Leymebamba Project: Toussaint Mears-Clarke

    Leymebamba is a quiet, peaceful community. The food is all natural, the air is pure, and really and truly there could not be a more welcoming, friendly place in all of Amazonas. I am midway through my two months in Leymebamba, and every day that I wake up here, I rejoice.

     The town is small (approximately 2200 people) and so it´s downright impossible not to get to know most everyone. It’s the type of place where you find yourself being greeted by your first name, or if you are sick, your next door neighbor makes you tea. I´ve quite enjoyed getting to know the people in this community. In fact the best part of my volunteer experience has been the relationships and connections that I´ve made here. Whether I am playing basketball with one of the English teachers, or conversing over yogurt with a local tienda owner, I feel at home- a community member of Leymebamba.

     In Leymebamba, I serve primarily as an English teacher. During the day I teach children of ages 8 to 11, basic English, in the Casa de Cultura. It is two hours every day of the week of Simon Says (Diego dice), parts of the body, simple present tense, stickers, and songs. In addition, I teach English in the night school to 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd form. The night school classes are also a lot of fun although we can´t quite get away with playing tag instead of having class. On weekends, I teach guitar lessons, tutor students in English, participate in volleyball games, and cross-country run with the high-schoolers that live in the hogar. The hogar is essentially a family of adolescents, approximately thirty in total, whom have no means of formal education in their respective towns. They board in Leymebamba, live, study, work, wash and eat together. I´m grateful to have had the opportunity to work within the hogar.

     Leymebamba is a wonderful place to work if you really wish to integrate yourself into a community. You can give back and at the same time know that you are making an impact. For instance, I see my students daily outside of class. They strike up conversation, oftentimes in shaky English. It´s easy to feel that you are working with the people. In short, Leymebamba is a safe and special place where a volunteer can find herself or himself a niche. It’s a place to relax, and recuperate. I am proud to say that a piece of me is now from Leyme.