This is a picture of me standing inside of the completed hen house. Feeders and drinkers were staged to show their future placement.

Author: Emily Spatz | Major: Poultry Science and Spanish

The people of Belize are so open to sharing their stories, which made the relationships that we were able to form even more impactful. Two of the most interesting people that we were able to meet were Norie and Dayta, who are two sisters that have taken over the previously male-only career of traditional drum making. They are the first women in Belize to professionally make drums because it was believed that women could not handle the power tools and that drum making was not a respectable career for women. While at a drum making workshop one morning, Dayta began to tell us her story and how she was able to become involved in the Belizean tradition of drum making, which involved crossing gender norms from an early age. She spent many days alongside her father as he made drums, and would ask him to allow her to help sand the drums, which permitted her to slowly gain skills that have led her to her success in this niche industry today.
She asked her father, “How will I know when I am done sanding?” Rather than telling her a specific time frame that each log would need to be sanded, her father told her “Sand until you smell garlic.” Of course, sanding down the wood of the mahogany tree does not actually produce a garlicy smell, yet he told her this because it would give her a goal to work towards and he knew that having passion about what you are doing produces great work, which would cause her to try her hardest and give it her best effort.
I thought about this advice for the remainder of my time in Belize, especially when I was feeling discouraged about the daunting task list for building the chicken coops. I remembered my goals for this project and how passionate I am about the impact it will have on the community by enhancing food security, which gave me the motivation to keep stapling down the chicken wire. We nailed in nearly 10 pounds of staples by hand, which was no easy task. In those difficult moments where I felt like we would not be able to complete the project, I stopped, remembered why we were doing what we were, and kept pushing on. As each piece of the poultry house was finished, I was further encouraged to continue.
I encourage you to pause and take a moment to think about your goals and all that you hope to accomplish during your college career and in the years that follow. Think about what motivates you and be truly present and intentional in all of the relationships that you form and remember – keep sanding until you smell garlic.

Academics
I primarily chose to participate in the Service Learning through Community Partnerships in Belize program because it directly corresponds with my honors thesis project, Using Poultry to Enhance Food Security in Belize. However, I also saw this as a unique opportunity to see the work that I had planned in action and to interact with the school faculty and community partners to receive their input and make this project as beneficial as possible. This study abroad program also boasts an incredible combination of exotic wildlife, beautiful scenery, and culture-packed experiences. I loved the way that the program combines students from different areas of study and allows all students to work on all of the projects, which included agriculture projects at the school, teaching, palliative care, and sexual health.
This project is the culmination of my thesis research, which also served as a capstone for all that I had learned throughout my undergraduate poultry science degree. It was a great review for all that I had learned in the classroom and helped me to apply the various concepts in a very real and impactful way. Furthermore, flexibility is paramount in any international setting, which is the same for the workplace and is something that I, as a type A personality, definitely need to intentionally practice!
The classes were very informal, in that they were very discussion-based and geared towards the community’s needs. We learned a lot more in Belize by “doing” rather than just listening to lectures, which produces a more lasting impact. There were also many discussions about cultural aspects of Belize and how to progress along the intercultural development spectrum and to become more culturally competent. This also involved exploring our own cultures, which was eye-opening and allowed me to think about the “nonexistent” American culture through a different lens.

Culture
The food in Belize was so fresh and bright, which was the biggest difference from the food in the United States. Fresh fruits and vegetables were served with breakfast each morning, alongside beans, a starch, and a protein. Another breakfast staple was the fry jacks, which are essentially savory beignets. Most meals were served with fresh squeezed fruit juices, which were always perfectly sweetened without added sugars. Stewed chicken with rice and beans and fried plantains was a common meal that was very filling and delicious! There is a very important distinction to make – rice and beans, which are mixed together, is not the same as beans and rice, which are kept separate. I was able to try several foods that are not widely available in the U.S., such as breadfruit, sour sop, and cassava!
One of the aspects of the program that I was not anticipating was the architectural differences in Belize, like needing to make all buildings elevated in case of flooding. I had planned out step-by-step instructions to build a chicken coop, yet these plans had to be completely changed once we arrived in Belize to accommodate the local needs and weather conditions. It was interesting to see the way that other local buildings, like homes and restaurants, were built in the same manner that we had to build the chicken coops, which served as an affirmation that the new design would function well. Treated wood is also expensive and hard to find in Belize, so a local alternative is painting wood with burnt motor oil to deter termites, which can completely destroy a structure in less than two years.
Drumming is extremely important to the Garifuna people in Dangriga, and traditional drumming was audible from the hotel, at restaurants, and throughout various neighborhoods. There is even a monument named “The Drums of Our Fathers” that is recognizable and represented in many other locations in the town as well. We were able to visit two sisters that have taken over their father’s drum-making business, and they showed us the entire process of making a drum, which was incredible and involved a lot of skill and precision!
Despite all of the new physical experiences that we had in Belize, the most lasting impression is the relationships that we were able to form by talking to Belizeans. A few of the most impactful people that I was able to connect with were Pine, Casey, Norie, and Dayta.The university formed a connection with Pine many years ago, as he was one of the first recipients of a University of Arkansas small business loan for his small hog operation. Pine is truly a jack-of-all-trades, although he would describe himself as a contractor. He was an extremely valuable member of the poultry house construction and helped us adapt the construction plans to meet the specific weather conditions of Belize. Casey is a waitress at Alexie’s, which is a restaurant that the entire group frequented. She is 24 and has four children, but was very willing to share about her life and how she manages to balance family, work, and her personal life. and Dayta are the sisters that took over their father’s drum-making business several years ago. They create drums and wield their power tools with unmatched grace and finesse!
While in Belize, we had very busy days! I typically woke up at 7:00, got ready, applied sunscreen, dowsed myself in bug spray, then ate breakfast on the roof. After that, we loaded up in the vans and drove 20 minutes to the school. We then would work until about 12:30, head back to the hotel, and then go find lunch. If no other activities were scheduled, we would have free time until dinner, which often consisted of going to the beach or talking with the others. After dinner, we would usually talk, maybe get ice cream, then head back to the hotel to shower, relax, reflect, and get some sleep for the next day. The days were packed full of new and exciting experiences, so by sundown each day we were all exhausted but not wanting to sleep for fear of missing out on more adventures, bonding with the other students, or learning from the experiences of the Belizeans.
We did a lot of walking, especially to lunch, the beach, and shopping. If the destination was too far to walk to, we rode in a van and sometimes had to cram. The van had lots of issues, such as the AC being broken (even after being fixed several times) and randomly not starting. This contributed to the overall experience, as it led to more bonding among the students through mutual suffering and enhanced flexibility.
Although the experience was mostly positive and rewarding, certain aspects of the culture were harder to adapt to. For example, it is very common for the men to catcall and say things like “hey beautiful,” “hey sweetheart,” etc., but the people also say “good morning,” “good afternoon,” and “good evening” to everyone. The catcalling, although different than in the U.S., was still unwelcomed, uncomfortable, and difficult for me to grow accustomed to. It took much longer to get our food at restaurants in Belize, yet still everyone seemed to be much more patient and understanding. The people of Belize did not seem to be in a rush and enjoyed the time they had while waiting for their food by conversing and laughing, while in the United States we often complain and talk about reducing our server’s tip if they happen to take too long to fill up our glasses. Likewise, customers in the U.S. are often angry when restaurants are out of something, despite the familiarity we all have developed with supply chain issues and labor shortages, yet the citizens of Belize were much more understanding and able to simply accept the situation and choose something else without grumbling.

Advice
I would definitely recommend this program to other students! It was a wonderful experience and we were able to learn a lot from the community partners that we formed relationships with and worked alongside. The community partners have a lot of wisdom and experience that they would love to share, so being willing to listen not only means a lot to them, but also could teach you a lot about life.
The largest piece of advice that I can give to students who may consider this program in the future is to welcome uncomfortable circumstances and to practice both intentionality and flexibility. Traveling internationally with near-strangers is a great way to dive out of your comfort zone, which I believe produces the most personal growth. Intentionally showing up each and every day is hard and takes commitment, but it is completely worth it. This allows you to maximize your time and leave with no regrets, knowing that you put your best foot forward and gave all you had to the community. Finally, I cannot preach flexibility enough. Everything will not go according to your plans, and that is okay. If you walked into another country and refused to do anything other than your way, you would be simply imposing yourself and not truly caring about or meeting the needs of the community.
Although it is a very minor request, I wish I would have known that I would not need as many long pants, because shorts were fine for working despite how the packing list made it sound. There were a lot of mosquitos, however, so bringing a few pairs of work pants is a great idea, but only one or two dressy outfits are necessary. I would also recommend that future participants bring a sufficient amount of cash, but not in US $1 bills, because the banks and many stores will not accept them, although higher denominations are accepted.
As soon as I return home, I plan to get an iced coffee and love on my dogs!! There were a lot of strays in Belize, and it was obvious that the majority of the female dogs had recently been pregnant, which contributed further to the stray problem. The dogs that were pets were often tied up outside, but I just wanted to pet them all. Although it is tempting to pet them, do not do it! Most dogs are not vaccinated, and you do not know their temperament, so approaching them could potentially be dangerous.