Skip to main content

DukeEngage Reflection Challenge Ribbon Identity and Social Change

For her reflective essay on her experience working at the Bantu Cultural Institute in DukeEngage Brazil – Bahia, Sierra Putney T’25 won the Identity and Social Change category in the 2024 DukeEngage reflection challenge.

Judges praised Putney for exploring themes of identity in her essay and connecting her reflections to community engagement.


On one of the shelves of the library in the Bantu Cultural Institute, Renee Watson’s “Piecing Me Together” sits tucked away like an oddity amidst an assortment of other books mostly written in Portuguese. I brought this book with me to Bahia, specially selected from the other books I keep at home.

I can’t fully convey with words how perfectly that book illuminated the experience of navigating my way through Brazil and working with the Bantu Cultural Institute. There were many aspects within “Piecing Me Together” that I could relate to. Similarly to Jade, I also grew up with a single mother, who was just trying to make sure that her children got all the things we needed but felt guilty when she couldn’t provide the things that we wanted. Similarly to Jade, I also felt this overwhelming eagerness to overcompensate in academics and extracurriculars so that I could potentially give myself and my family a more fulfilling life. I also, much like our protagonist, felt like people underestimate my abilities to contribute to the wellbeing of others. I also felt as if I were always the one receiving and taking from others when I wanted to be the one on the other end of these transactions.

Therefore, when I came to college, I wanted to make sure that I presented myself as someone who had something to offer those around me. Because of my insecurities about my background, I felt like an imposter. I often thought to myself, “Who do I think I am? How can those that need help for themselves help those around them?” Though I could look at my generous mother and the tells of my faith and assert how untrue these thoughts were, my brain could not reason with my heart. Unfortunately, I cannot say that I entirely left those sentiments back at home when I boarded the plane for Brazil.



Our wonderful director, Dr. Katya Wesolowski, prepared us well for the journey that was ahead of us. She was very forthright with us and stated that our roles at the institute weren’t set in stone. The joint program between the institute and DukeEngage was new, and the institute itself was still in its beginning stages of becoming an established entity. Our contribution to the institute, as we expected, was to go where they needed us most, and that need was expected to change on a day to day basis.

Honestly, I found this to be somewhat comforting. While I know having uncertain schedules would make many people itch with uneasiness, I welcomed it. Coming from a place like Duke where many of us pretend to have it all figured out, it was refreshing to know that the Bantu Cultural Institute did not have it all figured out and therefore, I did not necessarily have to either. Along with the fact that my biggest flaw as a volunteer was on full display, i.e. my beginner level Portuguese, this transparency made me a lot more receptive to critique and rapid change in the environment.


“When something needed to be done, there were always people in the community willing to take up a mantle. People also did not shy away from asking others for help if they needed it.”


On numerous occasions, we were made aware by both our director and the staff at the institute that the community and the kids we were working with were difficult. They each had their own stories, pains, joys, and dreams, and it should come as no surprise that many people had their opinions as to where these kids would end up. If you ask people born in the city of Salvador, Bahia, they may assume that people from the island do not really have a future outside of the island. If you take into account Bahia being the epicenter for Black Brazilian culture and Brazil’s poor perspective on Black Brazilians, then you just add an entire new layer of complexity to the numerous odds that these kids have stacked against them.

In spite of the odds, however, Mestre Roxinho fashioned the institute to be a place to which these youth could come to learn how to be leaders in their communities. Because the community that they live in is, at times, a difficult reality for them, the institute instills in them the skills that they need to deal with the complexities and challenges of poverty, while also developing and honing in on the gifts that they already possess. This is done through capoeira, an afro-Brazilian martial art form, as well as through offering the youth a variety of programs to help familiarize them with different skill sets. During our time at the institute, my cohort and I sat in on English classes, entrepreneurship courses, barbership courses, and guitar classes, in addition to capoeira and percussion. Through all of these efforts, I detected that the institute wanted to make sure that the kids, as well as the adults,knew that they had something of value to offer.

One of the first memories we made at the institute was when the youth welcomed us to Brazil and the island with a celebration. I remember being so impressed by the dancing and the costumes. You could tell that the kids were shy. They stumbled a little bit, but the way that they persisted through the discomfort of performing before an unknown audience showcased the dedication. Fortunately for us, we were able to see the planning stages for a performance from behind the scenes, as I and four other members of my cohort participated in the choreographed dance for the International Day of Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women. The entirety of the dance was created by the teenage girls that attended the institute. One could tell that being a part of this process really impassioned the girls. In several regards, this was their show, and we were there to help them fulfill in real life the vision that they had painted in their minds. Honestly, it was a great experience on both sides: whenever we’d get confused because we could not quite understand what was being asked of us, it provided us with an opportunity to assume the role of a student and learn. More times than not, I caught a view of the amazing leaders that these girls were becoming..

Similarly, I remember participating in a capoeira class one day, and Mestre Roxinho declared that that day was going to be a day where the kids got the chance to teach different capoeira moves. I wish you could have seen it. As you could probably imagine, there were kids that were over-thrilled at the idea of teaching the class, and there were others who would have rather disappeared into a hole in the floor. One of the students was known for being a rather goofy character, and that day he was no different. He really made learning the movements fun, and I can’t explain how much one appreciates that for a sport as strenuous as capoeira. There was another student who was very shy. When it was her turn to teach, she was very hesitant to assume her position at the head of the class. When she did get there, however, she was practically unstoppable. As she demonstrated her movements to the class, Mestre Roxinho affirmed her, and after a time, I saw her gain confidence in her movement, a type of assurance and comfortability. I really treasured that for her.


“I’m starting to see myself as the young woman I want to become, much as I could see the kids as the leaders they are in their communities. They’ve changed my view of service, and I see the value in being served and serving others.”


Above all, some of the best work that those in the community did was simply showing up. When something needed to be done, there were always people in the community willing to take up a mantle. People also did not shy away from asking others for help if they needed it. They had a very sharp awareness of the community that they were living in, and they bonded with each other and assisted one another in the ways that they were able to. I admired them for this as well. How many times have we turned others away and excused ourselves with the claim of not having the resources to support others?

I’m not trying to imply that there were no tough times and everything was perfect. It’s also true that sometimes no one wants to help the person in need. It’s also true that sometimes people do not show up. The kids were not always in the mood to cooperate with the instructions of the instructors or the volunteers, and those days were particularly difficult and long. Despite the drawbacks, the staff and adults exhibited such grace and patience, attributes that this summer revealed I desperately need to work on.

I quickly found that there were reminders that we did not have to sit and accept the outcome of that day as defeat. I’m sure that each member of our cohort had their own way of seeking out these reminders. For me, these realizations resided in the many sunsets I witnessed throughout Bahia. Each sunset was a beautiful promise of the potential for a better tomorrow. While it reminded me of the end of another day, it also sealed away all the beauty and adventure that the next day could contain. I dared to hope for another good day, and I dared to separate the mishaps of one day from the day itself and the day to come.

The newfound confidence I have to speak up and be myself unapologetically is credited to the people from the Bantu Cultural Institute. I’ve stopped worrying myself to death about what others think about me, and I’m starting to see myself as the young woman I want to become, much as I could see the kids as the leaders they are in their communities. They’ve changed my view of service, and I see the value in being served and serving others.

All my love to those back in Brazil. Thank you.


Sierra Putney headshot Sierra Putney T’25 majored in neuroscience and minored in dance. She is currently pursuing a MD/PhD. She hopes to use her future degree to improve treatments for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as to increase awareness and accessibility to knowledge and resources about neurological and psychiatric disorders in underserved communities. She also continues to engage in nonprofit work through local volunteering opportunities.