Wacuco Panama, 2012

Building. Be it interpersonal bridges or a physical dam, Ripon College students were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty during a trip to Wacuco Panama this January. The trip, led by Professor Brian Smith, was meant to offer students a chance to experience a different reality, learn new skills, and work alongside the local community to build a much needed dam. Their host was Fr. Wally Kasuboski, a Ripon native and recipient of an honorary degree from Ripon College in 2010. Since 1988 Fr. Wally has been working with the Chocoe Embera Indians to bring fresh, clean water to everyone living in the area. Fr. Wally has worked diligently with the local people to ethically develop jobs, make trade education available, and obtain the physical, financial and political support needed to build churches, roads, water systems, etc to meet the needs of the community. The latest phase of this project encompasses the building of a dam, which our Ripon College student volunteers got to experience up close and personal during their time in Panama. Upon returning to Ripon, the student volunteers were asked to reflect on their experiences.

Below is a sampling of what they had to say:

1.      Describe the most important experience(s) you personally had in Panama. 

The dam under construction, as it appeared
 to Ripon College volunteers in January 2012

"The most important experience that I had in Panama was just being there. Helping other people, meeting new people, being around other people who also wanted to help that was life changing. You don’t realized how lucky you are to be a part of a group like that until you meet everyone in the group and realize why everyone is really there." --Alyssa Wetzel, '14

2. Explain any new personal awareness about yourself (e.g., deeper level of understanding of yourself, talents, and desires; clarification of personal goals for your life; spiritual insights, etc.) that resulted from your time in Panama.

"Throughout the whole trip I received positive feedback from many of the community members about my work ethic and my care for others. This opened my eyes to the potential we all have as human beings and the potential I have to be an even better person."--Laura Savall, '15

"I learned so much about myself on this trip. I realized I can handle a lot more than I thought I ever could. I can handle spiders and snakes, bumpy rides, large rocks, and dust in the eyes. I can handle cold showers, no TV or internet, no glamour, and no cell phone. I realized that I can do this, and because I can, I should. I’ve begun to seriously consider the Peace Corps after graduating because I know I can handle it. God has given me the strength and ability to help people, and I believe it is my responsibility to do so." --Emma Jelinek, '14

3. Did you come to any new understanding of poverty and its causes in a developing country and what can be done to alleviate it? Explain.

Professor Brian Smith (Religion), Laura Savall ('15), Samantha Petroski ('15),  Alyssa Wetzel 
('14), Molly Gruetner,('13), Emma Jelinek ('14), Fr. Wally Kasuboski, Brad Habert ('12)

"Yes, I pictured poverty as more of a money issue then a resource issue. After my trip to Panama I understand that simply sending food and water isn’t enough to solve the problem. Although many of the people in Panama have enough money to buy the supplies they need to live healthy lives there is nowhere to purchase them, so instead they are stuck paying money for substandard drinking water. With the work Fr. Wally is doing on the dam people will be able to use their money to buy clean drinking water, instead of paying for the dirty contaminated water. There are also people who have no money, the dam construction is providing jobs to many of these people and even paying them above the minimum wage of the country. Fr. Wally is also taking charge on many more contracts given to him by the government such as building roads and bridges which will provide even more jobs to the locals who need the money. The way to alleviate poverty in Panama is not to simply send money to the locals but instead give them a way to support themselves by increasing the infrastructure in the country and making it possible for more people to hold jobs." --Brad Habert, '12

"Even though I knew there was poverty in the world, experiencing it the way that we did in Panama allowed me to understand more. I saw that even though the country was developing, there were parts that were left behind, almost forgot about. With tall skyscrapers in Panama City to huts and dirt floors in Torti I was overwhelmed with feeling of sadness and anger that there could be such a wide range of living conditions." --Molly Gruettner, '13


4. Described your plan(s), if any, to become more involved in community service as a result of your trip experience (e.g., participate more in volunteer work; start a new project; share information about your overseas work with others; prepare yourself academically and professionally for future humanitarian work internationally or domestically, etc.

"The trip showed me the importance of water and how serious of an issue it will become in the near future. As a result of the trip I have been researching opportunities that would be available to me after my graduation at the end of the current semester. Without my trip to Panama there is no way I would have discovered my interest in the Peace Corps and would likely have decided to go straight into the job market." --Brad Habert, '12

"I decided that when I was older I wanted to be like the older people who were there. I thought about it and every year when I’m older instead of going on vacation I would like to do a service project in a foreign country." --Samantha Petroski, '15

Ripon Community and College members joined forces for their visit to Panama.  

5. If you were explaining to another student who is interested in going to Panama about this trip, what would you say to them?
"I would tell them that it truly is hard to describe fully because it is such a personal experience. Every individual gets something different out of it. It is a lot of hard work, sweat, and dirt, but it is also a lot of fun, good times with friends, and a sense of accomplishment. I would tell them not to be worried about diseases or safety because I felt entirely safe. The experience is worth every penny I spent and so much more!" --Emma Jelinek, '14

"The trip reminded me a lot of a camping trip. The conditions of the compound were great and to say we were roughing it would be a drastic overstatement. The bugs and heat/humidity were not nearly as bad as I expected them to be. There was always work to be done, whether it was at the dam site, or building pews for the local church. I didn’t find myself standing around looking for something to do very often after the first day when things go situated. I ate better on the trip then I did at school and every night was a great home cooked meal. The days consisted of hard work while the nights consisted of playing cards...and socializing with friends. Out of all the trips I have been on I felt most welcomed into the group on this trip; everyone was quick to get to know you and was very inviting." --Brad Habert, '12