3 weeks in Huancayo

An 8 hour bus ride and climbing to an elevation of 3200m takes us into the Central Highlands of Peru - Huancayo. The last leg carrying 180 lbs of donations. We were picked up by our homestay family at the bus depot and were whisked through town to their home. Enjoying our first cup of coca tea the worries of altitude sickness drifted away, only until we had to walk up the stairs and were completely out of breath. Initially we had planned on staying 2 weeks volunteering with the kids but their smiling faces kept us there another week. Lets just say it definetely wasn´t the town that we liked. When we arrived we learned that our help was needed more at a local classroom (Ladrillera) than at the orphanage. This classroom was built in 2008 by our homestay family. It is in the poorest area of town (Palian) where the children (ages 1-16) are left alone all day to fend for themselves while the parents need to work 12 hours just to make a few dollars. School hours in Peru are in 2 shifts. Half the kids attend school from 8-1 and the others from 1-6. Our job at this classroom was to help the kids with their homework, play with them, and just love them. Having this classroom available keeps the children from being on the streets, begging and working at the age of 8.

 Ladrillera

The local houses

The kitchen inside one of the children´s houses

So what did we do? Everyday at 8 am we took a local bus 15 minutes to the classroom. (Toyota minivan usually with standing space only crambed with 30 people. Chris being the tallest by far was always hunched with shoulders against the ceiling.) When we arrived at our stop we were greeted by the kids running down the street wanting a hug and to hold your hand. Unlocking the doors the day had begun. Out came the puzzles, crayons, and skipping ropes. Spending the morning at Ladrillera we locked up around 11:30 to bus back home for lunch and Spanish lessons. Then walking back to catch the bus we spent the afternoon from 3-6 at Ladrillera for the afternoon kids. Volunteering with us was 3 others girls. Maria from Germany, and Linnea and Suvi from Finland. Of course you start to bond with certain kids and get your favourites. I fell in love with a 5 year old girl name Maricruz. We could´nt talk about much due to the language barrier but she always just looked up at me and smiled. Chris played with 4 boys that liked lego, they built rocket ships. Changing the world one rocket ship at a time.

 The bus

Skipping

Arts and crafts

Lego

The first Friday we were there we had the opportunity with our homestay mom´s church to go to the local women´s prison. Learning that women with children under 3 are allowed to have them with them in the prison, we gathered some of the clothing and colouring donations. We also helped the ladies at the church put together a bag for every inmate (80) with feminine hygene products and our contribution was a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste for every bag. 

Not knowing what was in store for this adventure we climbed into a minivan full of the church women speaking Spanish. An hour drive and we arrived on a cold hilltop at the cement prison. Learning that the rest of the girls would´nt make it due to vehicle problems it was just us. Chris and I going into the prison. We were patted down and then ushered into a room where a live band was playing Latin Gospel techno music, and the 80 inmates were dancing and singing away. Slipping along the wall it wasn´t 2 minutes later before we were both dragged into a conga line with the women, singing, dancing, swinging, and jumping. Chris being the only male in the room. We gave out the clothing to the 10 children and the bags to all the women. Saying goodbye every lady gave us a hug and kiss on the cheek saying thankyou. Wow what an experience, women from as young as 18 to as old as 70, and we have no idea what they are there for.

Continuing with the next 2 weeks of volunteering we slowly gave away all 3 bags of donations. Thanks to our generous friends, family, and co workers Chris and I were able to donate 50 pairs of socks, 90 outfits for boys and girls ages 0 to 16, 50 pairs of underwear, 12 pairs of shoes, 400 tubes of toothpaste, 150 toothbrushes, 20 children's English books, countless packs of pencil crayons, paper and other stationary, coloring books, stickers, skipping ropes balls and an unlimited supply of fresh drinkable water thanks to a newly installed carbon filtration system.

Xeomara

THANK YOU

The town of Palian has no running water. People must hike in buckets of water from a tap on the main road, and it´s not even drinkable. Not once in the 3 weeks did we see any of the children have a sip of water. Their diet consists of inka cola. With some money a great friend donated we were able to purchase and install a filtration system, a bucket for dispening the water and 1000 cups. Watching the children write their names on their cups and go over and have a drink of fresh water couldn´t have been more rewarding. 

The next friday evening was a Fiesta at Ladrillera. All 60 children singing and dancing, then little did we know 2 Peruvian clowns showed up! The clowns took a liking to Chris and had him up singing and dancing. I was safe on the side with a 2 year old asleep on my lap.

Always with smiles on their faces the children really made an impact on us. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things i´ve had to do. Walking down the dirt road towards the bus with tears running down my cheeks I knew the children would have a place in my heart forever. 

Think she could pass as our own ? ;)