Today, March 31st, one week has passed since we came back from our Winter Camp in Jordan; enough time to find some space, go beyond our emotional involvement and revisit our experience from different points of view to have a clearer and broader perspective.
First of all, before leaving, as I had never participated in an intercultural project, I was a bit scared about the potential linguistic and cultural issues; maybe I was just afraid of stumbling into the misunderstandings generated by my imperfect knowledge of English.
Instead, I was surprised to notice that not only linguistic barriers do not exist, but we are more connected and similar than we imagine. I became aware of that after participating in a creative and engaging activity that led us to tell our stories to create something together, demonstrating to us all the things we have in common. Seeing how entangled our experiences are while carrying out the activity allowed me to reflect on the real meaning of the verb “communicate” and then gain a greater understanding, supported by the empathy of the whole group.
I listened to the stories of the firm and courageous women I was surrounded by: their perseverance and foresight forged by the difficulties they faced when developing their business projects. I genuinely became passionate about them, and they have been a source of inspiration as well as an incentive to find my path with the same determination and to rewrite my story.
I was deeply impressed by the human side of our experience. Moreover, I have found the field trips exciting. It was essential to be there and learn more about the practical side to understand better Jordan’s agricultural sector.
Moreover, the experience was enriched by the beauty of the place, the attention to detail, and the abundance.
It was a great gift, an opportunity to grow that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Roberta
