My name is Josue Matamoro, I am 22 years old. I live in San Jose del Sur, Nicaragua. I make my living by fishing and I surf. There are 3 types of surfing that I am into; skim board, mini board and regular surfing.

I love surfing because it’s my life. I wish to improve myself as a surfer and I want to surf at different beaches. I believe if I get a little better I’ll have a sponsor. When I surf, I feel myself as a whole, very happy. It feels like I become one with the sea.

I've got 7 siblings. One of them is surfing too. He is 13 years old, he also loves surfing and I help him with the skimboard.

I live alone. My family is not with me. I am working to be able to buy better surfing equipment. I should buy lots of things. I love skim board and mini board too, but I am not making any money from surfing. I make my living by fishing and by giving surfing lessons at one of my friends’ school. If I don't work there, I can’t buy anything, not even one skim board.

With practice, I wish to be a good surfer and a good skim boarder. My ultimate goal is to be able to represent my country, Nicaragua.

Josue Matamoro
Nicaragua, 27 August 2018

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I’m Luis Flores Umana. I’m the father of 3 boys who are at the ages of 14, 10 and 7, and I’m 32 - very, very old now!

I’ve been working for Aventuras Naturales at the Pacuare Lodge for 5 years, but in the river I have more or less 12 years of experience. I’m a raft guy. I’m from Costa Rica, but I’m living in a little town, Turrialba, which is close to the lodge; it’s, like, 45 minutes away. 

I learned to kayak first when I was 12 years old at the kayaking school in Turrialba, and then I learned how to raft. 

I like the trips and to make people happy, but safely. Safety comes first. If the people enjoy them and have fun, then I’m really happy. Pura Vida!

My children go to school. I want them to be good professionals. They are learning to kayak, too. I want them to be good kayakers. To live in Costa Rica is quite expensive, but its nature is wonderful. We are in the middle of the rain forest; because of that, it is rainy all the time. 

I don’t feel any fear while in nature. We organize some nature trips like canopy tours, also canyoning, rappeling from the waterfalls, and hiking to visit the indigenous people’s reservations.

Pura Vida!

«Pura Vida» is an expression that we use for everything in Costa Rica. Saying «Pura Vida» makes us happy.

Pura Vida!!!

Luis Flores Umana
Costa Rica, 22 August 2018

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My name is Yari. I’m a 39-year-old woman who is the wife of one of the 2 chiefs of the Embera Community in Panama.

I’m from one of the 7 different tribes in Panama which is from Darien, Camarca 2, a territory assigned to us by the Panama government. My tribe initially came here in the 50’s; we’re a small community with 20 families. We would like to be known more nationally and globally as an indigenous community.

As a woman in the Embera community, we are appreciated so that we can freely talk about what we feel and who we are. We feel we are very important as a different culture. The highest challenge for me and the adults here is to preserve and pass down our culture, our traditions and customs to our children.
Women here work both inside and outside the house, and men and women always share the work.

In my daily life I would rather to cook traditional meals and to make Chicha, which is our customary beverage made of corn or rice; it is very delicious. I like to go to fishing too. It makes me very happy. I feel very happy here while I am in touch with nature. The town is also nice, but only for one day. At the end of the day, I feel happier here.

"Bi Abua"

Yari
Panama, 20 August 2018

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I was born in Muang Kalasin, Thailand in 1981. I was raised in the same place. All throughout my childhood, my biggest interests were music and dance. With the support of my family, I started going to Kalasin College of the Dramatic Arts, which gives an education of Thailand folkloric arts. I studied Thai dance and the “Khim" - both stringed and percussive musical instrument - which is very popular in South Asia; a similar instrument is used at Chinese theatrical shows. In our culture, it is told that Persian sailors brought it to Thailand. Nowadays, it has been played at all of the touristic places. After college, I worked at many touristic hotels in Phuket to earn a living. In 2017, I came to Koh Yao Yai to work. In here, I perform dance and music shows for the hotel guests everyday. Music and dance are irreplaceable in my life. Every day I come and go from Phuket by boat. Earning a living by doing my favorite thing is my biggest source of motivation to fulfill my dreams. Of course, my biggest dream is to be able to organize a very big dance and music festival which presents our culture and history.

Sinthusiri Year Taywin
Koh Yoa Yai Island, Thailand, 01 August 2018

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My name is Boom Nidanoot, I was born in Krabi, Thailand in 1994. Krabi is a touristic center of Thailand, and nearly all of the families' main source of income is tourism. My parents are also in touristic sectors. I have a family of four - my sister and her son are also living with my parents. I came to work in Koh Yao Yai island for the first time, which was five years ago before I started going to college. I aimed to save money and gain experience, but above all, I wanted to finish college without being a burden to my parents. With three months of hard work, I saved a sufficient amount of money that I needed to apply to a college. Then, I started my tourism education at Suratthani Rajabhat University. During my college education, I also worked at various places to support my family and become self sufficient. After college, I applied to a tourism facility, and I have been working here for one year. My colleagues here are just like a family to me. They are also working to save money to support their families and to reach their ideals. Another pleasant thing about living on an island is that everybody knows each other, and when you are in need of help, everybody can come to your aid. My biggest dream in life is to travel to China, which was my thesis subject in college. 

Boom Nidanoot
Koh Yoa Yai Island, Thailand, 30 July 2018

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Volunteering in Kenya (as a teacher with Canadian Crossroads International) opened up my world; it introduced me to experiences I would otherwise never have had. 

My days outside of teaching were totally encompassed with learning how to cook without electricity, and learning how to bathe, brush teeth, wash clothes and dishes with only a small jug of water a day. As I wrote weepy letters to my family back home by kerosene lantern, what was important to me became more Maslowian - is that a word? – obtaining food, having adequate shelter, good health, and caring relationships.

More impactful, perhaps, was seeing myself in the mirror and knowing that I had done this journey - I had travelled across the world from my home, my family, my familiar surroundings at 22 years old. I had stared down fear and loneliness and darkness those of which I had never known, and yet here I was, eventually deftly navigating the crowds and their reaching hands in Nairobi; boarding a matutu and hurtling down the highway at breakneck speeds; tasting roasted goat meat dipped in salty piles with strangers-become-friends. What else might be possible!

My new insights and courage solidified my interest in a career in social work, which was to embrace a philosophy that believes in social justice and righting inequalities. I am a braver, stronger, wiser person than I would have ever thought possible. I know what fear tastes like, smells like, and feels like, but I also know how to feel that fear and do it anyway.

Amber Hitchen
Vancouver BC, Canada, 28 August 2018

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