Wow,

My experience in Trinidad simply left me in awe. Visiting the country of Trinidad was an extraordinary experience and all the activities that I and my group participated in added to the greatness of our experience. The time I spent in the country was from Sunday, March 10th to Friday, March 15th. The first day in the country was spent first traveling from Port of Spain to Matura. The vast difference in the structure and care of Matura was very surprising. The roads were not taken care of and the non-existence of road signs and traffic lights showed the state of Matura. After lunch, we had a meeting with Susan, who was one of the main leaders of Nature Seekers. Susan had been with the nonprofit since the beginning and spoke to us about the importance of the work of Nature Seekers for the turtles and the community as a whole. This was a wholesome experience to see the heart and passion behind the work of Nature Seekers. We got a rundown of how the nonprofit works from an operations standpoint and how they go about doing their actual fieldwork by Rhema, Susan’s daughter. Later that night, we joined their team from 8-11 pm on the Matura Beach. We were able to tag the turtles and help with the data tracking. This was astonishing to see how late at night those at Nature Seekers work and what conditions they work in. Working late a night on the beach was a bit nerve-wracking as a bat was chasing us, but it was also beautiful to see and help the turtles that we were helping to protect. The next two days were spent participating in the nature tours that Nature Seekers provides to promote their ecotourism efforts. These tours allowed me to not only experience the beauty of Matura but also interact more with the people who make and fuel the nonprofit into what it is. Meeting both Anderson and Francis was extraordinary. Both of these older men have spent their lives pushing the agenda of Nature Seekers. They shared so much knowledge of their time at Nature Seekers and the why behind why they are willing to do the grunt work of a nonprofit for their town. The last day (Wednesday)  we spent in Matura was the most heartbreaking experience of the entire trip. We spent the morning packing food packages for distribution to those in need in the local community. We were given the option to help distribute the food to the community out of the will to help, however, it was not how we expected. Rather than locals coming to the center to get the packages, we instead went to their front doors unannounced. We gave them the packages, but it felt like we were being American saviors. We had no real context behind the members of the community other than Matura was the poorest town in Trinidad. The experience made me feel unwell as I got to enjoy the scenes of the town while there were truly people who were suffering and we never got to interact with them outside of handing them food. The last couple of days were spent in Port of Spain, where we went on various tours around the city to understand the history and culture of Trinidad. It was extraordinary to see the vast racial and cultural infusion of the island. The history of colonization of the island still greatly influences many aspects of the country from the architecture to the laws, however, it is interesting to see how the inhabitants have been able to create a beautiful culture of their own.

Before the trip, I expected that our time spent with Nature Seekers would be uncomfortable. This was expected as the location is in Matura, which is the poorest town in Trinidad. Also, we had only one meeting with one of the Nature Seekers representatives who would not be onsite that often. This expectation was not met, as the time I spent with Nature Seekers was awesome. We were made to feel as if we were home and this was displayed through the liberty we were given along with meaningful connections that were made. The conversations that were flowing between those of us who came from Pittsburgh and those who were at Nature Seekers were seamless. On the other hand, another expectation that I had was that both the concept of “Trini-time” and the language and accent barrier would cause some friction during our time. These expectations were met. The progression of the noticeability of “Trini-time” got progressively worse throughout the trip, as on the day of our departure, we were late due to our host in Port of Spain. The language and accent barrier also showed some friction as it was difficult to understand what was being said at times. I typically had to rely on body language to get through conversations. However, when these challenges arose, I was able to overcome them. When the “Trini-time” issues came up, I chose to respect the cultural differences we had with the Trinidadians. I learned to go with the flow and enjoy my time there. With the language and accent barrier, I learned to not be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves and I also used body language to fill in the missing gaps in the conversation for myself. The most important thing I learned was to be a listener. Many of the things that were being said were not difficult to understand, rather I had been used to passively listening through conversation. This trip helped me become a more active listener. 

As a class, we have spent the first half of the semester before the trip preparing heavily for the many possibilities that we may encounter. We were able to prepare through various avenues such as research, guest speakers, and real conversation based on educational articles. My group and I did extensive research on the Trinidadian culture and various aspects from articles, a provided book, and other sources. We then gave a presentation based on our findings. This impacted my research on Trinidad heavily and getting to learn from my fellow group mates and their point of view on the research. This forced us to try to immerse ourselves in different aspects of Trinidad. This helped us greatly as we were able to understand many of their cultural standpoints and terms.   As a class, we also were able to dive into a plethora of academically validated readings. From these readings, we were then able to have honest class discussions that were filled with the expanding of the topics and the creation of a deeper understanding that can translate into how I headed into Trinidad. Two readings had a huge impact on my preparation for this experience in Trinidad. The first is the “Ethics in Project Management” By Craig Brown. Craig Brown himself was also once a student in a service learning opportunity and this reading is from the point of view of the student. The reading explores various ethical principles that will lead to effective project management with the client. Although some of these points seem to be “common sense” discussing with the class the importance and why behind each point. It allowed me to explore how each principle could negatively affect the group, the project, and ultimately the client if it is handled negatively. To view it from the side of the client was very eye-opening and reminded me of the importance of the longevity of the project to Nature Seekers and the Trinidadian community. This helped greatly in Trinidad as I was able to take many aspects such as putting the goals of my client before my own. I believe this mindset helped us present great deliverables to the client which they were impressed by. The other reading that had a great impact on me and will change the way I head into Trinidad is the article “Points of Discomfort: Reflections on Power and Partnerships in International Service-Learning” by Erin K. Sharpe and Samantha Dear. The two authors were professors of the group of students that they led to Cuba for a similar service-learning opportunity to ours. This reading was impactful because it explored the many negative things that can occur during service learning projects for both the clients and the University group. The article explores three “points of discomfort” that were caused by miscommunication, cultural differences, and the reality of being a foreigner in a new country. The discussion attached to the reading explored and created a vulnerable conversation about the possibility that these or similar “points of discomfort” may happen to us, especially since this is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that this program will occur. With us being the first group in a long time to go to Trinidad for this purpose this class will only heighten the chances of these discomforts. However, the article also discussed avenues the group when about trying to resolve these issues. Many points of discomfort occurred while we were in Trinidad. Some instances were when we had the tourist gaze when we would eat and not have to clean up or the people at Nature Seekers did not eat with us. Having the back knowledge of this article helped us realize these points of discomfort and effectively address them so they would not recur. 

In conclusion, my time spent in Trinidad was comparable to none and unforgettable. I am very grateful for the experience and glad that I chose to work with Nature Seekers and travel to Trinidad. The Trinidadian story deserves to be shared and the island deserves to be highlighted for so much more than a tourist destination.