Salvador

My service project took place in Salvador, a large city on the northeastern coast of the country. It was the first capital of Brazil, and many of the original churches and government buildings that were built after the Portuguese arrived are still standing today. Because thousands of slaves built the city, there is a unique blend of elements of African culture with Brazilian culture in Salvador.

The old town square in Salvador.

Upon arriving in the state of Bahia where Salvador is located, I was eager to try as many types of different Bahian foods as possible. The first thing I noticed were the green coconut stands and carts that seemed to appear around every corner. Vendors chill the coconuts, then cut open the top for you when you buy one. You drink the natural water inside of it, and afterward you can eat the soft white inside.

The inside is actually soft and a bit slimy.

I also quickly realized that there are a myriad of tropical fruits in Brazil that I’ve been missing out on for a long time. When a Brazilian friend asked me if I wanted to try pinha, (pronounced peen-yah), I thought she was offering me pineapple because it sounds just like the Spanish word for pineapple. Instead, she brought me this:

Pinha. You eat the white part of this fruit, which is very sweet.

One of the most typical Bahian foods is acarajé. It is made of a fried dough made from ground black eyed peas, topped with dried shrimp, lentils, and sauces. The woman in the picture would be called a Bahiana, since she is from the state of Bahia.

Dough fries in hot palm oil while a Bahiana prepares acarajé for a customer.

During my stay, I came to learn that not all of Brazil is like Salvador. Generally, southern Brazil is economically much more developed than northern Brazil. The two halves also differ because southern Brazilians are mostly from European descent, while a large part of northern Brazilians have African roots. I considered this complex dynamic as I began my service experience.

Service

During my volunteer experience, I stayed at a house with other volunteers, and we each went to our volunteer placements during the day. I was assigned to work at an NGO school that serves children from 3 years old until about 8^th grade. Specifically, I was asked to help with a photography project. My assignment was to take natural photographs of the children while they were doing their daily activities. Administrators needed these photographs to show the global community tangible evidence of what the school is accomplishing. I also helped other volunteers teach English and art classes.

My photography project allowed me to serve as a teacher’s aid, and gain an inside look at education in Salvador. This experience was especially interesting to me, because I have focused on international education in several of my class projects. The children, (meninos), were excited to have me in their classrooms, getting my attention by calling, “Oi, tia!” which means “Hey, miss!”

At that school, all the students receive a snack and a lunch that the cafeteria staff cooks. They would eat simple meals like rice and sausage or bean soup, and drank water in small plastic cups. For some of the children, it can be the only meal that they will receive that day. The thought that some of the children have known hunger came across very clearly when I was helping teach art class. The other volunteer and I were showing the 4 year-old students how to make apple prints using apples, paint, and construction paper. As soon as the other volunteer dipped the cut apple into the paint, many of the children gasped and shrieked. “I can’t believe it!” they said. “Why are you wasting an apple?!” many asked. It made me realize just how often I take food for granted.

Below is a picture of another art project that I helped a volunteer teach to a class of 5 year olds. We made paper Bahiana dolls. Bahiana traditional dress usually includes a head wrap, long layered skirts, a ruffled blouse, and colored beads. The outfit is usually all white, but it can also be in color too.

The students made the dolls out of paper plates and coffee filters, and they turned out to be really cute!

Bahiana paper doll

One of the classrooms where I volunteered. They were singing a song about a crocodile. :)

The 3 year-olds learn how to walk to lunch in a line.

Although the school facilities are nice, the housing behind the school reflects where the students come from.

I really enjoyed my time at the school because I love children, and I'm very interested in international education issues. I saw how the most energetic and passionate teachers at the school worked hard to keep their students' attention throughout every moment of the day. Most of the issues that I discovered are closely linked to poverty, and in fact weren't very different from problems that some educators face in poor areas in the United States.