A Life-changing Trip

Visiting a landfill in Guatemala where families were living in tarp and scrap-metal shanties was simultaneously one of the most heart-warming and gut-wrenching moments of Jo Osornio’s life.

Osornio and Kenzie Eppey, undergraduates studying apparel, textiles and design (ATD) in University of Idaho’s Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences, accompanied instructor Chelsey Byrd Lewallen and Professor Sonya Meyer on a 10-day humanitarian trip to Guatemala last May.

The group witnessed unimaginable poverty, but they also reveled in the opportunity to distribute necessities and teach sewing, weaving, felting and embroidery workshops that have helped local artisans tap new income streams. The trip, organized by Indiana-based nonprofit Hearts in Motion, also included medical professionals who performed surgeries to fix cleft palates and 40 Washington State University biological sciences and Spanish students who tested locals for iron deficiency and type II diabetes. U of I hopes to return to Guatemala next May with a larger group of FCS students and faculty representing several additional programs. Early during the trip, the U of I group served lunch and distributed essential items to families living in a landfill, also handing out stuffed animals to shoeless children who didn’t give a second thought to walking barefoot over broken glass. It struck Osornio, of Caldwell, that people who had so little could be so full of joy and gratitude.

“Seeing the way they are as families — they’re such great people,” said Osornio, who is fluent in Spanish and translated for her group. “We cried for hours that day.”

Eppey, of Hayden, won’t soon forget the delight of children in the landfill selecting stuffed animals. American children who donated the gifts included hand-written notes to the Guatemalan children.

“They ran up to me and gave me hugs just for giving them toothbrushes,” Eppey said. “As we were driving away on the bus, all of the kids were smiling and brushing their teeth like it was the happiest day in the world.”

Eppey was also moved by the generosity of the Guatemalans. For example, an elderly woman named Martha who returned every day for weaving workshops opened her wallet and gave Eppey the only thing it contained — Martha’s childhood photograph. Eppey now carries the photo in her own wallet.

“She really valued the time we spent together,” Eppey said. “After she got done with her weavings, she would have the biggest smile on her face and gave us the biggest hugs. I think it was an awakening to get a new perspective of gratitude.”

About 30 Guatemalans ranging in age from eight to 80 participated in the workshops hosted in a community center within the village of Gualan, culminating with a fashion show during which participants showcased their projects.

Prior to the trip, ATD students and members of the campus ATD Club made 375 reusable menstrual pads to give to Guatemalan women, many of whom sometimes avoid going out in public for lack of having them. As an undergraduate research project, Eppey has agreed to refine the design of the pads to make them easier to sew and capable of better withstanding hot weather.

For the next trip, the group will also come with a supply of cloth diapers and will raise funds to buy infant formula from Guatemalan vendors to help mothers with babies. Lewallen envisions expanding workshops to also include cooking and nutrition, age-appropriate educational activities for children, skirt making and other FCS skills.

“Basically, all of FCS fits beautifully into these community centers that are serving the community,” Lewallen said. “We are providing them with skills so they can make things they can sell to support themselves.”