June 24, 2010

23 Junio 2010

sexual assalt and povery rates in the country

I never realized how few people live in this country. Truly it is mostly unlivable rainforest and mountain. I would say half the population of this country lives at or below the poverty level of The States.

some facts



fact:
minimum wage s/. 500 = $160 a month

fact:
this is the lowest minimum wage in Latin America

fact:
90% of reported sexual assalt victims are from poor rural communities

fact:
a couple years ago a group of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) were walking down an ally in a northern city and held up at gun and knife point while one of the women was raped.

fact:
she saw a psychologist for a few months in The States, then returned to Peru to complete her service



this information is hard to come by, i have to squeeze theft and assault information from my superiors. In reality our government hides well what bad happens to PCVs, likewise the Peruvian government hides well the true life of their people.

which is worse?
which is for good?


That said, I am here and being trained to the state of boredom on how to keep myself safe and anticipate my needs. While only an idiot would contain no nervousness, I trust my superiors to prepare me well for my time here, and I have already begun to make friends that would protect me any day. This, integration, is the key to me being able to do my work here.

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