Warm Laugh

Esmelia Montenegro, a Miskito native with smiling, friendly eyes and a happy, warm laugh, lives in Dapat, Kaukira, Honduras….a land dear to my heart.

Dapat is an oasis of peace…it smells of mangrove, saltwater, freshwater. From its opalescent waters to the monumental roots of its mango trees, the songs of birds and the silences of the lagoon are clearly discerned.

Esmelia—aside from being an expert in tanning fish skins, in catching jellyfish and in harvesting cucumbers from the sea floor, aside from being in charge of her own home and from being an attendant at religious services—has joyously gifted me the imprint of her Miskito language, inviting me to participate in her peoples’ day-to-day storytelling.

Our lives are so different and yet so similar. Our perspectives diverse…and yet they also intersect, woven like the fibers of the fish that have brought us together, with strong ties borne of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared commitment.

Our shared experiences and ongoing dialogue impress upon us repeatedly that teamwork is imperative for developing skills, building capacity, exchanging knowledge and ensuring sustainability. Working together—as allies—we can forge a holistic future that addresses the needs of our respective communities while supporting a common goal.

In a land scored by injustice, Esmelia’s and my paths had different starting points, but embodying the same resilience as her, I remain convinced that heightened social awareness and the search for new cooperative and collaborative opportunities are fundamental to our collective destiny—hers and mine.