Hey y'all.
This week was kind of "eye-opening" in the sense that we began to make our first real connections with los campesinos (country-dwellers). On Sunday, after spending the morning at Pisac, the Incan archaeological site/fabulous crafts market, we headed back up to Chicon to try, once again, meeting with the community leaders. Like Ober had (our Chiconian connection) told us, nearly the entire town was chilling at the cancha (field). As we became a part of the crowd of spectators, I was really impressed by the palpable feeling of community and togetherness. Children ran up and down the sidelines while their parents chatted and sipped freshly brewed chicha. We did manage to have a pretty informal chat with many of the community leaders, after which we were free to do what we wanted. We started a pick-up soccer game on the field and had a great time playing with the kids, who ranged in age from about five or six to about twenty. Afterwards, chaos (the good kind) erupted when we tried showing the kids (there were about thirty of them) some American group activities like elbow tag and the circle sit. As the sky darkened to pitch black, we finally decided it was time to take a combi home.
On Wednesday, I ventured into Chichubamba with Mecha, the ProPeru water filter coordinator, to check on the families who have already received filters. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable entering people's homes and standing awkwardly around the filter. But from observation, I quickly learned that it wasn't a big deal at all. The people in the homes we visited were extremely hospitable, inviting, and willing to answer questions. Here's what was super exciting: we asked many filter-owners if their families' health had improved after the advent of the filters. And the consensus was nearly unanimous...almost all of the Chichubambinos we met told us firmly that their children no longer suffered from diarrhea and digestion problems. Many were eager to explain how important the filters were to their families and how happy they were to have them. To be able to hear this directly from these people was a really great experience. I was hearing firsthand--straight from the source--that the filters were doing people good.
Today, we began our first round of community diagnostics. The first round is just a short encuesta with questions designed to give us an idea of what project possibilities exist and would be valued in the community. Though I was a little nervous at first, just as I had been the day before, my apprehension subsided slowly as I realized it wasn't really that difficult. In fact, it was inspiring and enlightening to catch a glimpse of the chakra (agriculture) life. One older couple, who proudly told us about their eight children, answered the "income question" by telling us that their ingresa was virtually zero because all the monthly earnings are devoted to paying for their son's college education. I was moved by how hard this man was working--and how 100% of his earnings went straight to his son's bank account. As we sat in their backyard, chickens and pigs doing their thing while the couple gave detailed responses to our questions, it felt like we were getting to know the real Peru.
I wish I had taken pictures. But I'll be visiting these communities for nine months, so I should get a photo or two.
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