To the Mountains We Go!!

I recently returned from four days of field-based training in the department of Ancash. It was a welcome break from my daily routine of technical training and language class in the training center. We traveled overnight by bus from Lima to Huaráz, the capital city of Ancash. After a brief stopover there, we continued another 3 hours on bus to Chavín. This trip was a lot more bumpy and curvy. I am so thankful to not suffer from motion sickness or I think travel over these next few years would be miserable. The landscape on the other hand was incredible. After 6 weeks in dusty Lima, it was a breath of fresh air (literally) to be in the mountains of the sierra. There is the cordillera (mountain range) negra and the cordillera blanca so we could see lots of vegetation and occasionally a snow capped mountain. Altitude sickness was a concern for many people including myself, but I didn’t find it necessary to take the medicine they provided for us. It did take a bit of an adjustment and I found myself short of breath at times, especially on some of the hikes we had to do to get to the communities where we were working, but overall I would say the altitude agreed with my body- which is a very good thing since this is where I will be completing my service!

We had a few hours to explore the Chavín ruins upon our arrival. These ruins remain from a pre-Incan civilization, and similar to Macchu Picchu, it is a mystery how they managed to construct the structures and tunnels that remain.

From there, it was work, work, work! Day 1 was spent at a local secondary school. We worked with kids to create a sociodrama, which is basically a brief skit which incorporates a health message. Our kids were reluctant to go along with anything until I asked if they liked sports and we then settled on a skit that involved soccer along with the message of why exercise is important. Honestly, I think they were more excited about getting a chance to play soccer, but it was nice to see some enthusiasm from an otherwise very quiet group. After that we worked with youth health promoters that had received training from a Peace Corps volunteer who has been in the community for about 2 years now. It was pretty challenging to get them to open up to us about issues in their community, but it’s understandable given that we are strangers and they are adolescents. That combination does not make for the most stimulating conversation. However, it was a useful exercise and we did learn a lot from them in the end. I learned that I need to be patient with the process, and this is why we serve for two years. It takes time to build up the trust necessary to execute our projects. We finished off the day with a mural on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Days 2 and 3 were spent learning how to build latrines and improved kitchens. I enjoyed engaging in some manual labor and getting my hands dirty. Both structures involve the use of adobe bricks and barro (basically earth, water and straw) to put them together. I helped to mix the barro both days which is pretty tough work. Both latrines and improved kitchens fall within the Peace Corp’s health goal of rural environmental health promotion. We promote the construction and proper use of latrines to prevent people from doing their business in the fields which is a major contributor to food contamination and sickness. The construction of improved kitchens helps to eliminate the health consequences of cooking over open fires within the home, i.e. respiratory illness, eye problems and back problems. It’s not enough to simply know how to build these things. We also have to be able to convince people to change their behaviors and understand how it will improve their health and that of their families.

Our final day in the campo was a little bit different. We took another long, curvy, bumpy bus ride to what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. Our bus couldn’t even make it to the final destination and we had to finish up the trip on foot. It was more than worth it. It was a beautiful retreat in the mountains where we were taught about the importance of nonverbal communication. It was somewhat of a ‘touchy feely’ exercise, but probably one of the best days I’ve had here so far. There were a lot of hugs going on, and I hadn’t even realized how much I miss that! The message that was really driven home for me was the importance of our motivations in serving as a PC volunteer. Inevitably, there will be culture shock and difficulty with the language (especially in the sierra where Quechua is spoken as much, if not more than, Spanish). However, we can communicate so much through our gestures, actions and attitudes. This was a message I needed to hear right now as I’m entering into the final weeks of training and thinking about what it’s going to be like when I’m on my own. I’m still in a relatively urban area and surrounded by other PC trainees and staff every day. It’s going to get a lot harder very soon, but my confidence was boosted by what we learned that day. Working in health promotion means that our “business” is people; if our work is motivated by love and respect, that will be apparent no matter how inadequate our language skills are. Our work needs to involve not only teaching people about behavior change, but inspiring them to do so.

And finally, yesterday was a significant day in our training. We received our long-anticipated site assignments so we all now know where we will be living for the next 2 years. I am in somewhat of a special situation since I’ve already been to my sight…and I know that I’m going to love it. I have been assigned as a replacement volunteer in Chavin which I mentioned above. Of course, I didn’t know it at the time we were there. Chavin is a larger community with a major health center. That resource, along with consistent internet access and cell service will be key to completing my MPH requirements along with my Peace Corps projects. I am totally thrilled with my site and happy to know that our Program Director took my concerns into account. On a side note, Chavin definitely draws tourists and has some great hostels…so visitors will be more than welcome (google Chavin de Huantar for more info)! Plus, I’m only about a 3 hour bus ride from the capital city of Ancash.

After just a few days at home to wash clothes and catch up with my family, I’m turning around and heading back to Ancash tonight for regional field based training. I will be there for almost two weeks and will be spending about 4 days with my new host family and getting acquainted with my new site. We are a group of about 14 health volunteers that will be in Ancash. Most of the volunteers are clustered around each other with the exception of myself and one other volunteer. While I will miss seeing my good friends on a daily basis, it will be good to be on my own and getting to know my new community.

As always, thanks for your comments and support!