However, this past week has been inexplicable in a completely new way.
I am proud and happy and sad beyond words.
The VALE commitee of women hit the ground running.
This group of young female leaders is not going to let their kids go uneducated, and has taken an active roll in ensuring the after school program and library's success.
First, the protest with the kids in the street outside the Municipality.
Second, they formalized their organization with a "libro de actas", named their president, secretary, and treasurer, and defined their goals and vision as a group.
Third, they got the library painted by the Municipality, and got the Muni to agree to pay the salary of a teacher to their new president.
Fourth, they organized and taught "encuentros de padres" a two week workshop for parents.
I am so beyond proud of these women and filled with hope for this little community I can't possibly attempt to elucidate in any way.
Hirma and I attended a Peace Corps training together about a year ago, and planned the themes for Encuentros de Padres- the Parenting workshop:
How to help your children raise their self-esteem
How to help your kids with their homework
Healthy intra-familial communication
Family Planning
Nutrition
Hygiene
Daily eco-friendly practices
and Household money management
but, as my number of days in site evaporated, we realized it was more than we could do on our own and invited the committee of women to participate. The women devoured the idea, and completely took over.
Each woman picked a theme she wanted to give and prepared a powerpoint paired with an interactive activity. My responsibility was to help them develop their presentation to keep it sweet, to the point, and interactive. I only gave one talk: nutrition. The women were absolutely fabulous. They did such an amazing job I was even hands off, completely, for a couple of the days.
They opened the library on their own. They picked up the borrowed projector and lap top and hooked it up properly. They executed the talks without me by their side.
It is amazing what women are capable of when someone tells them they can do it.
The best moment for me to observe:
Roxana is in the committee of women.
She chose the theme family planning, I think because she found the sexuality lecture at camp ALMA particularly fascinating.
She brought her powerpoint to me the night before presenting and it was beautiful. I helped her make things a little more clear, and she was ready to present.
Her day arrived, she plugged in her little USAID donated USB and before my and 40 other eyes, froze when her first slide popped up."Oh God, she is frozen. Oh God, what do I do?
Do I help her?
Do I give the presentation for her?
Should I give her more time to get herself together?
Is she going to come around and speak words?!"
I was freaking out in my head. For what felt like a lifetime to me I watched her fixed, deer-in-a-headlight eyes.
Just as I was about to step in and give her a few prep-lines... ...she stared. The perfect words began to roll off of her tongue and they didn't stop until her 45 minute talk was up.
She was perfect. A woman. A leader. A 15-year-old professional speaking among uneducated, illiterate, loving parents on how to plan for a healthy family.
Picturesque.
The girl I met two years ago would have needed me by her side, and I was there and ready to catch her if she fell. But, she didn't need me, instead, I needed to let the wall catch me from falling into tears and demonstrate to her my faith in her capability.
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| parents with punctual attendance received books to take home and read to their kids. These books were donated by "leche Gloria" the National Peruvian milk manufacturing company that sends a truck to purchase milk from the locals |
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