What I learned from my second #PoPFieldTrip: Happy tears are my favorite kind of feelings
There’s something to be said about laughing as hard as I ever have at a dinner table in Guatemala with a group of people who were all more or less strangers just 24 hours before. But that’s a #PoPFieldTrip for you… or maybe that’s just Pencils of Promise.
As someone on the Marketing Team who spends a lot of time focused on how to externally share PoP’s work, particularly emphasizing how we partner with the communities where we build schools, during this trip it dawned on me that I might not spend enough time focusing on the partnerships that PoP creates with our supporters. This group, encompassing anyone from major corporate donors like Microsoft, to smaller companies committed to social good by donating a percentage of their profits to PoP, to those who double click our Instagrams — these are the people that keep PoP on its feet, and thus who allow us to significantly change the lives of children, parents and communities around the world.
I talk about PoP a lot, mostly with these types of supporters, who likely won’t get to see the work we do firsthand. Thus to be honest I was nervous about the trip — when I visited Guate in June 2015, I observed and I learned; this time around, however, I was responsible for leading a group, and of course wanted them to feel as excited and empowered by PoP’s work as I do.
But that, inevitably, happened. When Dave and Louis danced their way into the hearts of the children in Siete Vueltas and Chaguital; when Elisa channeled her inner Kate Middleton as she elegantly spoke at each community; when Ryan shared his film equipment with kids/future videographers who delighted in looking through the lens; when John calmly interviewed students and teachers, his relaxed manner putting them at ease as they opened up about their new school; when Dan quietly soaked in each moment, taking stunning snapshots of community elders — inevitably, through all of these moments, each trip participant created their own connection to and relationship with Pencils of Promise.
To see that happen was quite humbling, and also way more emotional than I had anticipated. As someone in the early stages of my career, it gives me indescribable confidence that PoP trusts me to facilitate these types of experiences, and also is indicative of the fact that this organization, in all circumstances, remains true to its steadfast belief that anyone can change the world.
That’s why our partners are so integral to our success and that’s why sharing our work — through virtual reality, a tweet or a trip to the field — enables PoP to establish our most critical relationships; we connect with people who believe and invest in education, and ultimately create an intimate relationship around a cause that matters.
The authenticity of this trip came from the deep, heartfelt thanks that each of the communities conveyed when we visited. While it would be easy to interpret this through a lens of “first world saves the developing world,” that scenario doesn’t exist because of the partnerships we create, both with the communities and with our supporters.
Picture this: in Chaguital, we surprised the community with a delivery of new desks and classroom furniture. Jorge, our Guatemala Country Director, got choked up telling them we’d brought these new supplies, a little girl turned around to give me an enormous hug and say “gracias” over and over, which immediately caused me to burst into tears; Maria, our Guate Development Coordinator and trip-organizer extraordinaire, was also misty-eyed, all the while the community cheered and celebrated this momentous occasion. Then, side by side, our trip participants, PoP staff and community members unloaded the trucks and placed the desks in their new home.
In these interactions, everyone offers what they can — dance moves, a cold beverage, a hug. It’s raw and it’s powerful to realize that even with some language barriers, we’re all sharing the same joy and knowledge: that when kids get a quality education, the world becomes a better place.
On the plane back to NYC, it occurred to me that for the past five days, I had barely had a thought unrelated to PoP or how I could help facilitate the best possible trip for our six participants. It was remarkably refreshing, and perhaps I was overtired after a late last night out in Antigua, but above the clouds, squished in the middle seat, I started to cry.
It was a happy cry, of course, which I honestly think came from being overwhelmed, exhausted and filled to the brim with emotion for the people I had just spent the past four days getting to know over bumpy roads and sweaty van rides, for the kids I’d interacted with in the communities who asked when I’d come back (it broke a small piece of my soul not having an answer), and for Jorge, Maria, Adrian (our dexterous driver who expertly avoided potholes on the road), Marlon (our projects coordinator) and the rest of our Guatemala team who is so fabulous that all the superlatives in the world couldn’t do them justice.
I think people are drawn to PoP because while our community encompasses thousands of supporters, these numbers can’t (and don’t) strip the organization of its identity. PoP’s strength comes from its relentless persistence to show people — donors, partners and supporters — that anyone has the capacity to make an impact on the lives of others.
Picturing the aforementioned dinner, with everyone in hysterics over a classic Louis and Dave childhood story, I realize that PoP brings people together in a way that is few and far between what most other organizations are capable of. PoP is an organization that — and I’m quoting Jorge here — “has heart.” To see that heart reflected through someone else’s eyes, in this instance through the trip participants and through the communities we visited, was not only validating, but also uniquely self-reflexive.
My birthday is next week and because of PoP, I feel very lucky to realize that as I get older, the direction my own life will take can only be towards a position where I’ll leave behind a positive impact. We don’t get a lot of time here, but it’s worth finding people, places and opportunities that will never fail to make us spontaneously break out into happy tears.
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Check out #PoPFieldTrip on Instagram to follow our adventures in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.
