27 Septiembre 2010

How is it that the work I am able to do that isn't planned tends to be the most rewarding? I think the world is trying to teach me something.

I came back to Madrigal frustrated that I was unable to accomplish everything I wanted to do today in Chivay. I didn't even get to purchase produce, and I was seriously worried about getting nutrition for the week without any fruits or vegetables. And, I ended up back earlier than I would have liked and had nothing to do until the townsfolk returned from the fields. But, then a knock came at my door.

Some girls were at my "doorstep" because their teacher had yet again given them an assignment and not the resources to find their own solution. This professor had even reprimanded them for not being able to find the answers. It isn't like these kids have text books or a library where they can look up whatever questions they have, and of course they don't have internet either. The girls know that I have a small mountain of books in my room and that I am always reading, and they were hoping that maybe in one of my books I might have the answers to their questions. Unfortunately, I didn't have a list of the Ministers of Peru in my library, but I did call another volunteer in a more urban living situation who had easy internet access and could look up the answers for them. It is an unexplainable feeling helping someone help someone else. This tiny interaction felt so rewarding.

There is one vendor in Chivay that I seem to have clicked with well. He is older and his wife is a beautiful women I get along with well. They like to keep and eye on me and test my quechua each week when I come in. They are also the only place for hours that carries things like olive oil and wine. Some day I will save enough sole to buy a bottle of wine from him... but anyway... Jesus and his wife also happen to be from Madrigal, so when I was in town today he asked me to deliver an urgent note to his sister. I don't know his sister, but of course would love to help. His directions were something like, "Her house is very far from the center of town (motioning south), towards the river. It's a small house on Colon street. Can you take the note there?" I am thinking sarcastically, "With those directions? Ha! Of course!" I went on a little mission, first asking my host sister, then looking on a map at the Health Post (yeah, no Colon street), then asking some women in the plaza, all making me feel like a terrible messenger and doubting my understanding of a 'small town', then I hit jack pot. A woman that works at a bodega recognized her name and said, "she lives very far, just past the stream, and she has a big dog. Be very careful, her dog is brave." I asked the color of the dog hoping that would help me recognize which house. "Black." OK, one step closer. "Very far" in this town apparently means 4 blocks away. As I crossed the stream I decided to ask again. A man on the corner said I needed to jog a block and it would be right there on the left. But, I got there and had no way to know which door. No one on the street, no dogs to clue me in, and the street lights were getting more and more dim as I walked and the stars began to flood the sky. Then, around the next corner comes a woman with a huge black dog trailing. What luck! And what appreciation she had for this important note. Mission accomplished. I was already on cloud nine.

As I was walking back to my room some girls seemed to illuminate the shadow they stood in when they saw me, "Luz! Could you please help us with our English homework?" and they ran to get their paperwork and sure enough right on the curb under the street lamp we sat for over an hour sounding out words. This was fabulous "advertisement" for me because of the handful of people that walked by and saw us working, and I think it was the first real English class these girls had ever had. In return, they taught me some of their favorite quechua words: rat-(which I don't remember), alpaca- paqu, eagle-anka, sheep- uwiha, dog-allqu, etc. They asked me why I don't come be their english professor and I said I am not a teacher and I haven't met with their principal yet to get permission to spend time with them, then we discussed the importance of getting permission, and I asked, "Besides, I would rather play with you guys than teach you anyways. Would you guys stay after school once a week to play games and do activities with me?" A resounding "Yes" and smiles followed. How uplifting! What more could I ask for? "And if I have a special place where I am every evening, would you come and bring your homework questions?" again, yeses and smiles. My conniving brain is envisioning a room with shelves I have built and stocked with as many books as I can get my hands on. Now, I just need to find the space and get the organization PromoLibro to fund the book purchasing. Such an exciting thought for me. What a project!

I headed to the Municiplity after I left the girls and was stopped by a councilman and his wife. They had read the very small 8 ½ by 11 "poster" I had hung explaining who I am and why I am in Madrigal, and they wanted to talk to me in private. Excited that they read it, but frightened at the seriousness of their inquisition I agreed and stepped into a corner with them. They saw that I have a degree in Psychology and want to talk to me about their child in a private place some day soon. I don't know their child, but I agreed to meet them Wednesday to talk and see what I can do for them. The harsh word "discapacidad" fell out of the wife's mouth which translates to "unlearnable" or "unlearned" and is used in Peru regularly to mean "disabled". I only hope that I can help thir family in some way and it isn't beyond my realm.

Then I stopped at the Municipality to get signatures for a petition all the volunteers in the canyon are collecting for to get internet access in the valley. We are presenting the petition to the Ministry of Tourism as a potential money maker, and are all actually planning to use it to help the people who live in this town who have been forgotten by their own government. We hope to get computers and internet access in a public location (library?!) as well as the schools in each town we work in. It is a lofty goal, but it just may be possible. After two weeks of searching people down, I got all the signatures I needed tonight!

What an incredibly productive evening! I am completely and utterly empowered! I love my job.