Lima, Peru: May 2011 Student Team

Lima, Peru: May 2011 Student Team

Wow, only one week left of our four week adventure here in Lima, Peru. On May 26th we were picked up in the morning and taken to a working school for children and adolescents called MANTOC. Children take part in all areas of this school, they have a kitchen in which the children learn how to bake in a safe and sanitary way, and they can also learn the essentials of math when pricing these goods for sale. Its a very different perspective to comprehend, but it allows children who would normally not be able to afford public or private school, to still get an education.

At work we are busier than ever!! The experience and awareness that we have gained from working over the last 3 weeks will be beneficial for the rest of our lives. With only one week left the last final push has come to try and get everything done. The roof is finally finished, also interior and exterior painting is coming along nicely. Its a gratifying feeling to know that when we are gone, there will be three new usable rooms that were not there when we got here. This will allow the mothers to have a clean and safe working environment when preparing the meals for the kids. Everyone's Spanish is improving immensely, except they definitely seem to understand mine better when I make bold hand gestures, sometimes I wonder if it just sounds like Spanish in my mind. No that can't be it. But seriously we are all able to communicate fairly effectively with the children and parents at the school.

This has been an amazing experience, I was somewhat anxious when starting out because I had never personally met any of the other participants who are on this trip. But when working and living together the bonds that have been established, if even for a short period of time, will be an everlasting memory. I believe that when we finish off this week and take a step back to see what we have all accomplished together as a team, we will have our heads held high, but firmly planted in reality.

Rory Callaghan
DWC Student Volunteer

Lima, Peru: The richness of the Experience.

We now have nearly three weeks of volunteer work under our belts on this trip. The nine of us have undoubtedly gained insights and experiences that would not have been attainable any other way. San Jose Obrero, the school we are working at, has a strong community and culture that has been humbling to witness, even in the most poverty stricken areas I have ever seen.

While the residents of Villa Maria seem comfortable with their modest lives, from a Canadian perspective it is amazing to think that so many of the world's 7 billion live in similar conditions. Their hospitable and collectivist nature means that we are never short of helping hands, even from mothers with babies on their backs and the keen primary school kids.

Our structure is coming along very nicely. Now in the second half of the project, we are short on supplies so some of the lumber and roofing materials are being reused from old buildings. Today everyone was very busy all day, filling, sanding, priming, roofing and interacting. We have all been challenged in a number of ways, be it our patience, interpretation skills, or dealing with adverse situations such as stepping on nails (that was me).

The language barrier has made it tough to talk to the people about anything beyond the basics. We would all agree that our IFEJANT meetings have provided massive insights about the local slums, because we have had a translator who has provided great relief and knowledge. We have learned that children who work can provide nearly as much income as their parents, and are vital to family wellbeing. Kids may be as young as seven when they start to work, and schooling is just a single important part of one's education. The vast majority of youngsters above that age in Villa Maria probably work.

Even the craziest challenges on the trip have only added to the richness of the experience. We've found motivation through the sunny afternoons we've been blessed with, the smiling faces of the locals, and through each other. I cannot wait to complete our project and share what I've learned about a diverse country, community and people.

Matt Melville

DWC Student Volunteer

Lima, Peru: May 2011 Student Team

Our day started with our journey to villa maria which is around 50 minutes away from Casa Rodas Hostel in the area know as Miraflores, Lima. As slightly cloudy and gloomy as it was we were all filled with energy to start interacting with the locals and the children.

Our construction consisted of building three rooms, which were to be used for school and maintenance purposes. Today we finished the construction of the walls around all the three rooms. After all the barriers we have come across, especially the frustration with the language barrier, it’s amazing to see our hard work for the past week and a half start taking shape.

Today a number of the children’s mothers came by to help and we got to interact more with the locals. Our Spanish has improved a lot since our arrival and we can almost say all the construction equipment’s in Spanish, which is a progress from hand gesturing and signs. We know we are not changing the world with our small acts however we know that we are making a difference in these peoples’ lives and not to mention their influence on our lives.

Witnessing this first hand is nothing short of worthwhile.

Suud Nahdi,
DWC Peru Volunteer Participant

Student Team in Lima for 4 weeks working with IFEJANT

In a blur of the first few exciting and positively challenging days in Peru, many things stand out to me personally. I have adjusted to life here at Hostel Casa Rodas with my new small family, enjoying playing cards, making meals, swapping stories, sharing laughs, trying new foods and fruits, as well as getting some dirt under my fingernails at the school. At times, the nine of us seem to have become as close as the Peruvian cars.

Our work at the school in Villa Maria is extremely eye opening, especially for those of us who have never witnessed this type of poverty. The most interesting part of my experience thus far has been interacting with the children who are so happy with the smallest of pleasures, even stacking bottle caps together to create a pyramid structure can bring such joy. I am constantly learning new things about myself and about the world around me.

The language barrier between our group and the locals has been challenging, but at the same time it pushes us to learn and expand our vocabulary. So far this has been an incredible and enjoyable experience, I look forward to working at the school, playing with the kids, learning a new language, growing closer to my teammates, and to teaching them all euchre! I send my love to family and friends Canada!

Carley Hoja

DWC Participant