Brown University and El Potrero, Panama, working and sharing life together
This was a dream come true, everything was an unforgettable experience. At first, we were a lacking a little energy and were incomplete with the people we were working to support.
Upon the arrival of the students from Brown University and their team and Courts for Kids led by Juan Carlos, we were encouraged and united to form a great team where there was high performance and dedication, regardless of the differences in our language, food, customs, and climate. We achieved the goal!
OUR MULTIPURPOSE COURT.
*THANK YOU ALL, SO MANY BLESSINGS*🏀⚽🏐💪🏼🤙🏼”
~Yunier Vergara, El Potrero community member
In the time leading up to our departure, we had many meetings to prepare and set loose expectations about El Potrero. As a group, we all were very excited but had no idea what was going to happen. With that in mind, we all expressed our willingness to learn, be open-minded, and look forward to building relationships within the group.
When we arrived in Panama, we went over the itinerary and said goodbye to our phones. After a long drive, we arrived in El Potrero. We were welcomed immediately with a big sign and lots of kids outside ready to meet us. Their excitement was infectious and made us feel comfortable instantly. We played lots of games while working through a language barrier to communicate and socialize. The community members prepared meals for us and were so accommodating.
The next day, the work on the court started. We began each of the five work days stretching as a group and splitting up the big team into groups. This is something all of us athletes were familiar with and helped further bond us all within these smaller groups. As we worked, we were constantly optimizing our efforts in order to problem solve and make the process smooth. Many lessons were learned about how to make do with the resources that we had available to us. We used an assembly line style, one group was shoveling gravel and sand into buckets, and two groups passed along the buckets to the last group at the cement mixer putting all the ingredients together. We rotated on a schedule so every group was involved. Dispersing ourselves among the community members as we did this, we got to know some of the Panamanians in the community. It was great to be in an environment where both our team and the community members were making an effort to communicate with each other. It was also inspiring to witness their work ethic, their energy never waned and they constantly wanted to make progress. The insane amount of sweat was just a small price to pay for the pride we now have after working with the community to finish the court.
Outside of being at the work site each day, one of the most notable things on this trip was the hospitality of the community and the warm welcome we received. This was shown to us in small instances like our welcome ceremony they put on for us, throwing together a last-minute birthday celebration for one of our group members, preparing three meals a day for us all, and letting us shower in their homes when the showers at the school stopped working. Everyone says hello to each other, knows the neighbors and there were always kids around that wanted to play. Their generosity was contagious and the sense of community was so immense. We greatly appreciated the work they put into making our experience special. The love language of the community is acts of service, especially through our meals. We were introduced to lots of common Panamanian dishes that were made with so much love, which elevated our experience so much.
A key component of our day-to-day experience was reflecting back on how we’d grown each day. Using the challenges we each got each day, everyone had something to share about the unique way they interacted with the community that day. This helped us to appreciate the gravity of our time in Panama and in El Potrero. We often discussed how transformative this experience was for all of us; noting the small moments were often the most meaningful. As a group, we have a unanimous appreciation for how our relationships grew within this team and the ways we were touched by this community. We made the most of our time, getting work done in the face of obstacles like weather, compensating for lost time by getting up earlier the next day, and having a go with the flow mentality.
This trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience as we cultivated relationships and had experiences that will stick with us for years to come. It was truly a lesson about the quality of life; there are so many ways to be rich and find happiness, community, and success. We all reflected on how we a newfound respect for construction and manual labor, and we were so prideful to be able to chart tangible progress day by day.
After we finished the court, it was great to see some Panamanian sights and to see key pieces of history in this vibrant place. A big thank you to boss man Juan Carlos and the invaluable Peace Corps volunteers Erin and Jordan that provided a bridge between us and the community and provided such great insights into Panamanian culture. They are incredible and humble people that really bought into our mission and had such a positive impact on the group and on the work we did. This trip was truly a transformative experience that has touched us all. The labor that went into the court was done with so much love and brought so many individuals together. My team and I are very grateful for this experience and El Potrero will live in our hearts forever.
¡Viva Panamá! ~Katherine Knowles, Brown University student athlete
This has been a pleasant experience with these disciplined young university students who, despite the work, always gave us a smile. We learned from them and they from us, from our culture, customs, and typical dresses and we practiced the language, it was a joy to share with them and a valuable opportunity for all. I hope they do not forget the path in which they have left their footprints, they will be engraved forever on our homeland and in our hearts. Thank you! ~Adagelis Vergara, El Potrero community member
Courts for kids, thank you infinitely for making a dream of many years come true.
God heard our prayer! How beautiful it was to share with this organization of Brown University, the very kind young people, and the team of coaches; they showed a lot of discipline, love for their neighbors, and a lot of physical effort and hard work in building our court at a very fast pace.
In our hearts, in our minds, they will live forever as the "Brown University Boys and Girls", who have left their mark on this humble Panamanian town.
Children, youth, and the community in general thank you for introducing new sports to our community.
Our group Dejando Huellas congratulates them and wishes them to continue working for a better future and leaving positive footprints in the world.
What happiness to have found you!
~Profesora Mayra Vergara Dejando Huellas Group and community member
We want to express that this has been a wonderful experience with an excellent team from Brown University. The boys and girls all had a lot of discipline and values, everyone in the community of El Potrero was very impressed by their tenacity. We all won and learned. They will certainly remain forever in our hearts with all the memories we made together. Students of Brown University, whenever you want to return to Panama, our house is available to all of you and your families. Thank you for making our dream come true, The truth is that if we wanted to play basketball before, we had to go to other communities far away.
In one word, THANK YOU, to all Courts for Kids, Brown University, and Juan Carlos.
~Profesora Blanca Vergara main counterpart and community member
I've learned how much I value making connections with people. Being a coach I communicate with people all day, I enjoy it, but take it for granted because it is a large part of my job. When in El Potrero, most of my communication with the locals was not verbal due to my lack of Spanish, yet connections were made through hard work, sharing a vision, and sharing a goal. These made saying goodbye so hard. ~Kevin Norman, Brown University coach
This trip made me realize from seeing others interact that you don't have to be the same or speak the same language to connect with others. It changed me by making me realize that it is not weird for people to be so generous and joining to people you don't even know, just share the love of kindness with everyone you meet. ~Lauren Long, Brown University student athlete
What I learned from the community is to not take things so seriously. The way they handled challenges with poise and a smile on their faces show it me that with a positive outlook and a laugh anything can happen. They showed me how to make the most out of any situation. ~Lexi Pellegrino, Brown University student athlete
This trip really helped me to solidify what I want to study and pursue as a career path. Although I have always had a small idea in the back of my mind about what I am passionate about, I didn't have the confidence and self-assurance to do what I am truly interested in until actually experiencing it. I am definitely going to consider joining the Peace Corps and I can't wait to improve my Spanish. In addition to finding some direction in my life, being on this trip taught me how to take risks and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I have never left the country before this, but being in such new social situations taught me how to be more outgoing and open-minded. ~Emily Mrakovcic, Brown University student athlete
What I learned from the community is the importance of generosity and positive mindsets. It's so easy to become lost in what could have been and the negative parts of life, but the people of El Potrero take nothing for granted. They live a hard-working, fulfilled life, and of course, it has ups and downs, but they problem-solve and find solutions. They are also some of the nicest, most hospitable people I've ever met. I hope to bring these with me. Finally, I learned the impact of a simple conversation even with the language barrier. ~Simone Dunbar, Brown University student athlete
Gratitude is essential to truly being happy. If you can't be thankful for the small things in life, it's hard to enjoy the bigger things. The community of El Potrero showed me that even without much, there are so many special and beautiful aspects of life, that I often take for granted. Family, community, and love are far more important than any amount of money or material things, and this community demonstrated that to the fullest. ~Quincy Eutsay, Brown University student athlete
The community of el Potrero taught me the importance of culture, family, and taking care of one another. The welcoming and generous nature of the locals made me feel comfortable and safe in an unknown environment. ~Jasmine Lee, Brown University student athlete
The most difficult part of going home is wanting to stay and keep immersing myself in the culture and community. I feel as though I made such genuine connections and relationships with the community and they really took me and all of us as one of them. They put so much effort to teach me Spanish and I really felt so cared for and loved. Going home makes me sad because I could stay here for much longer continuing to learn and grow with the people of El Potrero. ~Lauren Lazaro, Brown University student athlete
