| Experience report |
A new life in Balam Abaj...
Antonio Guarchaj Cajtunaj is a carpenter in Balam Abaj and is 20 years old. He produces furniture and carved masks that are sold at the market in Chichicastenango. He made a shelf, a wardrobe and a window of Berlin style for our hut with only his machete.
Mother and child enjoy absolute rest for four weeks
Five days ago he and his 18-year-old wife Manuela became parents of a daughter. It is a tradition that the mother is allowed to rest absolutely after having the baby and staying in bed with the new born for four weeks. Only going to the "Temascal" (sweating hut) for the weekly total body cleaning interrupts this stay in bed for a short time, which is seen as reward by the indigenous. Sweetly doing nothing ...! "¡Es costumbre, así es!" (That's the tradition!)We are in Balam Abaj, a small settlement with 100 indigenous families in the western part of the Guatemalan highlands, situated approximately 40 km from the capital of the department Sololá. Our accommodation during the coming four months will be the further assembly room of the village - a 20 m² tall house built of dried clay bricks, which is situated nearby the building site, where the new school with three classrooms, kitchen and sanitary facilities will be constructed.
In the evening - invited by Antonio to visit his wife and the new born - now we are following him through the deep darkness under a starry sky. Only a torch is shining the way through corn fields to the hut of the family. It is already completely dark inside and we are asking if it is not too late for a visit. But Antonio says no and invites us to enter. We are welcomed by a smoky spicy smell. The room is slightly misty and beside the still glowing fire place the father and uncle of Antonio are sitting who are warming themselves at the fire place and are talking in soft voices.
We are entering with a low "Buenas noches" (Good evening). We are lead to the bed of the young mother. Suddenly there is a movement in all corners, half-asleep faces are turning up, small nimble bodies are rising from their mats and surround us, are sitting in front of Manuela watching with fascination at the small bundle in her arms. Now she is lifting the shawls and we can see black sticky hair, a tiny nose and two coffee brown eyes, that are blinking in the candle light - Yolanda. Meanwhile the whole hut is awake and joining us.
Four generations living in one room
Grandparents, parents, the children of sisters and brothers; four generations live in one hut. 14 persons sleep, eat, work and live in this room, which is not bigger than a normal German living room. They are all staring at us, happy about our interest, smiling at us, listening to our questions and our compliments, that we are expressing to the proud parents. In the end we distribute our small presents - an earring for Manuela and a knife for Antonio. Then we are saying goodbye to secure calmness in this room again, which has its own special magic and will always stay unforgettable in our minds.Andrea Kapusta, Münster
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