"A volunteer is someone who loses himself in the work - who values what he is doing so much that sometimes he forgets about his own life and his own needs."
That´s what the president of INTIWAWA, Leonel, told me on the bus back from Chivay in Colca Canyon (roughly translated). We were deep in conversation about the state of the world - climate change and pollution, wars, religion, the United States, the Third World. Leonel continued by describing to me his philosophy (also roughly translated): "In this world there are good people and bad people. However, in the end, many good people can also be considered evil because their entire lives they never fought against destruction and injustice that took place right in front of them."
I spent the last weekend in the beautiful Colca Canyon region. We spent our time in a small village of no more than 300 people. The dirt roads that had been flooded by the rainy season weaved around small stone houses. Pigs, cows, alpacas, and hens would follow you down the street. Above you was a sky bluer than one you will ever see in your life (until the afternoon storm arrived). Things were quiet there - peaceful. We stayed in a small house with a family of 6 (Mom, Dad, Son, Daughter, Daughter, Baby). The kitchen and dining room was outside. Every morning we had a modest, yet simply perfect, breakfast of instant coffee and bread with cheese. Lunch and dinner were usually some combination of vegetables, meat (alpaca or chicken), and rice. The nights were cold and the days were hot. When it came to school, the kids were angels. They behaved and were eager to learn.
I believe that if there is to be a turning point in the way I see the world, this trip was it. One night, I was up late in the kitchen drinking Coca Mate with the youngest daughter and the mother of the house (everyone else had gone to bed). The mother was telling me that she loved life there (though that was all she knew as she had never travelled beyond the village). She said her concerns mainly surrounded the future of her children. Her son, now 13 years old, never got a good education. Therefore, he has taken up working in the fields and in the river. She says that he will probably forever live in that village and work. However, her second oldest, Antonella was only in second grade. In Antonella, her mother saw (as did I) someone who was eager to learn, had natural intellect, and was full of potential. But, being born in this village put Antonella at an immediate disadvantage to the children born in the cities (Lima, Arequipa, etc.). In the schools many subjects are lacking: computer skills, English, history, etc. The mother told me that all she wants is for her daughter to be able to go the university in Lima and fulfill the potential that she has. Unfortunately, her mother is unsure how that will ever happen as long as the government of Peru ignores the needs of the indigenous people.
INTIWAWA is grassroots. It reminds me a lot of the campaign as volunteers absolutely need to be flexible and have a lot of patience. This week we learned that the ¨Congreso¨ that I posted about earlier will actually be about 40 children instead of the 150 we originally though (many of the children can not participate during the weekend because it´s the only time they can help their parents with the work around the house and in the farm). We have also been ignored by the director of one of the schools in San Isidro until recently. School starts next week, meaning that we won´t be able to begin English classes in one of our schools until the second or third week of March.
Because of all of these setbacks and my experiences in Chivay, I am taking on a project where I will go every Friday to teach the Elementary School basic English. I am starting to draft a 9 week curriculum as soon as I post this. This will be, by far, the most difficult and tasking project I take on (especially since I have to do it myself, due to the lack of funds that INTIWAWA posseses). It will take most of my time and energy.
But like Leonel said, when you see injustice in the world, you have to fight against it - so that maybe, you can level the playing field just a little bit more.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Lo que hago.
**Sorry for not posting something for a while. I've become extremely busy! Recently, I've been looking for a host family for the remaining 2.5 months that I'm in Arequipa. Finally, last night, I found a family to move in with on March 1, but it took a very long time. Also, there has been a lot of volunteers that have been here for 5-6 months that are leaving now, creating a lot of restructuring among the volunteer base. I have taken over as the coordinator for all prospective volunteers all over the world. My job is to answer questions and prepare for the arrival of volunteers (housing, contact numbers, etc.). I have also become the coordinator of the English classes when school starts in March. INTIWAWA's job is to create a curriculum for the year - for all grades (120 students); implement that curriculum in two different schools; and, finally, organize all the English professors. Finally, we have a "Congreso de Ninos" in the indigenous Colca Canyon region on the 27th and 28th. This is basically a conference for our kids in San Isidro and Colca Canyon (150+) to gather and talk about their rights. I am working with two other volunteers to prepare about 15 children from the Colca region to present and lead certain segments of the conference. I am going to Colca Canyon this weekend, and then, again from Wednesday-Sunday next week.
BUT, today in San Isidro we had a mini-Carnaval with the children. The Carnaval is a HUGE celebration all over the Spanish-speaking world (Spain included). This is how I understood it: the Carnaval is a weekend long event every year. It started back in Medieval times. It was originally a protest against the Catholics, but has since morphed in to a big party - and Catholics celebrate it too (sort of like Halloween). Every country has different traditions. I hear the streets of Arequipa are going to be packed all weekend, but I'll be in Colca (where I hear there will also be huge celebrations with traditional food, drinks, music, costumes, and dancing). I will post photos of the Carnaval with the children. But basically, they mostly all arrived in costumes. We fed them a basic breakfast (pan con marmelada, "bread with jelly")... Then we painted faces... and arms (as you will soon see my arm in the photos). We played some games - tag and musical chairs. Then, came the most interesting part. We had cut a tree down, dug a hole, and basically planted it again. The kids decorated it with crazy streamers. Then, as partners, everyone danced around the tree. Partners took turns swinging a axe at the base of the tree and then drinking a cup of soda (it's usually beer, but these were children). We did this until the tree was cut down... again. Then, during the Peruvian Carnaval there is always has a huge block of time where the participants throw confetti, silly string, and this colored powder at each other. It was an amazing amount of fun! Then we ate cake, and planted three new trees. Photos are below.
I wanted to share a couple of other interesting things about this week:
> Rainy season has officially started in Arequipa. It rains EVERY day.
> The volunteer coordinator left Arequipa this week and we went out for traditional Arequipan food. I had a chicken dish, but a solid four volunteers had "Cuy". That is fried guinea pig - with eyes, teeth, everything. It was awful, and kind of interesting.
Ciao for now! I'll post about my experiences in Colca Canyon next week.
BUT, today in San Isidro we had a mini-Carnaval with the children. The Carnaval is a HUGE celebration all over the Spanish-speaking world (Spain included). This is how I understood it: the Carnaval is a weekend long event every year. It started back in Medieval times. It was originally a protest against the Catholics, but has since morphed in to a big party - and Catholics celebrate it too (sort of like Halloween). Every country has different traditions. I hear the streets of Arequipa are going to be packed all weekend, but I'll be in Colca (where I hear there will also be huge celebrations with traditional food, drinks, music, costumes, and dancing). I will post photos of the Carnaval with the children. But basically, they mostly all arrived in costumes. We fed them a basic breakfast (pan con marmelada, "bread with jelly")... Then we painted faces... and arms (as you will soon see my arm in the photos). We played some games - tag and musical chairs. Then, came the most interesting part. We had cut a tree down, dug a hole, and basically planted it again. The kids decorated it with crazy streamers. Then, as partners, everyone danced around the tree. Partners took turns swinging a axe at the base of the tree and then drinking a cup of soda (it's usually beer, but these were children). We did this until the tree was cut down... again. Then, during the Peruvian Carnaval there is always has a huge block of time where the participants throw confetti, silly string, and this colored powder at each other. It was an amazing amount of fun! Then we ate cake, and planted three new trees. Photos are below.
I wanted to share a couple of other interesting things about this week:
> Rainy season has officially started in Arequipa. It rains EVERY day.
> The volunteer coordinator left Arequipa this week and we went out for traditional Arequipan food. I had a chicken dish, but a solid four volunteers had "Cuy". That is fried guinea pig - with eyes, teeth, everything. It was awful, and kind of interesting.
Ciao for now! I'll post about my experiences in Colca Canyon next week.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Update.
Hola de Peru!
Just wanted to give you all a quick update of what things are like here, what's been happening, what I've heard and seen, etc...
1) I took over the English classes. The other American left, so the education of 60 children is in my hands. English is Tuesdays and Thursdays. We took the children to beach on Wednesday (none of them had never been before). So, on Tuesday we learned vocabulary for the beach (umbrella, sharks, sand, etc.) and on Thursday we worked on sentences from the beach ("I liked the beach a lot" or "My favorite part of the beach was the crabs"). They have had a blast this week!
2) I have a Peruvian friend who's pretty down on Peru. He says here, for many Peruvians, it's all about the money. He says when a lot of Peruvians walk by a child sleeping in the street they don't think twice. He also says that there is a significant amount of racism in this country (he says more than what he's heard of in the United States - I disagree). The racism is between the indigenous cultures in the mountains and the more urban culture. The indians are left behind in every aspect of society and their cultures are dying - including the beautiful language of Quechua. He says that's why it is so important to work with these kids in San Isidro and - starting March - in the mountainous regions. To him, the children have not been corrupted by Peruvian society. He believes that the work of Intiwawa is helping the children to recognize their rights and to be proud of their heritage and culture.
3) A little anecdote: The biggest of the three volcanoes that surround Arequipa - named the Misti - is just now accumulating snow for the first time in one month (it's raining a lot here). The people here say that it is the first time since they can ever remember that the Misti has not been covered in snow. They call it "el cambio de la clima" - climate change.
Just wanted to give you all a quick update of what things are like here, what's been happening, what I've heard and seen, etc...
1) I took over the English classes. The other American left, so the education of 60 children is in my hands. English is Tuesdays and Thursdays. We took the children to beach on Wednesday (none of them had never been before). So, on Tuesday we learned vocabulary for the beach (umbrella, sharks, sand, etc.) and on Thursday we worked on sentences from the beach ("I liked the beach a lot" or "My favorite part of the beach was the crabs"). They have had a blast this week!
2) I have a Peruvian friend who's pretty down on Peru. He says here, for many Peruvians, it's all about the money. He says when a lot of Peruvians walk by a child sleeping in the street they don't think twice. He also says that there is a significant amount of racism in this country (he says more than what he's heard of in the United States - I disagree). The racism is between the indigenous cultures in the mountains and the more urban culture. The indians are left behind in every aspect of society and their cultures are dying - including the beautiful language of Quechua. He says that's why it is so important to work with these kids in San Isidro and - starting March - in the mountainous regions. To him, the children have not been corrupted by Peruvian society. He believes that the work of Intiwawa is helping the children to recognize their rights and to be proud of their heritage and culture.
3) A little anecdote: The biggest of the three volcanoes that surround Arequipa - named the Misti - is just now accumulating snow for the first time in one month (it's raining a lot here). The people here say that it is the first time since they can ever remember that the Misti has not been covered in snow. They call it "el cambio de la clima" - climate change.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Otros fotos...
These pictures are more of San Isidro and the kids I'm working with. There are also many of the city of Arequipa and the main Plaza in Arequipa. Also, there are some pictures of the ride to and our time at the beach during the weekend. Enjoy!
Friday, February 6, 2009
El diario - Arequipa y San Isidro
There will be more pictures on Monday or Tuesday. I'm going to the beach with the other 20 volunteers for the entire weekend, so I wanted to post something before then.
Basically, as it is summer in Peru, the kids are out of school. Intiwawa is working hard to make sure that the children of San Isidro still have something to do and are still learning - even while they are on vacation.
My daily schedule is to wake up at 6:45am, get ready, and start walking by 7:20am towards a meeting place where all the volunteers meet every morning. From there we walk towards the bus stop (another 10 minutes). Along the way, I can pick up some fresh fruit and warm bread for breakfast. Then we hop on a bus that becomes more full than a subway in New York during rush hour. This ride is about 50 minutes, and by about 8:50 we arrive in San Isidro and the temperature by then is about 70 degrees.
Classes at the school are different every day. Mostly there are academics such as math, English, geography, psychology, history, and science. And then there is also art, music, and "deportes" or gym. These are not all taught every day. The school goes from 9am-1pm. The children - ranging from 6 years to 15 years - are divided in to groups and do a different combination of the 4 classes that are offered every day. Lunch is also served and there is about ten minutes set aside for the children to wash themselves and brush their teeth - simple things that are unfortunately not available in San Isidro.
Then, at 1pm, we hop on a bus and go back to our hostels, houses, or apartments. Usually, by then, we are all exhausted from a combination of the children and the heat. So it's nap time. A lot of times we get together in one apartment for dinner and eat together - usually a German dish since nearly 90% of the volunteers are German.
At night time, there is a lively scene in Arequipa. If we don't go out to the clubs, we watch a DVD in an apartment (usually in Spanish, the only language that everyone has in common). A lot of times, I go back to my apartment early to wind down and read for a couple of hours.
One of the activities that we did this week is a Brazilian dance/martial art known as "Capoeira". It is about two hours long and requires incredible upper and lower body strength, but it's a great time. Here's a couple of photos from our session:
Ciao!
Basically, as it is summer in Peru, the kids are out of school. Intiwawa is working hard to make sure that the children of San Isidro still have something to do and are still learning - even while they are on vacation.
My daily schedule is to wake up at 6:45am, get ready, and start walking by 7:20am towards a meeting place where all the volunteers meet every morning. From there we walk towards the bus stop (another 10 minutes). Along the way, I can pick up some fresh fruit and warm bread for breakfast. Then we hop on a bus that becomes more full than a subway in New York during rush hour. This ride is about 50 minutes, and by about 8:50 we arrive in San Isidro and the temperature by then is about 70 degrees.
Classes at the school are different every day. Mostly there are academics such as math, English, geography, psychology, history, and science. And then there is also art, music, and "deportes" or gym. These are not all taught every day. The school goes from 9am-1pm. The children - ranging from 6 years to 15 years - are divided in to groups and do a different combination of the 4 classes that are offered every day. Lunch is also served and there is about ten minutes set aside for the children to wash themselves and brush their teeth - simple things that are unfortunately not available in San Isidro.
Then, at 1pm, we hop on a bus and go back to our hostels, houses, or apartments. Usually, by then, we are all exhausted from a combination of the children and the heat. So it's nap time. A lot of times we get together in one apartment for dinner and eat together - usually a German dish since nearly 90% of the volunteers are German.
At night time, there is a lively scene in Arequipa. If we don't go out to the clubs, we watch a DVD in an apartment (usually in Spanish, the only language that everyone has in common). A lot of times, I go back to my apartment early to wind down and read for a couple of hours.
One of the activities that we did this week is a Brazilian dance/martial art known as "Capoeira". It is about two hours long and requires incredible upper and lower body strength, but it's a great time. Here's a couple of photos from our session:
Ciao!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Fire in the Sky
I landed in Arequipa this morning!
The weather is gorgeous and so is the city. There are a lot more people than I expected and everyone is in a hurry. Road rules are nothing more than an idea here. This morning has mostly been the landlord for the apartments that we stay in touring me around the city. His name is Jorge - a short, lively man who slips between Spanish and English so much it's hard to keep up with what language he is currently speaking. But he was great.
Everyone here speaks Spanish. So if I say: 'How much does that cost?' or 'That's not enough?', people won't answer me. So I'm thinking that I might have to stick with Spanish.
I'm exhausted, exhausted so I am going to go explore some more and then retire to my apartment. Tomorrow is my first day in San Isidro - the village I will be working in.
I wanted to close with a story from the plane: Last night, as we were flying over Mexico, for miles I saw these gigantic fires. Hundreds of them (and I know the difference between a fire and a light). I couldn't understand what they were for and all I wanted to do was go explore. Anyway, made me think of the magnitude of the adventure I'm embarking on... Just a thought.
The weather is gorgeous and so is the city. There are a lot more people than I expected and everyone is in a hurry. Road rules are nothing more than an idea here. This morning has mostly been the landlord for the apartments that we stay in touring me around the city. His name is Jorge - a short, lively man who slips between Spanish and English so much it's hard to keep up with what language he is currently speaking. But he was great.
Everyone here speaks Spanish. So if I say: 'How much does that cost?' or 'That's not enough?', people won't answer me. So I'm thinking that I might have to stick with Spanish.
I'm exhausted, exhausted so I am going to go explore some more and then retire to my apartment. Tomorrow is my first day in San Isidro - the village I will be working in.
I wanted to close with a story from the plane: Last night, as we were flying over Mexico, for miles I saw these gigantic fires. Hundreds of them (and I know the difference between a fire and a light). I couldn't understand what they were for and all I wanted to do was go explore. Anyway, made me think of the magnitude of the adventure I'm embarking on... Just a thought.
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