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René Melia, a recent Access graduate in Journalism, was selected for the EIL Explore Award over the summer. She was keen to share the experience and wrote a short piece on her travels below:

This summer I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer abroad in Mexico, Oaxaca thanks to a scholarship provided by EIL Intercultural Learning for five weeks. I volunteered with Ethnofood, an organisation that promotes social innovation through gastronomy.

Ethnofood echo the UNs sustainable development goals or SDGs, by including responsible consumption and production and decent work and economic growth and reduced inequalities. A highlight of my time volunteering with Ethnofood was partaking in a cooking class with Chef Quetzalli,

Ethnofood’s mission is to create unique culinary experiences using local products and ancestral knowledge, while supporting vulnerable youth and small producers in Oaxaca. I volunteered with Ethnofood Tuesday till Saturday and was given time to explore Oaxaca on my days off.

 I learned how to cook vegan mole Amarillo. Mole is a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, passed down through generations, especially by women who preserve these traditions. Chef Quetzalli said to me that her grandmother taught her how to make the perfect tortilla – I realised that taste in food reflects more than nutrition, it exhibits generations of culture. Flavour connects people to a place and history. Indeed, a point Chef Quetzalli told me is that food needs to be made with love, and to bring out that love is through music. Walking through Central de Abastos market, the largest and most diverse market in Oaxaca its clear to see the dedication and hard work ethnic held by sellers and producers, and that is trickled into the goods you purchase and the delicious food you consume. The market displays a true merging of communities coming from differing regions within the Oaxacan state.

The tragic loss of my dad occurred during my time abroad in Mexico and I returned home earlier than expected. At the time, I remained in Oaxaca whilst I experienced the grief of losing my dad because I believed he would have wanted me to continue my explorer journey. Reflecting to this time I’ve realised what really connected me, my host family, the friends I made along the way and the community in Ethnofood was compassion, empathy and understanding.  To me – that is the foundation to create real change within your own community and on a large scale when we discuss world issues and its roots to tackle them.

 Volunteering through EIL Intercultural Learning has provided me with a sense of purpose and has caused me to reflect on my role within my community and deepened my personal growth.

Now as a graduate in Journalism this experienced has strengthened my interest in cultural journalism, which goes beyond arts journalism by engaging with lifestyle, societal issues, and ethical reflection. I want to thank Technological University Dublin’s Access office for informing me about this once in a lifetime opportunity and for putting my application forward and believing in me. I also want to thank EIL Intercultural Learning for selecting me as a 2024 Access Awardee winner, I felt much support throughout my explorer journey. That support has continued since my arrival home. I feel blessed to be part of a network that upholds values the same as my own in an effort to make change and bring awareness to global issues.