Huancayo Peru

 Hola!

 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. 

 

1 of 3 donation bags

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 6.

Ladrillera

The houses behind the classroom

This ditch is next to the class, the kids cross it everyday

Looking up the road

A house across the street

The kitchen of one of the girls 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. 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 couldn´t 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!

Inside the class - making paper snowflakes (from donated paper) to decorate for the fiesta.

Chris teaching multiplication

LEGO !

Fun in the street

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 thanks to Jen and Blake & Liz was a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste for every bag. 

Care package

Donations from Sharron

Sorting clothing into bags based on size

1 month old - bibs from Erica

Bags of clothing for children under 3 from Erica, Krista, and Sarah&Chris

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 wouldn't 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 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 everyone 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, hair ties, balls and an unlimited supply of fresh drinkable water thanks to a newly installed carbon filtration system.

THANK YOU!!

We gave out the clothing donations in groups based on sizes:

Girls sweaters donated by Sharron

Children's clothes donated by Krista and Sarah&Chris

Boys athletic clothes donated by Julia

Shorts from Julia

Boys clothes from Krista

Boys clothes donated by Krista and Sarah&Chris

Girls underware

                                                                                                   Shoes from Krista

Flower dress from Sarah&Chris

Pink shoes from Lesley (thanks also Lesley for the beautiful black and white dress, I didn't get a photo but it went to a little girl named Galilea)

                                            

Canada sweater from Krista

Pajamas from Krista

Hats from Sarah&Chris

Baby toys from Erica

Toothbrushes and toothpaste from Jen and Blake&Liz

Canada frisbees from Lana

The day after we gave out the clothing donations all the kids came to class in their new clothes!!! 

                                     Xeomara                                          Stationary from Sharron and Blake

Edmund

Michael

Andy and Alex

Bridhith

Siera

Maricruz

Analea

Jorge Luis and Selena

Xeomara

 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. 

Items we purchased for fresh water

Water for drinking

We set up the jug in the class for the kids to have whenever they want :)

Cups on the sill with all their names on them

Some of the clothing for babies around 0-6 months we couldn't find a suitable home for in Huancayo, so we decided to carry a small bag to the next town. When we arrived in Cusco we went to the local San Pedro market and found a women behind the building sitting on the sidewalk. She was selling potatoes and had a small baby bundled in her lap. We approached her and asked her about her little girl - 2 month old Giella was perfect! We gave the woman our last bag of donations and with a thankful smile she said Christmas has come early!

Bibs and baby spoons from Erica, My first words book from Sarah&Chris

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. 

Bye Huancayo...we will be back.

Glacier Huaytapallana :)