Article written by Elsa Rodríguez (co -founder of remote peoples and project responsible)

A little over a month ago, we ended the edition of Pueblos Remotos Fuencaliente 2022, among many hugs, laughs and tears. Tears of joy for everything lived and sadness because it was time to say goodbye after 21 very intense days, where I would dare to say that we all grew, both personal, professionally. We learned from each other and friendships arose that we hope, they last for a lifetime. Once again, the magic of connected rurality was present, and perhaps, more present than ever. 

Since then, with Covid through anything else to return home, and an endless thing of pending things, I have finally been able to find some moments to reflect on what could help this edition be so special. For me, some of the keys were the following:

1. The environment: Fuencaliente, with around 1,750 inhabitants, are the smallest town in which we have worked so far and that shows, because in one way or another, the neighbors knew who we were; The "remote," called us. That closeness and kindness we felt on the part of the local community, joined an environment with spectacular landscapes: the green of the vineyards, the lava of the malpaíses, infinite sunsets, the sound of the sea, the silence of the neighborhood of the burned and the energy of the Roque Teneguía. It didn't matter where we looked, we always stayed with our mouths open. All those moments captured by our retinas will take them in memory forever.

2. Local actors: this time we decided to have less entrepreneurs (only 4) and I think that helped them involve much more. All shared the same values ​​and an infinite passion for what they do. That passion transmitted it with each gesture and with each smile; And a huge heart that does not fit in their chest. In addition, they already knew each other, but they had never collaborated at this level, so remote peoples joined them a lot and had an impact on the good energy that was breathed. We were literally in the houses of several of them and we all welcomed us with open arms, so we could not stop giving hugs to every second of pure thanks we felt!

3. The teleworkors: a group of wonderful people who despite being very different from each other, and with very varied profiles, all phenomenal were taken and that was noticed in the good vibes that were among all. A success was undoubtedly the distribution in the different houses and especially those who shared a room developed very good friendships. Everyone always offered and the good attitude helped the group join more and more, to the point of ending all with tears in the eyes on the day of the feedback session and in the farewell act. It was a lot of shared a fairly deep level. After 21 days of coexistence, superficiality is aside and we end up being ourselves, with our defects and our virtues.

4. The two volunteer actions were for me the ones that really made the difference with respect to the previous editions:

• The cleaning of Lázaros beach meant supporting Gustavo's struggle, one of the local actors, who is precisely dedicated to converting waste into art. It is simply admirable what it does and the creativity it has, as was the staging to be able to clean in a very little accessible area. There we could work side by side with the residents of Fuencaliente and help them recover a natural space that was full of all types of waste, dragged there by the sea currents of the east part of the island. Seeing Gustavo excited about what we had achieved among all, it was probably the best of that day.

• The ash cleaning in the Las Mancha neighborhood was for me one of the most special moments of all the experience. The eruption of the Old Summit volcano was the main reason that led us to move heaven and earth to be able to bring remote villages to La Palma . From the first minute we were clear that our goal was to collaborate with those affected in some way. We found the Land Bonita Association, formed by super involved people and who had even lost their homes. They proposed us to go as a cleaning gang to help the residents of the Las Manchas neighborhood, one of the most affected by the volcano.

We did not doubt a moment and that day I was very excited, not only for how the whole group to work as a team to be as effective as possible (we filled 6 ash dumps!), But because I returned to the same place where there were State in November 2021, in full eruption of the volcano. My sister and I were the first volunteers that were with the neighborhood association of the Las Manchas neighborhood, and there I was back to that same place, still full of ash and a neighborhood still lifeless after so many months. I was put in my spotlight every time Jenny, the president of the association, told us everything that continued to happen and how the neighbors continued to suffer. We could only put our grain of sand, but we hope it serves to give visibility to a serious problem that is still valid and that needs solutions urgently. Reunion with Jenny and see that she continues to fight with the same infinite energy and positivity, was what made me happy most of that day.

To the third is the defeated 

They say that the third is the defeated. I do not know to what extent that is true, what I know is that the third edition of pueblos remotos in Fuencaliente (La Palma) has marked a before and after in our lives, and therefore, in our project. 

At a professional level I take a lot; Above all, a lot of motivation to continue with remote peoples, which is aligned with my purpose. Obviously the experience and learning of past editions helped us to improve already co-design a more consolidated program, and thus be able to bring organization and logistics with a little more ease. The part that I normally enjoy, is the time we spend with local actors, understanding their needs and co-creating activities. Although this time I was also able to enjoy "the during" experience and become several times in one more of the participants, which is hard for me to get (those who know me well know why I say it!)

On a personal level, I stay with each and every one of the people I had the pleasure of knowing and with whom I could interact during those three weeks. From Mila, a charming lady of the Artesanos Artesol Association, who told us a truth as a fist: "Life must be enjoyed", after having lived in the first person the eruption of the last three volcanoes of La Palma . Even Cristóbal, Diego's father (our local leader), who continues to fish, down almost 18 meters deep. He made me live one of the moments that I enjoyed: Eat old freshly fish to the sea.

The teleworkors gave me a lot: listen to their different perspectives of life, each of their father and mother, but always with a smile and willing to contribute to everything they could. With some I connected more than with others, that is normal in any group; I felt reflected in several of them and had conversations of topics that I share with very few people. I think that the selection process we do is quite exhaustive and that in the end, the basis of everything is the energy that people give off: what feels in that first interview is decisive to us when extending the invitation to join The experiences we organize. 

Each of the local actors and their businesses were pure inspiration. We have already mentioned many times that the common denominator is the passion they transmit for what they do. I could spend hours talking about their wines, their art, the recipes of their sweets and endless anecdotes about Fuencaliente. If I had to choose the person who inspired me the most during this experience, I stay, without hesitation, with Juan José Santos . Not only because he is an endearing, admirable, very hardworking and super humble person. If not because being with him and listening to his time as a photographer, writer, the cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil, how they recovered traditional music and dances and founded the cultural and folk association "Echentive", and even see him weave LIVE IN A WELL OF THE XVII CENTURY, DO NOT PAY WITH ALL THE GOLD OF THE WORLD!

In addition, spending time with him was like being close to my grandfather, whom I miss a lot, even though he left us more than 20 years ago. He was an entrepreneur too. He came from Vallehermoso, a town in the north of the island of La Gomera, and fought against wind and tide reinventing several times to move forward with his family. Hopefully Juan José and my grandfather would have met, because I am sure they had been great friends.

A path that is consolidated 

These have been my reflections on this third adventure. There are many doubts about What's Next?

On the one hand, they ask us if we will repeat in the villages where we have already had a first edition. The truth is that we are afraid, or rather respect, repeat again. We know for sure that it will not be the same, and the bar is increasingly high. However, we are also aware that each edition is a world and that everything will depend on the people who conform to the group, their energy and the desire with which they come. So it is most likely that we soon have new dates for next year, both for ICOD, and for ancient and fuecaliente. 

On the other hand, they already know that we do not stop and despite the fact that we continue to digest everything that happened in Fuencaliente, we are already fully involved in the following adventure, called “The Break” : an entrepreneurship program for European women that we have already announced in The networks . In our case, we have been selected as one of the 12 organizations that will receive the entrepreneurs. We will do it from Agaete, Gran Canaria.

We are very happy because we continue with our route through the Canary Islands. This project will take place in the months of October and November of this year. It will be completely in English and is a great opportunity to continue growing, learning and above all to support and promote female entrepreneurship. 

In parallel, we continue to boost the part of remote peoples for companies . Companies that want to leave Team Relatat with the members of their teams and live a different experience in a rural environment. And there are many other ideas also in the inkwell to which we hope to be able to give them life as we advance.

The first, and more important, is that we will try to recharge forces this summer disconnecting a few days, to take a run since they expect enough curves from here at the end of the year and because we want to continue fighting so that the connected rurality has a long way to go and many hugs to distribute.