Ursuline students go ‘Beyond Our Borders’ to Guyana

    Six girls, four teachers, 10 passports, 12 days, and every ounce of our bodies praying that we remembered to pack shampoo.
    Back in September, six Ursuline juniors – Jarithza Carlson, Joy Comboy, Holly Corvers, Alexis Robin, Emily MacLaren and I – applied for and committed ourselves to the first-ever Beyond Our Borders Immersion Program at Ursuline Academy. We knew the immediate logistics of the program: We were going to Guyana, South America on a mission trip that also would be a journey of cultural exchange.
     It was simple enough to say that we 11th graders were boarding a plane over Mardi Gras break to a different continent, but the week leading up to Feb. 10, our departure date, was clearly unsettling. At the airport, our final moments of panic were no longer comforted by the obligatory, “Did you pack your malaria medication?” or “Make sure you have your flashlight,” but rather by the encouraging words from our sensible parents. And off we went.
    After hours of switching planes and drudging through security, we eventually were introduced to the moist and loud city of Georgetown, capital of Guyana. But since we left for Karasabai the next day, let’s start there.
    Karasabai, located in the upper-west area of Guyana, is a large, spread-out village inhabited by the peaceful, English-speaking Amerindians. Landing in Karasabai, we were immediately welcomed by school children singing their self-written song, “Welcome to K/Bai.” In a week, we were to become much closer with these smiling, coy strangers.
    The hub of the village contains what would seem essential: a church, school, library, police station and hospital. There was no air conditioning and no hot water, and, surprisingly, it wasn’t the end of the world. To an average middle-class American, the school was shocking. Chalkboards separate the classrooms, children’s notebooks are made out of magazines and hardly anyone wears shoes.
    Every day we walked into the classrooms, the teachers, without hesitation, allowed us full authority, and the students gave us their attention. We taught simple math and composition, but we also did crafts, played games and read books. As much as I think we brought happiness to the villagers, they truly did teach us so much more.
    After a 10-hour bus ride through the rainforest, we were greeted by the generous Ursuline nuns of Georgetown, who lent us their convent for accommodations. We enjoyed afternoons with the children of St. Ann’s Orphanage, helping them with homework and competing in volleyball games. We also visited Marian Academy, an Ursuline school in Georgetown. The children are much like us. Many have common technology such as cell phones and iPods, but some live in an orphanage. The variety of social classes is intense, but prejudice does not prevail.
    I don’t think our trip culminated in a singular event or a closing prayer. “Our journey is still in motion as we try to live simply,” said Comboy, appreciating what she calls “the little things.”
    “This is a new beginning to a new lifestyle,” Carlson observed. “Given the opportunity we had, we now have some responsibility to share with our friends and family this newfound knowledge and love.”
    Lina Alam is a junior at Ursuline Academy.