The Host Family Experience

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Our program is unique in many ways but one of the main ways in which it is unique is because we provide our students with a host family experience. The host family experience provides total immersion in language and culture. As a study abroad student in Guadalajara and Salvador, it enabled me to make wonderful relationships and enjoy my experience in a way I would not have. Our students find the experience daunting because of the language barrier. It can be nerve-racking living in someone else’s house. However, despite the challenges, it is a very positive experience because the care and concern the host families have for our students is clear. I am so very grateful to our host families for taking extra special care of our students on this trip. I am thankful for their time and energy. I know that the experience will continue to support our program goals of  including helping people and cultures understand each other. Muito obrigada pelo apoio e carinho!

Host families

Our initial meeting

 

Host Maes

Julie and her host mother ZeZe

Host Family

Sergio, Olivia, Analia and Shaun

Host Maes fotos

James and Lyta

Host Moms

Khadirah, Suedes and Maekaylia

Host Mom

Eliane, Adrienne and Marlen

Host Mae

Maimouna and Daisy

Salvador, Bahia A Land Of Culture

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Welcome to Salvador. The land of a once enslaved people who has maintain their African culture despite many attempts to erase their history. Faced with several trials and tribulations, both past and present these brave Bahians has been an inspiration to me, a fellow Black person of African descent born and raised in the United States of America where our history of affliction is  homogeneous to one another. It is as through I have finally met a distant relative that I have never seen before, coming here to Salvador. Despite being unacquainted with the Portuguese language, the people of Salvador have been patient and kind with me. Never for a moment during this two week study aboard program have I felt as though I wasn’t welcomed here in Salvador, Bahia. I started my Monday morning here in Salvador, Bahia like I would in Atlanta, Ga, a early morning run to boost my immunity and to focused my energy. Yet there was a huge difference between running on the street in Salvador than in Atlanta, Ga. For starter the beautiful uneven cobblestone side walks in Salvador will make your average morning run twice as hard to complete. Yet while the pavement is demanding, seeing the beautiful Bay of All Saints as you wrestle down the hill of Av. Sete de Setembro, will give any runner a boost of energy to continue as I did. I was blessed to run pass the Fort of Bahia along the coast and finished in the beautiful neighborhood of Rio Vermelho. After changing clothes we were off to the old city called Pelourinho to hear an inspiring lecture on race and culture in Brazil at the the Great Steve Biko School. This school is in Salvador Brazil to help Afro Brazilians prepare for university and workforce while instilling Black History and Black pride in Bahians. A few hours later we were on our way back to the Victoria neighborhood for a quick ice cream break before we will have an hour long class learning the wonderful techniques of Capoeira. This martial art called capoeira was created by enslaved Africans to help them fight against slave masters and soon help them gain complete freedom. Capoeira combines dance acrobatics and music. I was lucky to have a bowl of soup at the end of Capoeira class to help from passing out due to learning and doing this style of martial arts. This was a great and busy day that I never will forget.

A day trip to Cachoería

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The countryside of Bahía welcomed us on Saturday morning as we drove uphill and instate to the beautiful city of Cachoeira. During our journey, we got to experience glimpses of the Bahían countryside, filled with thick forestry, wild animals, and people enjoying the pleasant and crisp wind outside their homes. 

Image of countryside of Cachoeira from the van 

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Our first stop was Santa Amaro, where we visited the open market and saw beauty supply products, fashions, fruits and veggies, and all kinds of meat and seafood. Even Clara Ramos was doing her shopping as we looked around! Many vendors were delighted to allow our tour guide, Freddie, to introduce us to the different customs and history of the products. Some even asked us to take pictures while we were visiting, as they were glad to see African Americans come to visit.

 

Outside the market, we saw historical sites from the 1700s, including some made without bathrooms! Freddie gave a mini history lesson about the bathing habits of the Portuguese colonizers to explain that architectural decision. (They wouldn’t bathe for three months until they went to the ocean…)

 

 

Next, we visited the Leite & Alves cigar factory and watched the women fill, roll, cut, package, and seal cigars. I also bought a set for my uncle as a gift! Then we drove to the top of a mountain to visit the Fazenda Santa Cruz. At their restaurant, we were greeted with a complimentary shot of passion fruit liqueur. We had lunch surrounded by beautiful scenery, cows grazing in the pasture, and a family with young boys excited to interact with us. The government has preserved the farm for years since the time of slavery in Brazil.

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After our meal, we visited Universidade Federal do Recôncavoo da Bahía (UFRB) Centro de Artes, Humanidades, e Letras (CAHL) for a lecture on the African Diaspora. We were constantly interrupted by governor candidate ACM Neto (Antônio Carlos Magalhães Neto). Still, that experience introduced us to the Brazilian way of campaigning: driving through cities, exploding fireworks, blasting music and campaign messages, and the candidate and supporters following in a parade. 

The lecture concluded the highlights of our day and an unforgettable one at that! I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time in Bahía <3 <3.

Historic Gateway and Glimpse into the Brazilian Hard Work Ethic

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Regardless of the day of the week-our Brazilian crew-the director, professors, guides, homestay families and drivers-showed up with energy and passion to make sure we could soak up as much history, culture, and information as possible-Every. Single. Day. From early mornings, weekend afternoons, and the evening-the hours of our days in Brazil have been filled with meaningful activities that introduced us to diverse cultural perspectives and experiences of communities and aspects of residential life. On the final Saturday before departure, the sun shone brightly as we learned about the port of Salvador-and the important role that the marina has played throughout history.  

The buildings, churches, architectural structures within the area showcase centuries of classic design elements complete with motifs of the sea abound in what was the earliest entry point into Brazil. Over time, the waves of individuals resulted in expanding development into the upper sections of Salvador, connected by a winding main road that brings you to the upper section of Pelourinho.

 

 

 

Today, the contemporary connection is marked by the famous elevator which offers stunning sunset views of the sea as well as the stepped cityscape silhouette. The marina teems with action daily-as it is serves as the port for access to the many surrounding islands and well as for cargo business, fishing, and local trade.

 

Another highlight of the morning was exploring the Mercado Modelo. Professor Mauricio designed two interactive activities that prompted us to find food and beverage options that covered the alphabet within the two-story food court (building one) within 30 minutes. Of course, we rose to the challenge and identified numerous menu items from A to Z.

The second activity took place in the section of the market with vendor stalls located housed within a long tent during restorations of the permanent structure. Students set out with a worksheet in hand-focused on identifying details of three souvenirs of interest which required conversational Portuguese exchange with merchants. Beyond language skill-building, students practiced the art of price negotiation. Overall, students valued the personal interaction with vendors and observed their personal connection to the wares they sold and the livelihood their shops represented to so many. On the other side, the thoughtfulness exhibited by students in their careful consideration of the intended recipients of the souvenirs was evident and equally touching. With minds challenged and bags full…We had another successful and productive day of learning about Brazilian life while engaging in critically important retail therapy.  

Collective Health in the City of Salvador

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With the sun beaming down on us, we made our way up the hill toward the Federal University of Bahia. Professor Eduardo Mota greeted us with a bright smile and presented us with refreshments and mugs as our welcome gifts. Professor Jolida Nery graced us with her informative lecture about the integrated programs at the Federal University of Bahia Institute of Collective Health. We also learned about the Brazilian education system and the challenges a student may face when they have ambitions to go to university. 

  

 

In addition, Professor Eduardo Mota shed light on the differences between collective health and public health. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and how an individual’s health extends beyond clinical settings, but their quality of life and access to adequate necessities play a role as well. Even though the Brazilian constitution guarantees health as a right, it is hard to ignore the health inequities that are evident in a large population of people. It was insightful learning and comparing the U.S.’s public health ideology and Brazil’s concept of collective health because the latter focuses on methods of how to prevent illnesses in the first place and their escalation. 

 

After our morning class, we went on a panoramic tour of the city of Salvador with Fred and Ricardo as our tour guides. We were able to learn about the history of the locations and why they mean so much to the Brazilian people. There were so many places and they were all so beautiful!! My favorite would have to be the iconic Barra Lighthouse, also known as the Santo Antônio Lighthouse.

 

We eventually ended the night with a delicious dinner at Boi Preto. The servers were attentive and they made sure that we left the restaurant with a full stomach. As someone who is a big food lover, it was a great immersive experience into Brazilian cuisine.

 

July 15th, 2022

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Today was an interesting day. As opposed to other days filled with activities, today was not that way. We all learned a lesson today which is that not everything always goes as planned, but that is okay. 

We woke up early this morning and took a trip to the community of Marechal Rondon. Here we gathered with the ISC faculty, students, and staff. ISC is an organization that has many volunteers including teachers and students; they come together and try to find solutions to problems in their poor community. One of the issues they focus on is environmental health. 

After we all introduced ourselves, where we come from, and what we are excited to learn about, we took a ride through their community. I couldn’t help but notice that all of the homes were so close together, and along super steep hills. We made a stop, and we got a beautiful view of the favelas next to a lake. Professor Ricardo explained to us that this lake is involved in their sewage system.

Marechal Rondon community

At that moment, unfortunately, one of the students in our group was not feeling well and was going through an allergic reaction. We had to end our visit early and return to a doctor to make sure that our classmate’s health was okay. Although we were not able to complete what was planned, I did get to see some of the students that were part of the program. It was truly moving to see the enthusiasm in these students’ faces because considering that they have so little in this poor community, they are willing to dedicate their time to gain knowledge and help improve their community in whatever way they can. It was a sign for me to be more grateful for what I already have, take advantage of it, and keep moving forward! 

We spent time at home and ate lunch. Later in the afternoon, we had a collective health class with Federico Costa. His lecture was about Environmental and Social Gradients. He talked to us about the drivers of disease emergence, urban health programs, and much more. One of the issues he explained was diseases brought by rodents, and since these poor communities do not have proper sewage systems, they suffer the consequences when there is flooding, for example. Another issue is the disposal of trash. In middle class areas, we know that trash is collected three times per week, but this is not the case in low-income communities. The residents themselves must find proper ways to dispose of their trash and many times it involves walking up and down those harsh hills that we saw in the favelas. The urban health programs aim to solve these emerging health problems by conducting research within the communities.

Federico Costa @ICR Brasil

Although our plans were changed throughout the day and in the evening as well, we learned to adapt. The other students and I still took advantage of the knowledge and experience that was provided for us. With the help of everyone, we were able to tie everything together to make it a successful day!

Pelourinho- July 19, 2022

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Today we learned about how social inequalities in Brazil affect outcomes in life and health conditions. Clarice Mota, an anthropologist at the Federal University of Bahia Institute of Collective Health, shared her views on social class, race, and their relationships with health.
Unified Health System or SUS is a public health policy improving health for citizens in vulnerable situations. Other programs, including services of community health workers, show the importance of having dedicated members of vulnerable populations treat members of their community with government training and resources.
 
 In Portuguese class, we practiced numbers, learned translations for store items, and conjugated verbs. Hopefully, these lessons can prevent “a classmate” from purchasing Denture Cream, thinking they are buying travel toothpaste.
 
After class, the group visited the historical town, Pelourinho, in the higher city of Salvador. Our tour guides, Fred and Issac, showed us the Elevador Lacerda built in 1869 & 1873, Sao Francisco, and Verges Gallery. The highlight of the walking tour includes visiting Casa do Carnaval Museum; Carnival is a five-day celebration before the Lent fasting season consisting of elaborate costumes, caipirinha, and African-influenced dance.
 
 
Casa do Carnaval Museum showcases the significance of Samba music, dance, and costume for Salvador Carnaval. During our tour, we learned how dancing like a Bahian begins with feeling the rhythm and moving freely. After learning how to dance for Carnaval, we had a private session incorporating Salvador’s historical musical instruments like tambourines wood- block instruments, and drums. On the roof, we watched the sunset and continued walking the streets of Pelourinho, soaking in the atmosphere. The group ended the night by attending six o’clock mass. 
 
 
Bahia teaches how dancing, relaxing, and living in the present moments with family or friends are forms of celebration.
 

Bahia, Salvador Community/ Theater Event

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Today was a beautiful day in Bahia. The weather was just right! We met Eder Muniz and some students studying abroad at different universities. To do community work, including painting the school’s entrance and yard. This event was a lot of fun to participate in. I love giving back to the community. I could also tell the community members, and the students appreciated our work. They stood outside smiling and waving as we painted. This event was also an excellent way to interact with the other students studying at ICR.

 

 

That night, we attended the Bahia Folkoric Ballet. This event was a great experience to see everything we discussed in class. The Bahia Folkloric Ballet is a passionate and energetic performance that captures Bahia folkloric manifestations, its stories, habits, colors, and influences. The highlight of the performance for me was when the Orisha yemaya danced. She is the river goddess and mother of all other Yoruba gods. Her performance was so powerful and passionate that it gave me goosebumps. Overall this was a pleasant experience to watch and take in the Bahia culture.

 

Sweet Escape to Arembepe ✨🌴 🌞

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 Its safe to say that kids really are the futurre and today’s events was a great example of that.

We traveled to Arembepe, a small village located northeast of Salvador in the state of Bahia. On our way to view the beach we were welcomed by the Centro Cultural Arte Brasil (Associaçao Cultural Berimbau Brasil), where they are working on a berimbau art project for the youth. The story behind the progression of the school was very inspiring! With hopes to provide children with what they didn’t have as kids, the non-profit’s organizer’s goal is to provide children with education of all levels, help them stand out in society proffesionally, culturally, socially, and politically and produce crafts as a source of income for struggling families. If this project isn’t representative of what a community should look like, I don’t know what is.

During our time with the kids, we had a lovely demonstration of capoeira and the maculelê. Even though we didn’t have the best rhythm at first, we were able to keep up with the pros by the end. We even got to plant our very own seed to grow the tree the berimbau sticks come from. Much appreciation goes to how interactive this day was as well as how welcomed we felt in the community. It felt like home away from home.

These few weeks had been filled with activities and gaining knowledge, so to soak all of it in, we stayed at Pousada a Capela. Treating people well must be Arembepe’s specialty because we walked into one of the nicest, most relaxing bed and breakfasts Bahia has to offer. Not many people can say they’ve visitied the Atlantic Ocean before! I guess the quote “Life is better in flip flops.” proves to be true! 

Pousada a Capela sources their delicious coconuts right from their very front yard. The bed and breakfast is filled with palm trees that are just a sight for sore eyes. They have to cut down the palm trees just about every morning because the trees get to heavy and can cause things below to break or people can become injured. Enjoy the video below of one of the last professionals in the area putting in the work that keeps Pousada a Capela looking beautiful!

Coming back to this little village is a must. You’ll never want to leave!

❤️ 

Culture and Art

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We often walk around with beautiful murals on underpass walls and paintings on the side of building, but aside from it being a colorful display we rarely know who painted it and why. 

On this sunny day in Bahia, we headed to explore the graffiti art of the infamous Eder Muniz. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and busy talk from my classmate and the air smelled of acaraje and  adventure. As we exited the van and were greeted by Eder, before us stood the Favelas and to the right an enormous mural painted with the brightest of colors in Bahia. At this moment, our shoulders relaxed and with the fist breath of awe, all of our eyes widened. In a community so poor, there was still beauty and esteem.

Eder explain his art and that this was one of the many pieces he has done in his community. He told us that this was his way of giving back and it was important to do so. When you think about Brazil, it is interesting to note that in Favelas the people are very much bonded like family. They all know each other and if someone is in need of help their neighbor is there to lend a hand. The idea of community in the Favelas is a part of life, it is not only about the individual. 

As we made our way down the winding path Eder arrived at his home, it was beautiful with warm color tones of sand and cream. Plants lined the floors inside and the walls outside. The back porch overlooked multiple hills of Favelas and just when the view couldn’t get better, there in the midst of it all, were two mural Edar painted as if it were saying hello. 

Eder spoke with us about the origins of graffiti and the culture it holds. Graffiti even goes back to prehistoric times when cave men and women would draw pictures on the cave walls. He showed us how tag artist also have historical influences in their work and the tag alphabet look very much like a Viking and Egyptian mix. We then headed down the street to see several murals painted by local artist including himself and he explain how the art represented different parts of Brazil, such as the birds, the natives, and the colors. It is interesting to see how Graffiti in Brazil is connected to beauty, art, and community, while at the same time redefining how we envision the word graffiti itself. 

With this in mind, I challenge you to embrace the stories we show in the States as well. The next time you pass a mural take a moment to stop and absorb the story it tells. Feel the colors and be present as the mural displays its story to you eyes.