By: Rachel Jansen
Our second day in Cancun was very rewarding. Just like the first day, we started with a group meeting to listen to speakers and participate in group exercises. We learned about being effective on social media and event planning. We split up into groups again and discussed how to plan successful events that get people interested in our cause.
A group of students continue to paint the exterior of one of the buildings at the facility. The bright paint color brought about a welcoming environment for the residents.
My team started with painting the outside of the main building while others worked to finish the inside. It was amazing to see everyone working together and having fun. We all already know each other so well, even though some of us just met.
Some of the residents’ families were visiting today, so it was nice to see them so happy. You can tell that seeing their families makes all their hard work with rehabilitation worth it for the residents. By the end of the day, we had finished the inside of the building and half of the outside, which was great progress. The other groups had a tough time because their supplies didn’t get delivered like they were supposed to. So, they came to help us out as well!
After we were done working, we headed back to the hotel for an authentic Mexican dinner and to listen to two more speakers. One of the speakers was Craig Rucker of CFACT. Craig talked about his experiences with United Nations conferences and what CFACT’s role is during these events. It was so interesting to hear about his experiences traveling the world and trying to make our side of the issues heard. For me, it was very inspirational that he is still so passionate about the cause, even though he is the obvious minority at these conferences. It definitely motivates me to be more outgoing and outspoken about my beliefs on campus.
