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Encounter in the heart of Venezuela

Do we do the same job when we live thousands of miles away and come from profoundly different cultures? Jeannine, who spent her entire career as a teacher, now has the answer thanks to her encounter in Venezuela with a Warao teacher!

Do we do the same job when we live thousands of miles away and come from profoundly different cultures? Jeannine, who spent her entire career as a teacher, now has the answer thanks to her encounter in Venezuela with a Warao teacher!

The Warao people are “masters of canoes”, expertly using them to glide along the Orinoco River in bewitching silence. Here, nature is strong and powerful, and the traditions of the native Warao Indians have been preserved.

It is here that Jeannine has a genuine, down-to-earth and powerful encounter with a village teacher who is a reflection of herself on the other side of the world.

In the heart of Venezuela, at a Warao school

That was 11 years ago, but the memory is still full of strong emotion. When Jeannine looks back at her photos, she has tears in her eyes. Of all the cruises she has taken with PONANT, this is certainly the most memorable, because it resonates with her.

Already won over by the beauty of the landscape, she is filled with memories upon arriving in a dugout canoe in the village of El Toro. The village chief welcomed the visitors with open arms, in a climate of trust thanks to the links previously established by the captain and the PONANT teams. Mutual respect and support were the key words of the day. When the chief takes them to visit the school, the former teacher from Belgium is deeply moved.

Nathalie Michel en Georgie du Sud / ©Nathalie Michel

Meeting the reflection of oneself

It is with great humility and sincere gratitude that she enters the school. The atmosphere is joyful and the children enthusiastic: young girls dressed in traditional clothes dance and sing in the playground. But the most intense moment comes when she has the chance to meet a nursery teacher, just like she used to be. She feels a great sense of joy in realising that their jobs are not so different. However, it was difficult to see how little the class had in terms of materials. Despite that, the children are motivated, curious and happy to be there!

It was a moment unlike any other for Jeannine, offering her the chance to see her profession through the eyes of another woman: “It was very humbling but at the same time I felt proud!”

She is now convinced that an encounter with another culture is also an encounter with oneself…