Mariah is the Program Director at VE Global. She recently returned from a trip to the USA, where she visited various YMCA summer camps as part of a new Healthy Living partnership with the Cumberland County YMCA of Maine.
By Mariah Healy, VE Program Director from Maine, USA
On a trip to the U.S. this past July, I had the opportunity to speak with children at three of the YMCA summer camps in Southern Maine. With groups of 80-120 kids between the ages of 5 and 12, I shared fun facts about Chile and the work we do here at VE Global, and, using healthy living as a focus, began showing the Maine kids just how much they have in common with kids in Chile.
After an introduction filled with fun facts about Chile’s customs, varied climate, volcano-dotted terrain and obsession with soccer, I showed clips of whimsical Santiago street performers and of the cueca, Chile’s national dance. From there we entered a conversation about the Maine kids’ favorite ways to live a healthy lifestyle, from their favorite fruits to their favorite ways to stay fit. When asked if they thought the Chilean kids would have similar likes and interests, most of the Maine kids shared doubtful looks and shook their heads.
Thanks to the help of a few outstanding current volunteers, I brought along VE’s fresh-off-the-press Healthy Living video, in which 30 of the VE kids talk about their favorite fruits, healthy foods, ways to get exercise, and their dreams for future careers. I watched in delight as the Maine kids’ faces lit up in recognition as the English subtitles on the screen listed off some of their own favorite fruits, meals, and sports. Apples, strawberries, karate, swimming: the Maine kids were fascinated, watching and listening to the Chilean children speak a different language but talk about the same exact likes and interests they themselves have. At the beginning of the presentations I had shown on a map how far apart Maine and Chile are geographically; the Healthy Living video brought the two worlds closer and gave the kids a personal look at the lives of a few kids in Chile, giving just a peek into the similarities and differences that exist between them.
Speaking to the kids in Maine was a thrill for me and has given me a lot to look forward to for when we show our kids here in Chile the healthy living videos the YMCA camps put together. I think the experience gave the Maine kids knowledge and understanding much more meaningful than any information they could have found through a Google search, which reminds me of the importance of providing inter-cultural opportunities for our children. I think it will be powerful for our kids here in Chile, even though they’re faced with enormous challenges in their lives, to see that kids across the globe have the same interests and dreams as they do. Just as I was thrilled to hear one child say, “I wanna go to Chile!” I hope to hear some of our kids dream big about the possibilities for their future as they learn about a group of kids living 5,300 miles away who, just like them, absolutely love playing soccer.