Lima, Peru: From the Team Leader.

Volunteering in Lima for the past four weeks with my team has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have yet to encounter.

On Friday June 3rd we went to school for a fair well ceremony and to enjoy “fun day” with the kids. Our day started with a ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Villa Maria and the Director of the school, Edwin. The municipality has donated a stove with gas to the school as a result of the new facility that the DWC team has been working on this past month. At a previous meeting with IFEJANT Edwin informed the team that 70 percent of the children in the community are malnourished and 40 percent of those are chronically malnourished. Knowing that the community now has a better kitchen with new equipment makes me feel hopeful that soon these percentages will shrink. Edwin said their goal is to feed breakfast and lunch to 150 children each day, and I can’t help but to feel proud that my team has helped to create this change.

Taking a step back to look at the big picture, I’ve come to realize that this project is bigger than just a team of students helping out. When the municipality of Villa Maria sees a Canadian group working on a project to better the productivity of a school, they are forced to think about what contribution they are giving to better the lives of their people. This consideration led to the donation of supplies to the school’s kitchen.

The construction project we have been working on has been challenging for many reasons, be it language barrier, frustration with construction, a misunderstanding on what needs to be done and why, or just plain exhaustion. However, working through these challenges not only makes the experience memorable, but it helps a person develop and grow in ways that cannot be replicated through textbooks and lectures. This is a concept that San Jose Obrero strives to teach its students, and it is something that we can all take and apply to our lives.

The past four weeks have been nothing short of amazing I am so fortunate to have been able to volunteer with, and get to know, such an amazing group of people.

Leah Donatiello
DWC Team Leader
Lima, Peru May 2011

Lima, Peru: Lessons learned

With only 2 more days left in our volunteer project, we had another busy workday. The kitchen is now complete and yesterday a new eco-friendly gas stove was brought to the school, courtesy of the local municipality. The exterior and interior has been painted and 3 out of 4 doors have been installed. In 4 short weeks, our team has constructed a building, which in my opinion looked impossible at first given the environment we were in. San Jose Obereo is located in the poverty struck mountain region of Villa Maria and our building has been constructed on a cliff overlooking the school.
We have all worked to the best of our abilities on this project and along with the construction we have bonded with the children and created relationships that will never be forgotten. The children make us feel very welcome and their presence has made this experience unforgettable. To witness first hand the extreme poverty that these children and their families live in has really impacted me and made me become much more appreciative of life. Before coming to Villa Maria I had no idea what to expect. The children are full of so much happiness and joy yet they work ever so hard inside and outside of school to live the life they live. My passion for soccer was a huge reason for my interaction with the children. Everyday at least once I would make my way to the school basketball/soccer court and play with the Niño’s and Niñas even if it was only for 20 minutes. They love soccer and for me to play with them, teach them tricks, and share my love for the game was amazing. I remember telling my team leader, Leah, that this was exactly what I wanted to do when I arrived in Peru. Play with children, make them smile and realize that even though it may seem like the 9 of us are strangers from an unknown world, we at one point in our lives were kids just like them.
Mahatma Gandhi once wrote “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” In my 4 weeks at Villa Maria, not only have I learned many life lessons, but have found myself in a way that I never could have imagined. To be able to help the members of this community has been an experience, lesson and a pleasure. The relationships and memories that have been created will remain in my heart forever.

Ryan Aujla
DWC Student Volunteer