By Jennifer Watson

Two red hats sit on a shelf in my home. One has the words “Happy Birthday, Jennifer” knit into the rim. It was made by Manuela, a 12-year-old scholarship student I met through Pura Vida. The second hat was a gift from her mother, which she presented when I visited their village last winter.

Manuela's photo bio from 2009

 I keep the hats where I can see them because they remind me why I’m grateful for Pura Vida and my involvement with it. The relationships I’ve developed since visiting Guatemala with Pura Vida last year have enriched my life, helped me grow personally and spiritually, and broadened my perspective of the world. And all that has happened in a single year.

What specifically do the red hats bring to mind? The first “red-hat” reminder is that generosity has nothing to do with wealth. Ingrid Manuela and her mother lost part of their home in the rains and mud slides last year. Every time it rains now, Ingrid Manuela shivers and prays, asking God to spare them from disaster.  She and her mother have little more than a room with a roof, and losing part of their home was devastating. Yet in the midst of this frightening time, they made a birthday present for me. As a percentage of their wealth it was an extraordinarily generous gift, and I found their kindness humbling. It reminded me that we can live with open hearts even in difficult times.

The second reminder is that the parents of Pura Vida’s scholarship students are an example for all of us.  I provide scholarship support to Ingrid Manuela through Pura Vida, but her mother loses income when her daughter is in school rather than working.  (Pura Vida mitigates the income loss to some extent.) I also think of what it must be like for her to watch her daughter learn subjects she never had the opportunity to study herself. If Ingrid Manuela completes her schooling, her life may be significantly different from her mother’s. It takes courage, faith and sacrifice for her to help her daughter enter a world she has never known herself.

The third reminder is that the world is richer and more complex than I ever imagined. My family is of European descent, and I’ve studied in and traveled to Europe many times. I’d never been to Central or South America before visiting with Pura Vida, however. Because of the interest in Guatemala that Pura Vida has fostered, I volunteered to write an article for a local publication last year about a former Guatemalan president who was in Denver for the Biennial of the Americas. His goal was to advocate for regional cooperation in solving social and economic challenges facing Latin American countries.  That conversation, coupled with what I’ve learned from Guatemalans and Americans involved with Pura Vida, has opened up an entirely new part of the world to me. It’s been fascinating, sad, challenging and enriching.

Pura Vida works on a small scale compared to some global nonprofits, but its limited geographic focus allows deeper relationships to develop among its Guatemalan and U.S. supporters. In one year of involvement, I’ve helped a little girl complete a year of schooling and expand her sense of what life could hold for her. In return, I’ve received two red hats—and a whole lot more.

Jennifer with Manuela and her mother

Jennifer Watson has been a member of the Pura Vida board of directors since 2010.