Working Like a Local

Being leader of the day was very challenging. Today we visited Brigada Verde where we helped plant caoba trees (mahogany) and learned what hard labor actually looks like. Today we learned that the workers get paid 10,000 pesos a month which is $100 US. One of the hardest things today as a group was staying consistent planting the trees in the sun, but as leaders of the day it was our duty to keep everybody on task and to keep moving. Although this was a challenge we managed to persevere through it. As LDDs we felt that this was a great accomplishment because sometimes our group can be drained at times, so it felt great to complete this task together. In addition, all the workers were inspiring to us because they do this hard work everyday and get paid so little. Overall, we learned that the people working the hardest jobs don’t earn the amount of money they deserve. This taught us to be more appreciative of those who are undermine and value life in the US.