THE SOUL OF THE WORLD

“Hay que cambiar el alma del mundo.” ~ Isabel Allende, Eva Luna

“The soul of the world needs to be changed,” states Isabel Allende in her novel Eva Luna. Just how does one set out to change the soul of the world? Not through politics or revolutions, nor through protests or demonstrations. Rather, there are small things that touch the soul: acts of kindness, humor, art. Manifestations of love and hope. Charity.

Perhaps without knowing it, and certainly without knowing the full potential of our actions, various dedicated individuals have set out to change the soul of, if not the world, at least one small, coastal community in Costa Rica. We came to share, each in our own way, our knowledge. We ended up sharing (and receiving) much, much more.

I arrived in the community of Pochote one sunny morning in February 2008, after receiving a frenzied, somewhat overwhelming, phone call from the school director. I stepped off the bus on the main road that runs through the Peninsula of Nicoya and started walking down the only, lonely road in sight. With tropical dry forest on one side, and pasture on the other, the pothole-filled road seemed to lead towards nothing but the distant sound of waves, until it opened up into the entrance of the tiny town. I quickly recognized the school, the smallest that I (born and raised in the city of Philadelphia) had ever seen. Three rooms, three teachers, and some 50 students greeted me; the teachers warmly, the students with somewhat more reservation. It wasn't my obviously North American appearance that confused them... these children live near large hotels and fabulous beaches that attract tourists by the bus load. Rather, I imagine that these children, used to the comings and goings of foreigners, were biding their time, to see if the promised English teacher was really there to stay.

After the grand tour (which took very little time), I agreed to give English lessons in the school two days a week. I soon learned that some of the students were also receiving music lessons “on the beach” as part of an after school program. However, having seen what many music programs in Costa Rica consist of, I didn't expect much more than a plastic flute and possibly, some drums; especially in such a rural, impoverished community. I was surprised to hear the students speak of pianos, violins, and even cellos. It was a few months before I made my way over to the beach, and found myself in front of Harmony Music School.

One of my students lead me to the entrance, where I was greeted by Teri Lee Thompson, who owns the music school along with her husband Don, and Doña Gina, then director of the program. I introduced myself as a Peace Corps Volunteer, learned about the project, and asked how I could help. Soon thereafter, I found myself giving English classes at various levels to the staff of the school, and some 30 members of the community.

I was impressed by the accommodations that were made for my classes, but much more impressed by the hospitality of the entire staff, who invited me into their homes, allowing me to give classes well into the evenings. But this hospitality was nothing compared to the friendship that they offered me, something that I needed much than a bed, being so far away from my family and friends in the States. I'd found something of which I'd been deprived for months: people with whom to talk late into the nights, to joke and laugh, to discuss our varied futures, our shared present, and our very different pasts.

Change has been the overwhelming theme of my two years here in Costa Rica. I have changed in many ways: my Spanish has improved; I have scars to record memorable interactions with animals and barbed-wire fences; I have learned and grown in ways I'd have never thought possible. I've seen my friends and family, both here in Costa Rica and back home in the State grow and change as well. But the biggest change that I've witnessed over the past two years has been in the community of Pochote.

I've been granted with the amazing opportunity to watch my students grow into young musicians. Students whom I can hardly keep in their seats in my English classes wait for their violin lessons with a patience that surpasses that of many adults. Music students have grown into teachers and role models for younger children, and look with open eyes towards the future. In this community, most parents haven't been to college, many never finished high school. Still, their children talk about studying music in the National University, becoming music professors and professional musicians. It's a dream that many might have thought impossible just two years ago. And yet, as some of our students play in a national orchestra of young musicians, while others study in their homes and cart their instruments back and forth to the music school on their bicycles, I can't help but feel like this, and any other dream that these children might foster, is completely possible. I've seen their dedication, their commitment, and most importantly, I've seen the support that they receive from their families, their music instructors, and each other.

Little by little, the soul of Pochote is changing. From a community of hard working fishermen and farmers was born a generation of dreamers and artists. A generation walking through the wide open door of opportunity, towards a world they might have never known existed if not for a few dedicated music teachers and a Canadian couple with a vision of socially responsible development.

Christine O'Neill is a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Children, Youth and Familes at Risk program in Peace Corps/Costa Rica. She completes her two years of service in September 2009, and will be moving to San Jose to serve for a third year in the Peace Corps office.