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.
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
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