CRIPDES San Vicente
May 29, 2003
Note to readers: We have been talking ( Sister Cities and SHARE) about ways to make more news about the goings on in the CRIPDES regions available to individuals and committees working to support those regions. Vanessa Cardinale is a volunteer from Philadelphia who is living in Philadelphia ’s sister community of Las Anonas and working with the CRIPDES San Vicente regional team supporting the sistering work and youth organizing. She is a recent graduate from Saint Joseph ’s University. Vanessa arrived in mid-February. Eventually, we hope to have volunteers in every CRIPDES region doing the same kind of updates. We hope you enjoy these and feel free to contact Vanessa directly at cardinalevanessa@yahoo.com with any comments, questions or thoughts you would like to share!
Friday, May 23, I attempted to hike the San Vicente Volcano with youth from all over the region of Tecoluca. I felt fortunate to have this opportunity, having heard great stories about past youth hikes and their ability to motivate and mobilize youth. The group was a great mix of youth and included newcomers and veterans alike as well as organizers from CRIPDES, CORDES, and U.S.-EL Salvador Sister Cities . The make up of the group created a dynamic in which different people from different regions, different organizations, as well as diverse ages took on the challenge of this infamously difficult hike with energy and an enthusiasm to learn from each other and the experience itself.
We took a pickup from Tecoluca to the foot of the Volcano and started up around 9:00 , a bit of a late start. There was a feeling of exhilaration in taking on the volcano that can be seen from almost every point in Tecoluca. By the end of the first hour the timid ness of the different groups had worn off as quiet newcomers could be heard laughing with veterans of the youth movement in Tecoluca. As we entered the second hour or assent, unable to talk to others because I could hardly breathe, I was able to take a step back from the group and think about why an event like this is so crucial and beneficial to organizing youth.
The pretense of a hike is that a group is presented with a huge challenge, literally, a volcano, and asked to climb it, or, in most cases, decide that they actually want to on their own. To do this, the group commits itself to the physical pain of climbing upwards for a number of hours. Why do we do it? Why do we get so excited about it? The way I see it, individually each person commits his or herself to the challenge of climbing, but at the same time the commit to supporting others in the group. Inevitably these mutual commitments create bond during the hike, a bond that will be recognized weeks and years later when these youth from different regions meet each other again, probably a youth organizing event, and are asked once again to hold both a personal responsibility as well as support the larger group.
This group support was put to the test as my knee began throbbing on our way down and several members of the group stayed behind with me constantly asking how I was and talked with me to take my mind off the pain. One member of the group even made me a walking stick. Luckily for my knee, but unfortunately for the group, we were not able to reach the summit in one day, the volcano was simply too big, but we also committed ourselves to making another trip to make the two day hike to the top. I look forward to my next opportunity to hike the San Vicente Volcano with youth from the region as well as see those who I shared this day with and remember this great day.
by Vanessa Cardinale
UPDATES ARCHIVE