It's the eve of the 2010 BOYANCI Coprodeli trip and we're all scurrying to pack those last minute supplies! 56 Cliff bars, glue, glitter, construction paper, scissors, Starbucks new instant coffee (which we didn't have last year)- home made trail mix....the list goes on and on!
Plane leaves JFK at 10:30 and gets us into Lima via El Salvador at 8:30pm. Eventhough I have a rough expectation of whats in store, the anticipation is great!
We'll be visiting additional towns this year that I have never seen. We'll also be returning to Pachucutec where last years outreach touched us all. Can't wait to see Coprodeli's progress there! Not to mention the orphanages, where we promised those smiling faces that we'd see them "next year" and here we are only 9 months later - wonder if they'll remember us?
Please follow us on our amazing journey here on the blog over the next 10 days. Your comments inspire us, Can't wait or you all to meet this years group!
My names Austin, Im 14 years old and this is my first trip to Peru. Just got in after a four and a half hour flight, an hour pit stop, and another four hour flight. We just got to the volunteer house, in Callao, its pretty cool! My room is on the roof. It looks fine, to my suprise, I thought it was going to be something like a cot under a tent, but its actually quite pleasant! The view from the roof is nice, and the wind carries off the smell of sea salt from two or three miles away. Hopefully I can sleep without any disturbances tonight ... bugs - no bueno Austin Meneo
Austin & Sarah, so glad you arrived safely. Did you hear the man walking around whistling? Dogs barking? Am looking forward to following you on this trip. Be safe! Hugs, Uncle Tommy & Roma
What a full day! Our volunteer trip was off to a great start with a full day in Pachacutec, at the San Juan Macias school, Sector E. We entertained 75 kids this morning with various arts & crafts projects, which meant glitter, glue, googly eyes, and construction paper everywhere. The creative juices were in full force and I think the teachers appreciated the break, albeit for a brief couple of hours.
After stopping for a quick lunch, the team had the special opportunity to participate in some humanitarian aid distribution. Over 250+ individuals came from the community to receive a spankin *new* pair of TOMS shoes. Thanks to TOMS ¨One for One¨ model, for every pair of shoes bought, one pair is donated to an organization meeting the needs of individuals living in extreme poverty. In March, we received over 33,000 pairs of shoes and are a due for another 33k in September! The team hustled to make sure everyone who walked through that door received a pair of shoes that fit well. It was PURE JOY watching the kids dance and jump in their new black canvas sneakers. Parents were glowing and grandparents gave many a kisses. We outfitted everyone in about 2 hours...lets see if tomorrow goes just as smoothly!
This evening was dinner with the girls orphanage. As soon as the doorbell rang we heard screams of excitement coming from the other side. As 26 pairs of arms reached around us at once, it was hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed with all the love and attention. The girls showed off their dancing moves before sitting down to inhale a pollo a la brasa dinner. More dancing followed before it was time to say goodbye. Despite their unfortunate backgrounds, there is so much positive energy coming from everyone of those girls.
Tomorrow will bring new adventures, new faces, new stories. For me, these volunteer trips are such a wonderful way to share the Coprodeli magic that I have been lucky and honored to be a part of for the past 5 years. I am thrilled to be a part of BOYANCI´s second annual volunteer trip!
Its Austin again..., Yesterday We went into 3 classes, and did activities. It was so great how happy the children were, they share, they are all so close to eachother. I could not believe how incredibly joyfilled they were, than being able to look out the window and see miles upon miles of stray dogs, dirt roads, and houses made up of plywood, blue tarp roof, and dirt floors. After the classes we took part in a charity, ´´Toms Shoes´´, two and a half hours of measuring dirty, calloused feet, and I didn't even mind because one of the women we gave shoes to left with tears of joy, and I would have come to Peru for that alone, but we're not done yet. Austin Meneo
Hola from Peru! We are having an absolutely fantastically rewarding and wonderful time. We have taught 6 classes of kids, taken lots of photos, assited families in dire need, visited the girls and boys orphanges, and woken up to roosters crowing every morning. I am excited for the week ahead knowing that we have only been here for 2 days. This is an amazing and life changing experience and I cant wait to live it up. xoxo
Day 1 I can honestly say Ive never seen shoes actually worn out like Ive seen here. The soles were worn through in multiple places and flip flops seem to be the only shoe in town! Just the act of fitting these new shoes to so many damaged, blistered, swollen feet was very very humbling. The layers of dirt were indicative of the lives these gracious people lead. Being the shoe girl that I am there is a cerain sense of guilt when thinking about what I go through back home for the perfect shoes for a party or for a work outfit. Trying every color size and designer! These people will wear any color in any shoe in order to not have to go barefoot for miles each day! The Toms shoes model is wonderful, it excites me to think that the money from BOYANCI may be as impactful in another way to the very same group!
Day 2 Girls Orphanage- Dinner with the girls orphanage was Thursday night, and the scene is now familiar .... 30 individually wrapped chicken dinners, along with the 5 of us arrive at the gate and the sound of screaming girls is exactly the same in any language! The hugs didnt stop and the girls recognised me from last year and immediately asked for Papa Tomas, my Dad who was on the trip last year, and became an instant granpa to each child he came across. The girls had grown and developed so much. Naeli was a bit less shy, now 5 years old and Estellas English was even better than last year, she is now 12 and learning most of her english from Jonas brothers songs. I couldnt help but immediately scan the yard for Jenny, the devilishly sweet little girl that stole my brother Toms heart on his first trip, and my heart last year. Maybe its the fact that she reminds me of myself at that age, very boyish and a bit unruly. I am very proud to report that Jenny did not throw any chicken this year and didnt act up until attempting front handsprings just prior to our departure! PRICELESS! Well retun on Friday morning and bring them some goody bags and say goodbye.
Saturday morning and slowly starting to process the amazing experiences weve had already.
Day 3 Outreach- Emotional overload in the town, we saw 5 families each welcomes us into their tiny dirt floored homes and told us their stories. One single mom, had 4 kids ages 7, 6, 3,and 1 and worked selling candy to the bus customers while her 6 year old watched the kids and the 7 year old went to school. The 1 year old had a small plastic tub as his playpen, obviously used to confine him as much as possible. The stairs of all these children are heartbreaking, their eyes are so expressive and they appear as if theyve seen way more than any child ever should. Coprodeli supplied food, clothing and 2 toys for the children and they were so appreciative. Now that this family is documented with Coprodeli, they will be monitored for future needs - and just the fact that someone was recognising their existance seemed to be a gift!
The last family we saw was also a single mom with 4 kids, ages 1, 9, 10, and 12. The 9 year old girl had spina bifida, a spine disorder where the spine did not fuse properly in the womb. The girl could not walk and the family has to coordinate transportation to school and back since the sand is too thick to push a wheelchair it is left at school. This is a family that Katie, Austin and I want to personally follow through on. The mom made jewerly that she sells. She learned through a Coprodeli business class and showed us her work. We bought almost everything including some large beaded rings. Over 50 pieces of beaded jewelry, $160 soles, $52 dollares. A ton of money for her and her family very well deserved. We told her how proud we were as working women that she is taking care of her family and working hard to learn the skills in order to do it. This woman Inspired us, we left her with some food and clothing and she was so appreciative.
Boys Orphanage, Dinner with the boys was last night and there were only 14 this year. The room was completely silent while they attacked every piece of chicken so politely. The blessing was moving as they thanked god for our visit and the gift of the meal and asked him to continue to protect them. After dinner Austins magic provided the entertainment. He showed them trick after trick with cards and coins and the boys were amazed. He then showed them his trade secrets and their discipline while practicing was great to watch. It was a proud Mommy moment for me to see Austin interacting with the boys just as if they her his US friends, in an instant the world became much smaller to him. Adisa, whom we affectionately refer to as Mother Teresa was there sitting quietly excuding this saint like hora that the kids so obviously love and respect. After dinner we cam back to the house and talked for hours about our experiences. We were all in agreement that its going to take awhile for this to all settle in, so much poverty yet so much giving all in one place, an amazing lesson to us all.
Bill and Pete fly in in a few hours and we ll head South to Pisco where we will spend the evening at a fiesta hosted by our friend Melanie who owns Macchu Pisco, Pisco company.
Hola! It's Bill checking in here. It's Wednesday, and this is the first time we have had Internet connectivity. We are behind on blogging because of that and all of the exciting work we have been doing.
Pete Vaughn (aka Pedro) and I arrived on Saturday. We flew on a 6:30 a.m. (yawn) flight out of JFK, arriving in Panama City for a brief one hour stopover after 5 hours of flying. Our next flight was a 3 hour stint from Panama City to Lima.
After Pedro lost the red light/green light wheel of fortune and had to have his bags checked by customs, we were greeted by Mareets, who drove us to the volunteer house in Callao to meet up with the rest of the crew - Sarah, Austin, Vanessa, Sasha and Katie.
We had a quick shower and lunch with the group and Padre Miguwl, and then we were off on the 3+ hour trek South to Chincha, with Padre Miguel displaying his own unique style of South American driving. I swear there is evidence this guy has the man upstairs on his side, because he passed so many 18 wheelers on the left along the way barely squeezing back into the right lane before the oncoming vehicle struck . . . . It made for an interesting trip.
What was more interesting, however, was the Spanish mission and church we stopped at along the way, and the impromptu mass said by Padre Miguel at what appeared to be a random church we just walked into in Chincha.
After mass, we met our friend Melanie, who is a principal of Macchu Pisco, at a nice reception that she and her company held for us at a very nice local restaurant. Melanie's friends were great, and we had some great Pisco sours, cervesas and appetizers.
We returned to the Chincha volunteer house, which is attached to the Chincha Coprodeli school, that evening and crashed pretty hard, anticipating the next day's excursions . . .
It's Bill again. My last post said April 24, but it was really Saturday, April 17, 2010.
Now that that is taken care of, I'll update you on the happenings of Sunday April 18, 2010. We started out the day from the Chincha volunteer house. It is attached to the Chincha Coprodeli school, and it was opened right after the 2007 earthquake, and it is part of the Corprodeli model, which includes new housing right around the school and agricultural areas to support the project and to teach students and those running "incubator" businesses certain skills and trades. It's quite an amazing vision. The accommodations are much better than I expected. The rooms are like new, with new tile throughout and a bathroom that is very modern. Water pressure can be a bit less than we are used to in the US, but showers are warm, and we were able (and needed to (more on that later)) shower every day. There is a common eating area and kitchen for the volunteer housing.
Downstairs is a obstetrics/medical clinic and PT area. The school is across the courtyard and is 3 floors, with another large yard on the other side of it. The school/volunteer house part of the project is walled and gated like a little compound.
On Sunday morning, we had the traditional breakfast, which is comprised of ham and cheese sandwiches, fruits, coffee, and a liquid sugar free yogurt that I enjoyed.
We then headed South toward the shore for a tourism day. We visited Paracas and took a boat tour out to Isla Paracas (I think that's what it was called). On the way out we viewed a large candelabra pattern etched into the side of a mountain/hill on the Paracas peninsula. It looks like the trident on the top of Poseidon's fork to me, but we were told nobody knows exactly what it is and who placed it there.
We continued out to the island, where we saw the island's resident sea lions, turkey vultures, boobies and penguins. We learned how the Peruvians farm the bird droppings (en Espanol, guana) because it is apparently an incredible fertilizer. One of the islands had a compound on it that is inhabited by some government people to ensure that the guana is harvested on schedule . . . . Perhaps Discovery Channel could do an episode of World's Dirtiest Jobs based on the happenings here . . . .
We then Reservation to have lunch on the water and beach. Our faithful driver/tour guide, Padre Miguel, wasted almost no time changing into his swim trunks and jumping into the ocean. That spurred most of the rest of us to do just the same - bathing suit or not. I went in in my boxer briefs, and some went in in their underwear (Sasha??). Poor Vanessa was the victim of a Padre Miguel joke, and she was tossed in in her vestido . . . .
The meal we had was comprised of ceviche and fried fish and was absolutely incredible. We had cervesas and Pisco sours . . . . Kids are coming to class. More on this day later . . .
After our lunch on the beach, we took a drive in the Paracas Reservation to see the Cathedral, a rock arch formation on the shore off of the shoreline cliffs. The landscape around was pure desert for miles and miles and miles, and the shoreline was lined with cliffs. I have not seen cliffs like that since I was in Ireland at the Cliffs of Mohr (sp?). The Cathedral was a rock formation in the ocean with a cathedral- like quality that used to be attached to the shoreline cliffs. However, as a result of an earthquake, the connection with the shoreline cliffs was no longer present.
We seft the cliffs and went to see the Macchu Pisco bodegas (where they make and bottle the pisco. The first bodega was essentially a winery, where the grapes are pressed and fermented. Macchu Pisco is made in a small local place chosen by the inologist. This year's pisco was being made by the Grimaldi family, which also has its own wines and selection of piscos. We viewed the pressing tanks and fermentation tanks and were told how the whole process works. We also learned how the Grimaldi family makes vinegar and how that process differs from the winemaking business. We even got to view the owner's cock fighting coloseum and his lineup of prized cocks and chickens. That was a bit of an eye opener, but fascinating all the same. Pedro and I were interested in viewing one of said matches, but we were informed that it was not the cockfighting season. Hmmm . . . maybe we'll plan our next trip around the season opener . . . .
Bodega number two was the next destination. We were lucky enough to taste the whole Grimaldo wine selection. All of the wines, which are sold locally, are typical Peruvian wines - sweeter than what we are used to in the US. Then came the Pisco.
We had barrel samples of the Macchu Pisco. This pisco was about a month sitting, but it is required by law to sit for three months minimum. So, it was a little "burnt" tasting. We tasted the first of the batch, which is distilled before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol. It's a bit sweeter, and has a lower yield per ounce of wine, so it's better and more expensive. We also got to taste the pisco that is distilled next. Grimaldi was sure to have us tast his 100 different pisco varieties (slight exaggeration, but it did not seem like it by the time we were done), including his local award winning blend. Needless to say, we purchased a bunch of wines and a nice bottle of pisco (more on the use of the pisco in later blogs).
We headed home for the evening, having spent a wonderful day seeing the local sights and looking forward to the next day's teaching and sand surfing excursion.
(Nest up: teaching classes and distribution of Tom's shoes in Pisco and sand surfing in the Huacca Chino desert . . .)
Great updates---keep them coming. Also, please keep your eyes open for opportunities for entrepreneurial opportunities where interested Americans can partner with entrepreneurs in the Coprodeli-supported communities in Peru. Whether the opportunity is to fill a local market need in Peru or if there is a product that can be exported for sale in the US please take note of them all. Increasingly Coprodeli USA will be attracting Americans into our community with an interest in supporting Social Businesses--businesses where dividends/profits go back to the community to support the development of other social businesses or to social programs. We look forward to hearing about any opportunities you guys learn about.
It's Pete a/k/a Pedro. It's Wednesday evening. I'm going to provide my perspective on the Monday, April 19 experience. Here it is:
Visited our first school in Ica Monday morning. Kids were great and of course more than a few of the kids took a long look at me because of my height. I was a little nervous early, but was able to help out even with my limited language skills. After we finished with our art projects we helped fit the kids with shoes provided by Toms!!! I think I injured a couple of the kids, but I got the shoes on their feet. We ate lunch on the porch in front of the principal's office (food was great again) and we could watch construction of the homes that will be part of the community in Ica.
Our next stop that afternoon was huacca china and some sand surfing. They took us out in a dune buggy, which did not seem that safe since my seat belt did not work and the driver kept pumping water into the engine. We started the trip with some fast driving and it felt like a roller coaster without the rails. Of course a few in the group screamed at the guy to go faster - I was not one and was looking at my feet for half the ride.
Our first stop was the highest sand dune in South America, again because some in the group encouraged the driver to take us to the hardest run (Again..not one of those people). Three people did brave that first run, but the rest took a ride down and we next went to the bunny hill where we should have started - I'm a baby steps guy.
The concept of sand surfing is basically going down hill head first on a snow board, though a couple people did strap in standing up with limited success. You also go very fast! I needed a much bigger board, but was able to make it work - filled my pants with sand a few times. We advanced our way up bigger hills and everyone had a blast. We were one of the last groups out, so caught a great sunset and some more crazy driving before heading back for some drinks before the drive home (For once Padre was waiting for us in the parking lot). The group probably collected 20 lbs of sand in our clothes, but can't stress enough how fun sand surfing was after I decided to man up. Came back that night and had another great meal prepared by Nelly, the lady fixing our meals and providing other help. Great first day of teaching and rolling around in the sand!
Amazing to think that this years trip is coming to an end!! It´´s our last night here and we´´re back inthe Callao house for the ceremonial last night goody bags with the orphanage houses. Today we taught in the morning in Callete and then took the kids outside for some soccer and volleyball ' they were so inquisitive wanted to know where we lived, how we lived etc... I remember how much this trip affected my life last year and am hoping that this years volunteers feel that their time was worth while.
It was such a fantastic group. Katie was taking amazing pictures and her perspective on these delicate lives made us all think deeply about our experiences. Having Austin here was priceless as well, being only 14 the kids could really relate to him. His magic tricks shrunk this large world before his eyes. Despite the language barrier, kids are kids everywhere! Vanessa is such an inspiration, her role as Coprodeli director will be changing and Sasha will be taking over. It was amazing to have Vanessa here hosting us for the 2nd time becasue she could relate to our experience last year as well and has had a hand in so much of this positive change. Sasha is here on her first visit and is training to host trips herself. She already has an amamzing passion for both Padre Miquels goal as well Coprodeli, its going to be exciting to see her grow with the organization. Pete is truly the gentle giant, at 6´´6 he towers over EVERYONE in this country, doesn´´t speak a bit of Spanish and is irresistable to these children. His enthusiasm for every part of the classroom activities inspired us all. My husband Bill has been hearing about this experience for quite some time and having him here to take part in it is something we´´ll both cherish. It choked me up to see his eyes while out in the village of Chinca Baja doing outreach. He had such empathy for these families, it made me love him even more to know that Peru is now as special to him as it is to me!
Just a reminder to look around you each day and be thankful for all that you have, its so so so much more than so many.
Tom Steffanci here. Wow, I just read all the updates. What a trip! I'm so jealous, this is the first one that I missed but I won't miss next year's. Sarah, thanks for the leading the group, it sounds like you and Vanessa were great hosts. Austin, I'm so thrilled that you were able to go, I only wish I could have gained that perspective on the world at your age.
Each time I go to Peru I always wonder when I come back, who got more out of it the kids we are there to help with our time and donations or the volunteers who (myself included) leave with fresh perspective and reinforced sense of meaning in their life. I guess it doesn't much matter because there is plenty of benefit on both sides. I know you are all returning home with an unexplainable sense peace and you will miss Peru and those wonderful people just like I do. I can't wait to go back.
There is so much we can all do to help Coprodeli and the people in Peru in such dire need and I hope your group will stay connected and stick to your pledge to achieve your fundraising goals. BOYANCI will continue to do our part and you will all always have an open invitation to return with us. We'll be back every year and repeat visits are welcome.
It's the eve of the 2010 BOYANCI Coprodeli trip and we're all scurrying to pack those last minute supplies! 56 Cliff bars, glue, glitter, construction paper, scissors, Starbucks new instant coffee (which we didn't have last year)- home made trail mix....the list goes on and on!
ReplyDeletePlane leaves JFK at 10:30 and gets us into Lima via El Salvador at 8:30pm. Eventhough I have a rough expectation of whats in store, the anticipation is great!
We'll be visiting additional towns this year that I have never seen. We'll also be returning to Pachucutec where last years outreach touched us all. Can't wait to see Coprodeli's progress there! Not to mention the orphanages, where we promised those smiling faces that we'd see them "next year" and here we are only 9 months later - wonder if they'll remember us?
Please follow us on our amazing journey here on the blog over the next 10 days. Your comments inspire us, Can't wait or you all to meet this years group!
Cheers!
Sarah Steffanci Murray
My names Austin, Im 14 years old and this is my first trip to Peru. Just got in after a four and a half hour flight, an hour pit stop, and another four hour flight. We just got to the volunteer house, in Callao, its pretty cool! My room is on the roof. It looks fine, to my suprise, I thought it was going to be something like a cot under a tent, but its actually quite pleasant! The view from the roof is nice, and the wind carries off the smell of sea salt from two or three miles away. Hopefully I can sleep without any disturbances tonight ... bugs - no bueno
ReplyDeleteAustin Meneo
Austin & Sarah, so glad you arrived safely. Did you hear the man walking around whistling? Dogs barking? Am looking forward to following you on this trip. Be safe! Hugs, Uncle Tommy & Roma
ReplyDeleteWhat a full day! Our volunteer trip was off to a great start with a full day in Pachacutec, at the San Juan Macias school, Sector E. We entertained 75 kids this morning with various arts & crafts projects, which meant glitter, glue, googly eyes, and construction paper everywhere. The creative juices were in full force and I think the teachers appreciated the break, albeit for a brief couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteAfter stopping for a quick lunch, the team had the special opportunity to participate in some humanitarian aid distribution. Over 250+ individuals came from the community to receive a spankin *new* pair of TOMS shoes. Thanks to TOMS ¨One for One¨ model, for every pair of shoes bought, one pair is donated to an organization meeting the needs of individuals living in extreme poverty. In March, we received over 33,000 pairs of shoes and are a due for another 33k in September! The team hustled to make sure everyone who walked through that door received a pair of shoes that fit well. It was PURE JOY watching the kids dance and jump in their new black canvas sneakers. Parents were glowing and grandparents gave many a kisses. We outfitted everyone in about 2 hours...lets see if tomorrow goes just as smoothly!
This evening was dinner with the girls orphanage. As soon as the doorbell rang we heard screams of excitement coming from the other side. As 26 pairs of arms reached around us at once, it was hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed with all the love and attention. The girls showed off their dancing moves before sitting down to inhale a pollo a la brasa dinner. More dancing followed before it was time to say goodbye. Despite their unfortunate backgrounds, there is so much positive energy coming from everyone of those girls.
Tomorrow will bring new adventures, new faces, new stories. For me, these volunteer trips are such a wonderful way to share the Coprodeli magic that I have been lucky and honored to be a part of for the past 5 years. I am thrilled to be a part of BOYANCI´s second annual volunteer trip!
Till next time...
Vanessa Keating
Coprodeli USA
Its Austin again..., Yesterday We went into 3 classes, and did activities. It was so great how happy the children were, they share, they are all so close to eachother. I could not believe how incredibly joyfilled they were, than being able to look out the window and see miles upon miles of stray dogs, dirt roads, and houses made up of plywood, blue tarp roof, and dirt floors. After the classes we took part in a charity, ´´Toms Shoes´´, two and a half hours of measuring dirty, calloused feet, and I didn't even mind because one of the women we gave shoes to left with tears of joy, and I would have come to Peru for that alone, but we're not done yet.
ReplyDeleteAustin Meneo
Hola from Peru! We are having an absolutely fantastically rewarding and wonderful time. We have taught 6 classes of kids, taken lots of photos, assited families in dire need, visited the girls and boys orphanges, and woken up to roosters crowing every morning. I am excited for the week ahead knowing that we have only been here for 2 days. This is an amazing and life changing experience and I cant wait to live it up. xoxo
ReplyDeleteDay 1
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say Ive never seen shoes actually worn out like Ive seen here. The soles were worn through in multiple places and flip flops seem to be the only shoe in town! Just the act of fitting these new shoes to so many damaged, blistered, swollen feet was very very humbling. The layers of dirt were indicative of the lives these gracious people lead. Being the shoe girl that I am there is a cerain sense of guilt when thinking about what I go through back home for the perfect shoes for a party or for a work outfit. Trying every color size and designer! These people will wear any color in any shoe in order to not have to go barefoot for miles each day! The Toms shoes model is wonderful, it excites me to think that the money from BOYANCI may be as impactful in another way to the very same group!
Day 2
Girls Orphanage-
Dinner with the girls orphanage was Thursday night, and the scene is now familiar .... 30 individually wrapped chicken dinners, along with the 5 of us arrive at the gate and the sound of screaming girls is exactly the same in any language! The hugs didnt stop and the girls recognised me from last year and immediately asked for Papa Tomas, my Dad who was on the trip last year, and became an instant granpa to each child he came across. The girls had grown and developed so much. Naeli was a bit less shy, now 5 years old and Estellas English was even better than last year, she is now 12 and learning most of her english from Jonas brothers songs. I couldnt help but immediately scan the yard for Jenny, the devilishly sweet little girl that stole my brother Toms heart on his first trip, and my heart last year. Maybe its the fact that she reminds me of myself at that age, very boyish and a bit unruly. I am very proud to report that Jenny did not throw any chicken this year and didnt act up until attempting front handsprings just prior to our departure! PRICELESS! Well retun on Friday morning and bring them some goody bags and say goodbye.
Sarah
Saturday morning and slowly starting to process the amazing experiences weve had already.
ReplyDeleteDay 3
Outreach-
Emotional overload in the town, we saw 5 families each welcomes us into their tiny dirt floored homes and told us their stories. One single mom, had 4 kids ages 7, 6, 3,and 1 and worked selling candy to the bus customers while her 6 year old watched the kids and the 7 year old went to school. The 1 year old had a small plastic tub as his playpen, obviously used to confine him as much as possible. The stairs of all these children are heartbreaking, their eyes are so expressive and they appear as if theyve seen way more than any child ever should. Coprodeli supplied food, clothing and 2 toys for the children and they were so appreciative. Now that this family is documented with Coprodeli, they will be monitored for future needs - and just the fact that someone was recognising their existance seemed to be a gift!
The last family we saw was also a single mom with 4 kids, ages 1, 9, 10, and 12. The 9 year old girl had spina bifida, a spine disorder where the spine did not fuse properly in the womb. The girl could not walk and the family has to coordinate transportation to school and back since the sand is too thick to push a wheelchair it is left at school. This is a family that Katie, Austin and I want to personally follow through on. The mom made jewerly that she sells. She learned through a Coprodeli business class and showed us her work. We bought almost everything including some large beaded rings. Over 50 pieces of beaded jewelry, $160 soles, $52 dollares. A ton of money for her and her family very well deserved. We told her how proud we were as working women that she is taking care of her family and working hard to learn the skills in order to do it. This woman Inspired us, we left her with some food and clothing and she was so appreciative.
Boys Orphanage,
Dinner with the boys was last night and there were only 14 this year. The room was completely silent while they attacked every piece of chicken so politely. The blessing was moving as they thanked god for our visit and the gift of the meal and asked him to continue to protect them. After dinner Austins magic provided the entertainment. He showed them trick after trick with cards and coins and the boys were amazed. He then showed them his trade secrets and their discipline while practicing was great to watch. It was a proud Mommy moment for me to see Austin interacting with the boys just as if they her his US friends, in an instant the world became much smaller to him. Adisa, whom we affectionately refer to as Mother Teresa was there sitting quietly excuding this saint like hora that the kids so obviously love and respect. After dinner we cam back to the house and talked for hours about our experiences. We were all in agreement that its going to take awhile for this to all settle in, so much poverty yet so much giving all in one place, an amazing lesson to us all.
Bill and Pete fly in in a few hours and we ll head South to Pisco where we will spend the evening at a fiesta hosted by our friend Melanie who owns Macchu Pisco, Pisco company.
More tomorrow, Hugs!
Sarah Steffanci Murray
Saturday, April 24, 2010.
ReplyDeleteHola! It's Bill checking in here. It's Wednesday, and this is the first time we have had Internet connectivity. We are behind on blogging because of that and all of the exciting work we have been doing.
Pete Vaughn (aka Pedro) and I arrived on Saturday. We flew on a 6:30 a.m. (yawn) flight out of JFK, arriving in Panama City for a brief one hour stopover after 5 hours of flying. Our next flight was a 3 hour stint from Panama City to Lima.
After Pedro lost the red light/green light wheel of fortune and had to have his bags checked by customs, we were greeted by Mareets, who drove us to the volunteer house in Callao to meet up with the rest of the crew - Sarah, Austin, Vanessa, Sasha and Katie.
We had a quick shower and lunch with the group and Padre Miguwl, and then we were off on the 3+ hour trek South to Chincha, with Padre Miguel displaying his own unique style of South American driving. I swear there is evidence this guy has the man upstairs on his side, because he passed so many 18 wheelers on the left along the way barely squeezing back into the right lane before the oncoming vehicle struck . . . . It made for an interesting trip.
What was more interesting, however, was the Spanish mission and church we stopped at along the way, and the impromptu mass said by Padre Miguel at what appeared to be a random church we just walked into in Chincha.
After mass, we met our friend Melanie, who is a principal of Macchu Pisco, at a nice reception that she and her company held for us at a very nice local restaurant. Melanie's friends were great, and we had some great Pisco sours, cervesas and appetizers.
We returned to the Chincha volunteer house, which is attached to the Chincha Coprodeli school, that evening and crashed pretty hard, anticipating the next day's excursions . . .
(To be continued)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
ReplyDeleteIt's Bill again. My last post said April 24, but it was really Saturday, April 17, 2010.
Now that that is taken care of, I'll update you on the happenings of Sunday April 18, 2010. We started out the day from the Chincha volunteer house. It is attached to the Chincha Coprodeli school, and it was opened right after the 2007 earthquake, and it is part of the Corprodeli model, which includes new housing right around the school and agricultural areas to support the project and to teach students and those running "incubator" businesses certain skills and trades. It's quite an amazing vision. The accommodations are much better than I expected. The rooms are like new, with new tile throughout and a bathroom that is very modern. Water pressure can be a bit less than we are used to in the US, but showers are warm, and we were able (and needed to (more on that later)) shower every day. There is a common eating area and kitchen for the volunteer housing.
Downstairs is a obstetrics/medical clinic and PT area. The school is across the courtyard and is 3 floors, with another large yard on the other side of it. The school/volunteer house part of the project is walled and gated like a little compound.
On Sunday morning, we had the traditional breakfast, which is comprised of ham and cheese sandwiches, fruits, coffee, and a liquid sugar free yogurt that I enjoyed.
We then headed South toward the shore for a tourism day. We visited Paracas and took a boat tour out to Isla Paracas (I think that's what it was called). On the way out we viewed a large candelabra pattern etched into the side of a mountain/hill on the Paracas peninsula. It looks like the trident on the top of Poseidon's fork to me, but we were told nobody knows exactly what it is and who placed it there.
We continued out to the island, where we saw the island's resident sea lions, turkey vultures, boobies and penguins. We learned how the Peruvians farm the bird droppings (en Espanol, guana) because it is apparently an incredible fertilizer. One of the islands had a compound on it that is inhabited by some government people to ensure that the guana is harvested on schedule . . . . Perhaps Discovery Channel could do an episode of World's Dirtiest Jobs based on the happenings here . . . .
We then Reservation to have lunch on the water and beach. Our faithful driver/tour guide, Padre Miguel, wasted almost no time changing into his swim trunks and jumping into the ocean. That spurred most of the rest of us to do just the same - bathing suit or not. I went in in my boxer briefs, and some went in in their underwear (Sasha??). Poor Vanessa was the victim of a Padre Miguel joke, and she was tossed in in her vestido . . . .
The meal we had was comprised of ceviche and fried fish and was absolutely incredible. We had cervesas and Pisco sours . . . . Kids are coming to class. More on this day later . . .
(To be continued).
Sunday, April 18, 2010 (Continued).
ReplyDeleteAfter our lunch on the beach, we took a drive in the Paracas Reservation to see the Cathedral, a rock arch formation on the shore off of the shoreline cliffs. The landscape around was pure desert for miles and miles and miles, and the shoreline was lined with cliffs. I have not seen cliffs like that since I was in Ireland at the Cliffs of Mohr (sp?). The Cathedral was a rock formation in the ocean with a cathedral- like quality that used to be attached to the shoreline cliffs. However, as a result of an earthquake, the connection with the shoreline cliffs was no longer present.
We seft the cliffs and went to see the Macchu Pisco bodegas (where they make and bottle the pisco. The first bodega was essentially a winery, where the grapes are pressed and fermented. Macchu Pisco is made in a small local place chosen by the inologist. This year's pisco was being made by the Grimaldi family, which also has its own wines and selection of piscos. We viewed the pressing tanks and fermentation tanks and were told how the whole process works. We also learned how the Grimaldi family makes vinegar and how that process differs from the winemaking business. We even got to view the owner's cock fighting coloseum and his lineup of prized cocks and chickens. That was a bit of an eye opener, but fascinating all the same. Pedro and I were interested in viewing one of said matches, but we were informed that it was not the cockfighting season. Hmmm . . . maybe we'll plan our next trip around the season opener . . . .
Bodega number two was the next destination. We were lucky enough to taste the whole Grimaldo wine selection. All of the wines, which are sold locally, are typical Peruvian wines - sweeter than what we are used to in the US. Then came the Pisco.
We had barrel samples of the Macchu Pisco. This pisco was about a month sitting, but it is required by law to sit for three months minimum. So, it was a little "burnt" tasting. We tasted the first of the batch, which is distilled before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol. It's a bit sweeter, and has a lower yield per ounce of wine, so it's better and more expensive. We also got to taste the pisco that is distilled next. Grimaldi was sure to have us tast his 100 different pisco varieties (slight exaggeration, but it did not seem like it by the time we were done), including his local award winning blend. Needless to say, we purchased a bunch of wines and a nice bottle of pisco (more on the use of the pisco in later blogs).
We headed home for the evening, having spent a wonderful day seeing the local sights and looking forward to the next day's teaching and sand surfing excursion.
(Nest up: teaching classes and distribution of Tom's shoes in Pisco and sand surfing in the Huacca Chino desert . . .)
Great updates---keep them coming. Also, please keep your eyes open for opportunities for entrepreneurial opportunities where interested Americans can partner with entrepreneurs in the Coprodeli-supported communities in Peru. Whether the opportunity is to fill a local market need in Peru or if there is a product that can be exported for sale in the US please take note of them all. Increasingly Coprodeli USA will be attracting Americans into our community with an interest in supporting Social Businesses--businesses where dividends/profits go back to the community to support the development of other social businesses or to social programs. We look forward to hearing about any opportunities you guys learn about.
ReplyDeleteAll the Best,
Jim McGough
Board of Directors, Coprodeli USA
Monday, April 19, 2010.
ReplyDeleteIt's Pete a/k/a Pedro. It's Wednesday evening. I'm going to provide my perspective on the Monday, April 19 experience. Here it is:
Visited our first school in Ica Monday morning. Kids were great and of course more than a few of the kids took a long look at me because of my height. I was a little nervous early, but was able to help out even with my limited language skills. After we finished with our art projects we helped fit the kids with shoes provided by Toms!!! I think I injured a couple of the kids, but I got the shoes on their feet. We ate lunch on the porch in front of the principal's office (food was great again) and we could watch construction of the homes that will be part of the community in Ica.
Our next stop that afternoon was huacca china and some sand surfing. They took us out in a dune buggy, which did not seem that safe since my seat belt did not work and the driver kept pumping water into the engine. We started the trip with some fast driving and it felt like a roller coaster without the rails. Of course a few in the group screamed at the guy to go faster - I was not one and was looking at my feet for half the ride.
Our first stop was the highest sand dune in South America, again because some in the group encouraged the driver to take us to the hardest run (Again..not one of those people). Three people did brave that first run, but the rest took a ride down and we next went to the bunny hill where we should have started - I'm a baby steps guy.
The concept of sand surfing is basically going down hill head first on a snow board, though a couple people did strap in standing up with limited success. You also go very fast! I needed a much bigger board, but was able to make it work - filled my pants with sand a few times. We advanced our way up bigger hills and everyone had a blast. We were one of the last groups out, so caught a great sunset and some more crazy driving before heading back for some drinks before the drive home (For once Padre was waiting for us in the parking lot). The group probably collected 20 lbs of sand in our clothes, but can't stress enough how fun sand surfing was after I decided to man up. Came back that night and had another great meal prepared by Nelly, the lady fixing our meals and providing other help. Great first day of teaching and rolling around in the sand!
Amazing to think that this years trip is coming to an end!! It´´s our last night here and we´´re back inthe Callao house for the ceremonial last night goody bags with the orphanage houses. Today we taught in the morning in Callete and then took the kids outside for some soccer and volleyball ' they were so inquisitive wanted to know where we lived, how we lived etc... I remember how much this trip affected my life last year and am hoping that this years volunteers feel that their time was worth while.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a fantastic group. Katie was taking amazing pictures and her perspective on these delicate lives made us all think deeply about our experiences. Having Austin here was priceless as well, being only 14 the kids could really relate to him. His magic tricks shrunk this large world before his eyes. Despite the language barrier, kids are kids everywhere! Vanessa is such an inspiration, her role as Coprodeli director will be changing and Sasha will be taking over. It was amazing to have Vanessa here hosting us for the 2nd time becasue she could relate to our experience last year as well and has had a hand in so much of this positive change. Sasha is here on her first visit and is training to host trips herself. She already has an amamzing passion for both Padre Miquels goal as well Coprodeli, its going to be exciting to see her grow with the organization. Pete is truly the gentle giant, at 6´´6 he towers over EVERYONE in this country, doesn´´t speak a bit of Spanish and is irresistable to these children. His enthusiasm for every part of the classroom activities inspired us all. My husband Bill has been hearing about this experience for quite some time and having him here to take part in it is something we´´ll both cherish. It choked me up to see his eyes while out in the village of Chinca Baja doing outreach. He had such empathy for these families, it made me love him even more to know that Peru is now as special to him as it is to me!
Just a reminder to look around you each day and be thankful for all that you have, its so so so much more than so many.
Hugs to all, we miss you!
Sarah
Tom Steffanci here. Wow, I just read all the updates. What a trip! I'm so jealous, this is the first one that I missed but I won't miss next year's. Sarah, thanks for the leading the group, it sounds like you and Vanessa were great hosts. Austin, I'm so thrilled that you were able to go, I only wish I could have gained that perspective on the world at your age.
ReplyDeleteEach time I go to Peru I always wonder when I come back, who got more out of it the kids we are there to help with our time and donations or the volunteers who (myself included) leave with fresh perspective and reinforced sense of meaning in their life. I guess it doesn't much matter because there is plenty of benefit on both sides. I know you are all returning home with an unexplainable sense peace and you will miss Peru and those wonderful people just like I do. I can't wait to go back.
There is so much we can all do to help Coprodeli and the people in Peru in such dire need and I hope your group will stay connected and stick to your pledge to achieve your fundraising goals. BOYANCI will continue to do our part and you will all always have an open invitation to return with us. We'll be back every year and repeat visits are welcome.
With Love,
Tom