These experiences create fertile ground to connect with others and build relationships. During my time as an Education Volunteer in Panama, I found that my love of baking gave me a unique way of connecting with others.
The town I lived in was large and centrally located in the region and had a population of around 5,000-10,000 people. I met many people during my first few months in my new community, including teachers, students, and school counselors. However, the people who became my closest friends were a family that included a 7-year-old boy named Siul, his mom, Irasella, and his grandmother, Señora Luz.
One day as I walked home from the high school, Señora Luz was outside on her front porch. She called out, “¡Niña, ven!”, inviting me to come close to her gate. She asked if I could tutor her grandson, Siul, and, if so, how much I would charge. I explained to her that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and wouldn’t charge any money to help her grandson.
Initially, I went to Señora Luz’s house only to tutor Siul. I would help him with his English homework, and we would have a lot of conversations in English. He would also show me the popular songs and music videos on YouTube and the dance moves that went along with them. Eventually, I became a friend and “adopted” granddaughter, sister, and cousin, and spent a lot of my time with this family.