The journey took about an hour and a
half. The landscape slowly transitioned from dense forests into flat,
white plains of sandy soil. We rolled past copses of hardy, dry trees
and herds of skinny cows. After crossing the bridge over the wide,
rolling river we quickly arrived at the school. It is a school for
the children of the Wayuu community, composed of a few hundred
students from grades one to six.
It was a warm, spacious building of
stone with many open spaces to let the sun in. It was teeming with
activity as little children ran here and there. The boys had blue,
collared shirts. But the girls were all dressed in uniforms that
blended the traditional style of the Wayuu with contemporary
material. The whole school was a delightful
display of art and colour. There were a lot of paintings on the walls
depicting traditional scenes. I was informed that the Wayuu language
was alive and well in the township, with most children speaking both
their native tongue and Spanish. The school encouraged this in many
ways. For instance, each grade and class, rather than being assigned
numbers and letters, was assigned a Wayuu pictographs. So instead of
being in grade 4, class B you might be in grade Tiger, class
Mountain. This made the symbols on each uniform an expression of
classroom solidarity and made the signage in the school way more
artistic and interesting.
One of the reasons the school is so
enthusiastic about language is that the Jesuits place a high priority
on the preservation of indigenous cultures. The rich and beautiful
way of life of the Wayuu is a treasure in its own right. But
additionally, each unique perspective that develops upon the earth is
a unique window through which to view the creator. The Wayuu, for
example, have always believed in a father-protector who cares for his
people in times of trouble. Many Wayuu now understand this great
father to be the same God found in Christianity. The mission of the
school has been to help the Wayuu to preserve and live out their
culture's individuality.
However, it is important to note that
the idea of the school was not imposed from the outside. Most of the
teachers I met were Wayuu themselves and there was a high level of
cooperation between the local Fe y Alegría workers and other groups
across the country. I honestly couldn't tell who was an outsider and
who was a local. I believe the great collegiality of the place is
something that comes about naturally when everybody teams up to
create something for the good of the children in a place. The
children are what it's all about.
They were shy of me at first. But they
were a lot like the children at any primary school. I got them to
talking about their favourite classes and explaining what the symbols
on their clothes meant. I greatly enjoyed meeting a group of students
who, as an extracurricular activity, learned and performed
traditional Wayuu dances.
It was explained to me that the dance
represents the courtship of the Wayuu. They are somewhat matriarchal,
so when a couple marries, the man enters into the family of his bride
and he identifies his clan by his mother-in-law. The dancers
represent the family taking him in.
My visit ended with a delicious lunch
of goat and rice. As a parting gift, I was given a clay jar: the very
same kind as I had seen depicted in the painting earlier. It was made
by a student, coloured with sacred symbols. It will remind me of the
school, of the great green river, and of the unique ways in which the
Spirit communicates itself to all people. The Spirit is like myriad
streams of life-giving water: each stream is unique, yet all are from
the same source.
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