Jesuit High School students from New Orleans, Louisiana travel to El Tirao, Panama

Our adventure began when we arrived in the community of El Tirao of Darien, Panama. We were then greeted by the members of the community with an introduction by one of the teachers and traditional Panamanian dances by the students of the school where we were staying. We then started to prepare our accommodations for our stay which consisted of air mattresses and mosquito nets. After setting up our rooms, we were treated to our first home cooked meal and fresh coconuts straight from the tree. After a long day of travel, we settled into our beds, eager and excited to begin working on the court the next morning.

On our walk to the construction site, we were brimming with anticipation, and then upon our arrival, we were delighted to find not only that the foundation had been laid, but also many members of the community ready to work with us. We didn’t realize at the time that they were not only collaborators on our shared mission of bringing the dream of this court to reality, but would soon become our friends.

On the first day of work, we were taught how to complete the necessary tasks to do the work of building the court. After completing the first quarter of the court, we enjoyed cold drinks and ice cream from the local store. On our way back to the school, we noticed a baseball field behind the store where we would then play with the community. That day, our new friends took us on a tour of the community, where we got to see their homes, practiced having conversations in Spanish, and saw their local wildlife. Here, we got to see the differences between our ways of living and began realizing some of the things we take for granted.

On the next day, we continued to connect with the community by playing volleyball and practicing Spanish. That night, the women of the community taught us how to make a Panamanian staple, hojaldre, and we taught them how to make a New Orleans delicacy, Beignets… by covering it in sugar. On Sunday, we continued working on the court and played a fierce game of football (what we call soccer) against the community. Finally, on Monday we finished the court on schedule.

Although we finished on schedule, there was no shortage of obstacles along the way. On Friday, after finishing the first section of the court, we returned to the school only to discover that there was no running water, which meant no showers (that night we all had our first bucket bath). On Saturday, after completing the second section of the court, we learned that the power was lost on the community, which meant no more fans or lights. Then, on Sunday, we were only able to finish half of the third section because we ran out of materials and could not receive more due to some roadblocks. Everyone was asking “where are the rocks?”.

Monday, being the hottest day of the trip, was our hardest challenge since we had to complete one and a half sections of the court.

It may seem like our trip was only hardships and adversity, however, it was the challenges that made our trip so much more impactful. We grew closer as a group through facing adversity together. We grew closer to the community by experiencing their way of life by working alongside and living with them. This trip expanded our horizons by helping us recognize how fortunate we are to have the luxuries we do, but more importantly by showing us what truly matters in life: being a community, having meaningful relationships with those around us, and by living everyday with joy no matter what life throws at us. Not only will raising canes taste better and air conditioning feel cooler, but we will be going home with a broader perspective on life and richer appreciation of what is most meaningful in life. 

Volunteer Quotes:

“The community was overall a very happy and welcoming place. The smile on each kid’s face when you interacted with them brought me so much joy. A simple hello lit their faces up with a giant smile. Not just the kids, the adults as well.”
- Gavin Liantonio

“One local that strongly stood out was Campeon. He was the contractor for the court, but he was so much more to the community. When I broke my leg playing soccer he spent the rest of the night driving me to the nearest hospital. He and the community are always happy no matter what.” - Austin Indest

“¿Que xopá?”, “¡habla loco!”, “¡marca!” (forms of greeting). These are all fun expressions that we learned from the Panamanians. I love learning such expressions because, as a hispanophile and Spanish teacher who learned Spanish in Spain, I love learning about the linguistic variety that exists across Latin America.” - Richard Williams Jr.

Community Quotes:

“This space created a safe space for young people from El Tirao to have fun and stay away from the use of substances and other harmful activities.” - Razena Meneses, cooking volunteer

“This project improved the quality of life of our residents, strengthened the social bonds, promoted the local economy and sustainable development. We have never had a project of this size in the community and we are very grateful for this.”
- Maria Murillo, school teacher

“Our community won beyond having a finished court for the practice of sports. The community won in the practice of a second language, won in cultural exchange, and it won new friends.” - Enrique Caicedo, construction volunteer