The last two days that I spent working with Coprodeli in Peru were with Padre Miguel, the founder, strategist and leader of the organization. I could go on and on about what amazing work this guy and his team have done and how much he they accomplished.
I think we have all experienced the amazing privilege you feel when you are able to spent meaningful time with someone that is truly great. I don't mean famous, I mean great. To me a great man (or women for that matter) is able to create breakthroughs, to do things that others would have thought impossible. But it's more than just that, it is also about HOW they do the seemingly impossible. In the case of Padre Miguel, he does it with such grace, humility and and an absence of interest in self-promotion.
During our first night in Peru we all had dinner with Padre Miguel at a Pizza joint near the volunteer house. After dinner he invited us to his office and we then took us through a presentation that explained Coprodeli's mission, strategy and how they "keep score" on how they are doing. He shared his capitalistic philosophy about ensuring that those Coprodeli helps having "skin the game". All recipients pay something for the schooling, uniforms and houses even if it is sweat equity. Padre believes firmly in development and assistance but not charity. The organizations accomplishments were laid out factually and quantitatively without superlatives and with little reference to Padre personally. The presentation resembled the sort of professional presentation that one would expect from a CEO like Jack Welch of a large for profit organization. My PHD Economist father was even impressed which is no small feat.
While he was presenting someone noticed the picture of he and Mother Teresa on Padre's desk and inquired about it "Padre, what a great honor that Mother Teresa came to visit you". He replied "She came here 20 years ago when things were very bad in Peru and Coprodeli was just getting started. She didn't come to honor me she came to offer help because she said I would need a lot of help and she was right". It is this kind of humility that characterizes the man.
Over my last two days with him, we visited Ica (an area completely destroyed by an earthquake 2 years ago where he is determined to build 2,000 houses, he has 111 built so far), Chincha where he has just finished a school and will now build 1,000 houses and a church around it and Pisco, where we stood in an empty field that would eventually have 1,000 houses, a school, church and medical clinic. Standing in that field in Pisco Vanessa, the Director of Coprodeli's US fundraising said to me "the government has stopped paying its promised funds and Coprodeli has incurred a lot of debt". I asked Padre "how will you deal with this setback". He said "the same way we have dealt with all the rest, our employees and volunteers will get creative, we will rally the local people, we will put pressure on the government and somehow we will get he money and finish the project".
As we asked more questions and listened we learned that every single project has had barriers unimaginable to us in the US. Broken promises, no water rights, a government official reneging on payment the day before school was to start, etc. Coprodeli did not receive the deeds to the land that it built schools on in one area until 3 years after the schools had been built. "Better to ask for forgiveness than wait years for permission" Padre Miguel said. This seemed an even more fitting response coming from a Priest.
In Ica, Coprodeli will only build houses that conform to the highest earthquake standards but still the building permits and government funding is very slow to come. Other builders who are building lesser houses are getting permits and funding much quicker because they are "taking care of the inspectors". In a country where bribes are a common part of business Coprodeli abstains. As a result there are challenges and delays but it works out in the end. A recent aftershock in Ica destroyed two new but poorly constructed houses while the new Coprodeli built house next store stood strong without a crack. The next day some funding and approvals arrived at Coprodeli's office. I guess that's the mysterious ways thing in action......
We had a wonderful couple of days and I got a glimpse into what it is like to work in the face of real adversity. The next time I find something particularly challenging I will think of Padre Miguel in that field in Peru and put my challenges in their proper perspective.
I have now arrived back in the states and I already can't wait to go back to Peru. I hope many of you will join us for our next trip. I promise you will have an Uplifting and unforgettable experience.
Cheers,
Tom
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