Well, within one week in Peru both my laptop AND my camera are long gone. The camera theft happened last Thursday night while I was sleeping on an overnight bus.. they snatched it right from underneath my feet... I am sooo bummed, now all my pictures from Colombia are gone- so you guys will just have to trust me that it is a gorgeous country, full of huge lush mountains rising out next to the emerald sea. It sucks to have to be ´´thankfull´´ that ONLY the camera and laptop are gone, but such is life here, I guess. I had been super cautious all the past 5 months and had good luck, then I let my guard down and they got me. But it could have been worse, of course. The camera has been replaced, but the pictures are gone forever.
After Thursday night, I seriously never wanted to be on a bus ever again here, but Friday night I found myself on another bus heading to the border with Chile to where they sell all the cheap electronics. The director of the Mollendo office (where I am working this week) invited me to sleep at her parent´s house when we arrived in Tacna at 3am. When I woke up, I felt so refreshed and rejuvinated after sleeping on such uncomfortable beds the past week in Puno. I thought that I would creep downstairs and see if her parents wouldn´t mind calling a cab for me to go to the market. Nonsense. They sat me down to breakfast as we watched the world cup´s game that day. Then they insisted that they would accompany me to the market to protect me and make sure I wasn´t getting the ´gringo especial´. Spending the day with them, I felt like I was with my own grandparents in Mexico. They had similar mannerisms, there were similar smells coming from the kitchen, and they treated me just like family. Even their cars had the same smell. I had planned to leave right after buying the camera, but they drew me in with their kindness and I could think of nothing better than just hanging out at their house. When Sonia was done with her meetings that day, we went out to a bar in Tacna, which is apparently full of Chileans crossing over the border to the much cheaper prices and casinos in Tacna.
Sunday we had lunch, then took the bus back to Mollendo (of course, the bus was scheduled to leave at 1pm, and by 3pm we were probably about 10km from the bus terminal..grrr)
So, this week I have been in Mollendo, a city on the ocean. Since it is winter the skies are grey and the town is pretty quiet. I don´t even know how to describe the impact that meeting all these women has had on me, but here I will share two of the stories-
´´Victoria goes where the crowds are to sell her home made sweets, to soccer games, bus stops, parties, the beach. The work is hard, and is made even harder because she is a widow. She begins to cry as she tells me about her son, the youngest of 7 who at 19 years of age is struggling to find a way to go to the university. This youngest son would be the only one of the family to be able to go to the University, but she cannot afford the 100$ per month living expenses. She worries about how she can find a way to send him to school, and the strain of being a single mother weighs heavily on her. She grabs my arm and begs me to help them, to help her son go to school, and I am at a loss for words. It is so easy as an American to say ´look for a scholarship or a student loan´, but i´m not sure if those resources are available in Peru. The issue is not so much the tuition, it is the cost of living outside of the home, and the closest University is 2 hours away´´ This lady really affected me, seeing her break down into tears, telling me about her abusive husband, her worries about her son, begging me to help her.. and she was just so tiny and petite, working countless hours a day just to earn a few dollars, taking out a 100$ loan that will take her 6 months to pay back.. I found on google a new micro finance organization that specifically helps students by loaning them money for college http://vittana.org/ which is a great idea.
´´Natalia lives alone on a sparsely populated dusty hill in a 3-walled shack, and the walls are just woven mats so the cold wind passes through. She does everything on her own because her six children are all grown and gone. It´s hard to imagine this petite, old woman raising bulls, but that just goes to show that she is a fighter. This is Natalia´s first loan, and she decided to join Pro Mujer because she saw the success her daughters had with Pro Mujer. Natalia buys bulls when they are young and then raises them to sell them when they´re grown. With the bulls, a few sheep, and by growing a small amount of corn, Natalia manages to have enough money to eat. She is from Puno, 8 hours inland, but says that a lifetime of bad luck has left her here, alone. Here she lives alone, surrounded by dust, flies, and her only companion, her dog, has contracted a sickness and is slowly wasting away. But still, Natalia manages to smile.´´ Visiting this woman´s home today was also just... sad. It is hard to see hope in this situation, but the credit promoter who took me to her house said something like ´´Yes, but these people are used to sleeping in the cold. They´ve probably been this way for their whole lives, possibly even in worse conditions. At least now she has a way to make some money´´.. The woman was just so sweet and cute, and all alone, it just killed me.
Then, during lunch I go to my hotel and flip through the channels. The ´reality´ shows today are disturbing to watch after spending a day out with these women. . the juxtaposition of these two completely different realities- a housewife in LA vs a farmer in Peru, is the perfect demonstration of the vast disparities and the division of wealth that exists in the world... 16 year olds getting million dollar birthday parties versus people working 14 hours to make one dollar...
And the dreamy look that people here get in their eyes when I tell them i´m from the US ´´wow... the united states...what´s it like? it must be wonderful there, huh? take me with you...´´
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
first full day at Pro Mujer
Today was my first full day at Pro Mujer! And boy is my head spinning from all the information I learned today.. I was first taken to their office in the South, and on the way was explained the basics about how their loans work (6 month cycles, option to pay every 7, 14, 21, 28 days, seasonal loans available), and then I sat in on a payment collection meeting. I felt like I was back at Grameen! The methods for collection were very similar, the difference being that at Pro Mujer the women name their groups things like Las Esmeraldas, Sol de Oro, etc. During the meeting, I was reading through the files, and saw that most of the women in the room were taking out loans that ranged from 70$-350$, which is something to think about, for us those amounts are so small, but for them they are life changing. I was also a little surprised to see that many of the women didn´t have running water or electricity in their homes. Also, this group of women had to leave their homes at 2am in order to be at the center for their 8am payment. Their recorded businesses ranged from artesanias, selling various food items like cheese or yogurt, having a small store, selling clothes or shoes, selling fish.
After observing the South office for a while, we headed to the Bellavista office.
There, I sat in on a talk, which I didn´t know what it was about, but it appeared to be about nutrition, and as I was listening, the man kept promoting anchovies, anchovies, anchovies! So I thought it smelled a little fishy, then learned that the talk was sponsored by the ministry of Fish. Ha. But it was good because the women got nutritional information, were exposed to a cheaper source of protien, and they even got samples during the meeting. The man gave a statistic that 25% of children in Peru are chronically malnourished, and that in Puno it is a serious problem as well. Then I visited the kindergarden that they have at the center (in partnership with the ministry of education), and the precious children all greeted me, sang me a song, and said ciao when I left! SO CUTE!
After that, I visited the health center, where the women are able to get free health consultations, and have another woman to confide in about their issues. The doctor was super friendly and upbeat. So, a great thing about Pro Mujer is the women´s access to healthcare, for free, and if not free then minimal prices. They also have a monthly theme, such as menopause, where they expose the women to topics they may not be familiar with. In addition, they do 4-5 monthly campaigns, where they encourage the women to sign up for all sorts of different health things like eye exams. This month they are also offering a seminar on how to deal with their teenage children. Pro Mujer also offers life insurance.
Following lunch, I went back to the central office. There I stopped in to the computer lab! So they offer free computer classes to the women and their families, where they learn micrsoft word and windows, and are adding another course to teach powerpoint and how to make websites! So imagine, women who come in not knowing how to turn on a computer, and after 2 months they are able to make excel sheets for their businesses, reciepts, and even create a website for themselves! not to mention connect with distant family via chat or email... hard to imagine all of the sudden having access to the internet and being computer literate, but I think it is such a wonderful program, and probably the only place the women can get these classes for free. Only problem is, there is more demand and they only have 12 computers. But still they have seen great successes so far.
Then, I sat next to the accountant and she showed me how they keep all their data organized, which group is eligible for a loan now, which group paid today, etc... my head was spinning, she was doing it all so fast. But they seem to be supremely well organized!!
Awesome first day!!!! Everyone at the office is so nice, and I feel like I learned a million things today and am so excited for tomorrow!
After observing the South office for a while, we headed to the Bellavista office.
There, I sat in on a talk, which I didn´t know what it was about, but it appeared to be about nutrition, and as I was listening, the man kept promoting anchovies, anchovies, anchovies! So I thought it smelled a little fishy, then learned that the talk was sponsored by the ministry of Fish. Ha. But it was good because the women got nutritional information, were exposed to a cheaper source of protien, and they even got samples during the meeting. The man gave a statistic that 25% of children in Peru are chronically malnourished, and that in Puno it is a serious problem as well. Then I visited the kindergarden that they have at the center (in partnership with the ministry of education), and the precious children all greeted me, sang me a song, and said ciao when I left! SO CUTE!
After that, I visited the health center, where the women are able to get free health consultations, and have another woman to confide in about their issues. The doctor was super friendly and upbeat. So, a great thing about Pro Mujer is the women´s access to healthcare, for free, and if not free then minimal prices. They also have a monthly theme, such as menopause, where they expose the women to topics they may not be familiar with. In addition, they do 4-5 monthly campaigns, where they encourage the women to sign up for all sorts of different health things like eye exams. This month they are also offering a seminar on how to deal with their teenage children. Pro Mujer also offers life insurance.
Following lunch, I went back to the central office. There I stopped in to the computer lab! So they offer free computer classes to the women and their families, where they learn micrsoft word and windows, and are adding another course to teach powerpoint and how to make websites! So imagine, women who come in not knowing how to turn on a computer, and after 2 months they are able to make excel sheets for their businesses, reciepts, and even create a website for themselves! not to mention connect with distant family via chat or email... hard to imagine all of the sudden having access to the internet and being computer literate, but I think it is such a wonderful program, and probably the only place the women can get these classes for free. Only problem is, there is more demand and they only have 12 computers. But still they have seen great successes so far.
Then, I sat next to the accountant and she showed me how they keep all their data organized, which group is eligible for a loan now, which group paid today, etc... my head was spinning, she was doing it all so fast. But they seem to be supremely well organized!!
Awesome first day!!!! Everyone at the office is so nice, and I feel like I learned a million things today and am so excited for tomorrow!
catching up
so let´s see, I arrived back in Bogota Monday night, and was invited to friend of a friend of a friend´s girls who were my age birthday party, so I went over to Valentina´s apartment and met her and Paula, who were both so so sweet, cute, and eager to show me around!
Tuesday, my friend from school in Chile had a layover in Bogota so we managed to meet up downtown. We spent several hours wandering around La Candelaria, met a man eager to practice his english by asking ´´What. Is. Your. Opinion. On. John. Wayne.... What. Is. Your. Opinion. On. Hollywood....´´umm. Then, we wanted to go up to the church overlooking Bogota called Monserrate, so we climbed up towards that way, flagged down a bus, and asked the driver if he was in fact going to Monserrate. He said yes, so we hopped on. 20 minutes later, we are in the middle of the industrial part of the city, obviously far from the hill, and with no idea where exactly we were. So I asked the driver again if he was going to Monserrate, and he said No, obviously. So we got off, and asked another driver if he was going to the downtown. He said yes, so we got on. Another 20 minutes later we realize that we are still no where near where we wanted to be, so we got off and finally got a cab. That night I met up with Paula, and she took me to go eat in the uber trendy Zona T, a t-shaped pedestrian street with tons of cute and different bars, restaurants, shops, very beautiful and filled with beautiful people. We ate at Wok, where I had tofu curry (and they even had raw options on the menu, surprisingly). Then had yogenfruz! And then I went home.
Wednesday, I moved all my stuff over to Paula´s house where her family graciously invited me to stay, and then she and her mom dropped me off at the neighborhood called Usaquen, which is a couple of streets of old houses filled with more trendy restaurants, art galleries, etc. I enjoyed wandering around there, eating a coconut popcicle, and just exploring.
Then, I went with Valentina and Simon (paula´s brother), out to Parque 93 which is yet another square filled with great places to hang out, and we watched some football game that was apparently important. They introduced me to Aguardiente, and I can safely say just the thought of it now makes me want to vomit. But we had a great night out, dancing, and when I told them I had to leave for the airport at 5am they said ´´Ok, we´ll be back by then!´´ So I had such a great time with them, they were all so sweet to welcome me, and make me feel at home. After I met them, I liked Bogota even more, and definitely could see myself there.
Then I was at the airport at 6am, miserable, and off to Lima! 3 Weeks was just enough to give me a taste of Colombia, and to know that I Definitely want to come back and get to know more!!!
Thursday I spent the day relaxing in Lima, Friday I got a much needed pedicure and watched in amusement as the pedicure lady was horrified at my dry scaly legs.. Then I took the overnight bus to Arequipa. My other suitcase that I left at the hostel in Arequipa was thankfully still there in one piece! I ate some middle eastern food (plentiful , cheap and delicious in that city), and went to the museum where the 500 year old inca mummy Juanita is on display... so cool!!! They had all the artifacts and tapestries that she was buried with, and she was in remarkable conditon. Then I restocked my book supply, and I thought I had enough for the whole month, but now I only have 1.5 left... ahh. Sunday morning I took the 6 hour bus to Puno, and arrived here in the city! Found my hotel, found the Pro Mujer office, and relaxed in order to adjust myself to the altitude.
Tuesday, my friend from school in Chile had a layover in Bogota so we managed to meet up downtown. We spent several hours wandering around La Candelaria, met a man eager to practice his english by asking ´´What. Is. Your. Opinion. On. John. Wayne.... What. Is. Your. Opinion. On. Hollywood....´´umm. Then, we wanted to go up to the church overlooking Bogota called Monserrate, so we climbed up towards that way, flagged down a bus, and asked the driver if he was in fact going to Monserrate. He said yes, so we hopped on. 20 minutes later, we are in the middle of the industrial part of the city, obviously far from the hill, and with no idea where exactly we were. So I asked the driver again if he was going to Monserrate, and he said No, obviously. So we got off, and asked another driver if he was going to the downtown. He said yes, so we got on. Another 20 minutes later we realize that we are still no where near where we wanted to be, so we got off and finally got a cab. That night I met up with Paula, and she took me to go eat in the uber trendy Zona T, a t-shaped pedestrian street with tons of cute and different bars, restaurants, shops, very beautiful and filled with beautiful people. We ate at Wok, where I had tofu curry (and they even had raw options on the menu, surprisingly). Then had yogenfruz! And then I went home.
Wednesday, I moved all my stuff over to Paula´s house where her family graciously invited me to stay, and then she and her mom dropped me off at the neighborhood called Usaquen, which is a couple of streets of old houses filled with more trendy restaurants, art galleries, etc. I enjoyed wandering around there, eating a coconut popcicle, and just exploring.
Then, I went with Valentina and Simon (paula´s brother), out to Parque 93 which is yet another square filled with great places to hang out, and we watched some football game that was apparently important. They introduced me to Aguardiente, and I can safely say just the thought of it now makes me want to vomit. But we had a great night out, dancing, and when I told them I had to leave for the airport at 5am they said ´´Ok, we´ll be back by then!´´ So I had such a great time with them, they were all so sweet to welcome me, and make me feel at home. After I met them, I liked Bogota even more, and definitely could see myself there.
Then I was at the airport at 6am, miserable, and off to Lima! 3 Weeks was just enough to give me a taste of Colombia, and to know that I Definitely want to come back and get to know more!!!
Thursday I spent the day relaxing in Lima, Friday I got a much needed pedicure and watched in amusement as the pedicure lady was horrified at my dry scaly legs.. Then I took the overnight bus to Arequipa. My other suitcase that I left at the hostel in Arequipa was thankfully still there in one piece! I ate some middle eastern food (plentiful , cheap and delicious in that city), and went to the museum where the 500 year old inca mummy Juanita is on display... so cool!!! They had all the artifacts and tapestries that she was buried with, and she was in remarkable conditon. Then I restocked my book supply, and I thought I had enough for the whole month, but now I only have 1.5 left... ahh. Sunday morning I took the 6 hour bus to Puno, and arrived here in the city! Found my hotel, found the Pro Mujer office, and relaxed in order to adjust myself to the altitude.
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