Mid-Service Reflections

It’s hard to comprehend how over half a year has passed since my last entry, but Peace Corps time seems to work that way. The days can be long, but overall the time moves unbelievably fast. Now, so much has transpired that it’s kind of daunting to even figure out where to begin but, for my own peace of mind (and my few faithful readers), I need to attempt to get some of these experiences and thoughts out. I now have less than one year left in Peru which makes for some very mixed emotions- part of me can’t wait to get home and be back with my loved ones, living in the much more predictable and on-time US of A; the other part of me realizes that I’ve come to feel at home in Chavín and I don’t even want to think about how hard it will be to leave my friends and colleagues here. For those of you that have lived in a small town, you can probably understand how you get used to seeing the same faces, going to the same lunch spot, and chatting with the same store owners almost every day.

One of my favorite community members...Elvis...aka Pigpen

While I’m very much a city girl, there’s a wonderful sense of security and community that comes with such a routine. It’s funny how 27 months seems like a long time at the beginning, but now with less than 12 to go it doesn’t seem long enough (I know that one will make my mom cringe as she keeps threatening me that coming home after November 27, 2012 is not an option in my life). So, I’m going to break it down like this…

Work

Work is hard…enough said? It’s everything all the volunteers and tech trainers said it would be during our training in Lima, and more. We were told to expect challenges- lack of commitment, people showing up late or not at all to trainings, and trying to change lives on a very limited (or non-existent) budget. All of these things have proven to be true, but I’ve also been blessed with some stellar community counterparts so I’ve never felt completely at a loss. More so lately (probably because I’ve been in my site for over a year and I don’t think it should still be this way), I’ve been frustrated with the lack of tangible products from my work. I’m a perfectionist and I have an idea of how I want things to go; not so feasible in a rural zone of a developing country. The upside is that when you have a really good training, or some good feedback from the community, it is the most wonderful feeling.

We have 3 target groups with which we work- mothers, youth and community health promoters. I’ve been advancing with all three groups. I continue to do regular cooking classes with a group of moms from the community of Virgen del Carmen. We’ve made everything from banana bread to potato latkes to lentil sloppy joes! I try to come to them with meals that are nutritionally balanced, tasty, and that use ingredients that are easy to come by here but prepared in a new way. I hope to have a nice little cook book to give to them at the end of our classes.

Potato latke and salad

He approves of the finished product

Last month I began a healthy homes project in Chichucancha which I hope will be the masterpiece of my service. There is so much work to be done in this very isolated and impoverished community of Chavín. I’ve begun working with a group of 24 moms in a project that includes 5 sessions on a variety of health-related topics, infrastructural changes (like a family garden and improved practices in breeding of small animals), and the installation of improved cook stoves to eliminate smoke in the home. During our last round of house visits, I was struck by how difficult behavior change can be. I plan to work with these families for the duration of my service in the hopes that I make a tiny impact on their health behaviors. We’re trying to change practices that have existed for generations in a matter of months. I was moved to tears when I watched a little girl brush her teeth for possibly the first time ever and her mouth turned red from her bleeding gums. I felt overwhelmed and discouraged, but at the same time hopeful that the next time I visit her home she’ll be brushing her teeth regularly, along with her 3 siblings. The phrase “planting seeds” has been on my mind a lot lately. That’s what I’m doing, and I hope to see them grow in my time here; realistically, it will probably be many years down the road that the real fruits are seen.

Moms and kids during a nutrition session in Chichucancha

One of the senoras in a healthy home, showing off her homemade pantry

I’ve got some awesome adolescents that I’m working with in the secondary school of Machac. It’s taken a few months to get to know them and to identify the ones that want to learn and not just make jokes about our sessions and my accent, but I have a great time with them. We recently recorded a radio spot for World AIDs days which aired on the municipality’s radio station. Unfortunately, many of them will be headed to Huaraz or Lima to work during their school break, but I’ve got plans to train some youth health promoters when they return in March. I really had to think back to when I was a teenager to understand how to work with these guys. It's an age when the opinions of your peers matter more than anything so it was just a matter of spending time with them so they started to care about what I was bringing to the table- health may not be cool, but I think they're starting to think more about their futures and how health is a major part of that.

Together with the health center of Chavín I began a series of trainings with the community health promoters on themes like leadership, effective communication and teamwork. These promoters have had a lot of technical training, but many are lacking the interpersonal skills they need to be leaders in their communities. That’s what we’re focusing on and the feedback from the promoters themselves has been very positive.

Busting a very concentrated move with some of our health promoters during a training session

Chavín has proven to be a great place to complete my Peace Corps service. It’s kind of a unique and daunting site because it’s so large: a district with over 30 communities. But, this has allowed me the opportunity to work in multiple communities at once, and just like at home, see how great disparities in income, education and health can exist in one small area.

Travels

One of the best things about serving in Peru is the opportunity to travel and see such diverse landscapes within one country. I’ve already made it clear that the mountains of Peru are where I feel most at home and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. However, in these past months I’ve had the opportunity to visit some very awesome places:

•         In July, I celebrated our Independence Day by running a 5K race with several other volunteers. This was on the coast of Peru in Pacasmayo. It was a short trip, but a memorable one complete with fireworks on the beach. I hope to return next year for the 10K…or maybe the half marathon?...we’ll see!

Post run...we all got medals; no 1st place here!

•         In August I was overjoyed to welcome my mom to Peru! This was by the far the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other and I was so excited for her to see my reality here. We spent the first week of her visit in Cuzco, where we spent not one, but two days at Machu Picchu. I had visited this wonder before when I studied in Chile (almost 10 years ago!), but it was just as awe-inspiring the second time around. The natural beauty of this place is unlike any other, but there is also an energy there that is palpable. We were accompanied by the best tour guide ever, who was from Cuzco and able to explain the significance of many of the structures in Machu Picchu. From there, I took mom out to my site where we just hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. We had lunch with my host mom and my main community partner, where we were served the classic Peruvian dish, pachamanca. It was funny to see my mom’s face whenever she was given a plate of food; it made me remember how I used to be freaked out by the size of the portions here…not anymore! We hung out with the kids in my community who could barely get out a “hello” when they saw my mom, clearly taken aback by her light skin and grey hair. I had to serve as translator for my mom while she was in Chavín which made me realize how grateful I am for my translators in the communities where Quechua is the predominant language- it’s hard work! One of the funniest things was how people would practically yell at my mom in really slow Spanish thinking she would be able to understand them that way. Apparently people do that in all cultures. What really struck me though is how welcoming people were to my mom and what an effort they made to make her feel comfortable. I felt like I was bringing together my two families, and it was a beautiful union!

Daybreak in Machu Picchu

With our tour guide, Miguel

 

Mom and the kids

•   In October, I made a trip to Iquitos, in the jungle of Peru, where I participated with a bunch of volunteers in the Great Amazon River Raft Race. I knew going into it that this wasn’t going to be one of those comfortable vacations, but my expectations were surpassed in every way. Iquitos itself was an awesome city with all sorts of new sights and sounds. The majority of our time there though was spent rafting down the Amazon River in a raft constructed by locals (with a little bit of assistance from us) in some pretty rough conditions; I’d never done any sort of rowing before either so that was a new experience in itself. Honestly, I’m not going to get into all the details because it could be a whole entry in itself and there are people reading who don’t need to know how “exciting” things got, but suffice to say that it was epic, and the “Brown Team”- my raft mates and I- have become the stuff of Peace Corps legend. I returned from the jungle sunburnt and eaten by mosquitos, with a seriously injured knee, and minus my ipod and camera, but I wouldn’t take it back for anything.

Brown Team on the Amazon...yours truly is in the back right of this photo

Randoms & Funnies…

It seems that many of my most memorable moments at site happen while I’m in Chichucancha. One day I was returning to Chavín from the health post there with the doctor. We had made arrangements for a car to pick us up from the health post, but it hadn’t showed so we decided to start walking. On our way down we encountered a campesino walking his many animals including a pair of bulls which seemed calm enough. However, at that moment our car came roaring around the corner of the very narrow mountain road which totally freaked out the bulls, which then came charging in our direction. I’m not going to lie- there have been a few times where I’ve thought “this could be it” on that road, but at that moment I found myself wondering whether I would die being speared by a bull or jumping off the side of the mountain. In the end, the bulls ran right past us, but the doctor and I were huddled together on the edge of the road; I was saying, “Oh my God, Oh my God!” while she was saying, “Ay Dios Mio, Ay Dios Mio!” In moments like those, you can’t help but revert to your native tongue. Once our heart rates went down, we had a good laugh in the end. Occupational hazard I guess! I love my job!

Speaking of bulls, I saw my first (and last) bull fight in Chavin during their annual fiestas. It was a little bloody for my tastes, but still an impressive event. The stadium in Chavin is huge!...the closest thing I'll get to Fenway Park for a while.

Holding a chicken while he gets a vaccine; you should have seen me trying to catch the thing!

Beyond reading, watching movies on my laptop, and trying to teach myself how to play the guitar, cooking and baking are my favorite hobbies in site. I've gained quite the reputation as a baker in site. Below is one of my masterpieces...pie de limon. It's similar to lemon meringue pie, but so much better.

Pie de Limon!

Que es lo que pasa en mi barrio?

With the moms of Lanchan, at the monthly weighing and measuring of their kids

After a whirlwind training in the north of Peru, I am beyond content to be back home, in the picturesque mountains and rainy afternoons of Ancash. March has been a month of significant milestones: the 6 month anniversary of our arrival in Peru and our Early In-Service Training. Periodic trainings and workshops are a major part of Peace Corps service and this was the first time all of the health volunteers have been together since November. Of course the main purpose of the meeting was not a volunteer reunion, but rather a chance for us to practice presenting our community diagnostics before we do it in front of our communities in April. This training was a much needed recharge for me. Over the past month I had been feeling increasingly frustrated with the obstacles encountered in getting to know my site and integrate into the smaller surrounding communities (where the need is greatest), where I am still just a visitor who comes in for a few hours to do health questionnaires. I’ve been lacking that experience of living with the people that I’m serving- eating with them, going out to work in the fields, just hanging out and talking. After talking with my program director, we’ve decided it would be beneficial for me to stay out in the caserios for a few days rather than hiking up and down the mountain in one day. This works out well since both Chichucancha and Challhuayaco have health posts where I can sleep. This is my main plan of action for the month of April. I actually already spent my first night in the health post in Chichu earlier this month, during which I learned a few valuable lessons, first and foremost to bring an extra pair of socks because they can get soaking wet through one’s rain boots and that makes for an uncomfortable night’s sleep. Plus, it gets COLD up there at night. I slept in an exam bed with several heavy wool blankets, and was thankful that I had thought to pull out my long underwear for the first time in Peru.

With this new plan of action, and a number of potential project ideas from our recent training, I’m anxious to get back to work in my site. It’s a good feeling to miss your site and the familiar faces you’ve grown accustomed to seeing. On my walk to buy bread the first evening I was back I had to explain to several people that I wasn’t on vacation for two weeks and I was actually doing work. I think a few of them had thought I went back to the US.

I was able to visit two new departments of Peru during training- La Libertad and Piura. It was a great opportunity to experience more of this amazing country, but it also meant way too many hours on buses. I experienced climates and scenes totally unlike that of Ancash- Huanchaco, a lazy tourist/surfer town on the coast, and Sicchez, a rural town in the semi-tropical mountains of upper Piura that reminded me of the interior of Puerto Rico. We could see Ecuador from Sicchez to give you an idea of how far north we went. I can’t say that I minded a little extra oxygen and some sol, playa y arena, but my time out of site helped to assure me that I was placed just where I’m supposed to be. Not only did I miss the climate but also the way of life. I wanted to embrace the first little old Quechua lady that I saw in Huaraz. The common phrase among volunteers in my department is “Ancash is better.” I always thought this was a little silly and elitist because our living conditions tend to be “rougher” than in other departments, but now that phrase genuinely means something to me.

The coming and going of training has also put a little fire in me because I’m realizing how quickly the time is passing and how much work there is to be done. In analyzing the data on my community that I have thus far and seeing the work that other volunteers are doing, I have a better idea of what is and isn’t feasible in my site. I’m starting to organize the mess of qualitative and quantitative data that I have into potential projects. I’m also realizing that there are some serious gaps in information that need to be filled as well. A large part of my success depends on the potential for collaboration with community partners which isn’t always easy. However, one of the realizations I had during training is that I am one of my greatest obstacles to completing a successful two years of service. The job of a Peace Corps volunteer is relatively unstructured. We have numerous reporting requirements, but there is no boss or supervisor monitoring your progress on a daily basis. Each site is unique so there is no standard formula for success. I recently found myself missing having an office or at least a desk to work at. While the hike out to Chichu never ceases to amaze me, sometimes I wish my commute was a little less physically exerting. Basically, what it comes down to is the importance of our personal motivation, and making our actions align with our attitudes. I am strongly motivated by my passion for public health, Christian principles of service and a firm belief that this is my vocation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given thanks for doing this at this time in my life, when I have the maturity and discipline to function well in this environment. However, I also have to occasionally fight my tendency towards solitude and believing I can do things just as well on my own. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to leave my room because I know I can’t just put on my ipod and walk down the street, unnoticed, like I so often did at home. Here, I have to greet strangers with a ‘good morning’ or ‘good afternoon’ and closer acquaintances with a kiss on the cheek and few inquiries about their well-being. My gut reaction when not receiving the warmest welcome at the health center was to say, I don’t need your help, and keep my distance. I’m realizing that a better response is a little more persistence on my part. Peace Corps (and Latino culture in general I believe) is forcing me to be more assertive and step out of my comfort zone. The best part is that these extra efforts at integration always pay off. My happiest times at site are when I’m interacting with people, even if we can’t understand each other in the case of Quechua speakers. In regards to the health personnel, just like me, I’m finding that they start to open up as we get used to seeing each other. I know it's trite, but what I get out of this experience totally depends on what I put into it.

Some potential project ideas for when I have wrapped up my community diagnostic at the end of April are:

·         Begin a “Healthy Families” project in Chichu which would incorporate elements such as improved kitchens, latrines, family gardens and small animal husbandry, as well as sessions on hygiene and nutrition.

·         Implement a behavior change campaign among mothers in Chichu with children (0-6 mo.) to reduce the rate of chronic malnutrition (currently 8 out of 10 children are chronically malnourished).

·         Start a youth group in Chavin with high school students to provide training in health themes so they can later serve as peer health promoters.

·         Small business initiatives including working with the already established artisan group, and helping the mothers of Virgen del Carmen to generate income through baking in their homes.

·         A regular radio spot on health themes.

In other news, Mama Jean is coming to visit for my birthday in August….yay!!! Everyone is excited to meet her here. I can’t wait to see their reaction to my mother being a different color. Even in the US, that was sometimes a tough one for people to grasp. Peruvians share a similar obsession with skin color and lighter skin rules here. From looking at advertisements, you would think all Peruvians are light skinned…kind of like they think all gringos are white with blue eyes from what they see in the media. Sometimes I question whether my arrival would have been met with more excitement if I looked more like the stereotypical gringa, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to change some misconceptions.

I recently had my most US experience in a long time. During a brief layover in Piura City, I ate Pizza Hut, drank a cappuccino, and saw my first American film in a movie theater in Peru. It was a classically cheesy Nicholas Cage film about a witch hunt. I thought it was super entertaining, but my friends told me they would never let me pick the film again; apparently, it was too scary. After the movie, we rode a ferris wheel and saw the most amazing view of the city at sunset. We screamed like we were on a roller coaster (to the delight of the operator), and some of the fear was legit since the structural integrity of the ride was questionable upon close examination. In short, we titled it one of the best days ever.

Overall, it’s been a great first quarter and I look forward to all that is to come. Stay tuned and stay in touch…

Brown team in Sicchez

My bus buddy, Tony...it was such hard work getting this smile!

Me and the ladies in Piura during the best day ever

Welcome to Chavin!

After a little over one month at site, I would like to share some observations and anecdotes from life in Chavin de Huantar:

• The questions I'm asked most frequently are, "Have you tried guinea pig yet?", "Are you adjusting?", and "What are your favorite Peruvian dishes?" Can you tell it's a very gastronomically proud country...with reason of course!
• Guinea pig is good, but too much work.
• Washing clothes by hand is some serious manual labor. I dream about a washer and drier.
• Hiking 3 hours to work is not so bad when you get to see the sunrise over these mountains.
• Public drunkenness is pretty much condoned here. I had a meeting with community members and the president of the community showed up drunk, repeatedly apologizing for being a sinner and demanding several rounds of applause for me before I even spoke. I was the only one who was surprised.
• Rain boots are awesome (and essential).
• Food is love. My host mom has a tendency to love me too much :). For that reason, I am happy to be cooking for myself finally. I ate salads, veggie stirfry and vegetable soup for a week.
• Even after going a week without showering, I'm still the best-smelling one in the room.
• Intermittent access to running water will make you acutely aware of what a blessing it is....sweet water, I will never take you for granted again.
• I occasionally find myself defending my gringa status since the stereotypical gringa has blond hair and blue eyes...I'm working on changing that one.
• Nothing beats the feeling of receiving a care package.
• One must always be prepared to be pulled into an awkward dancing in public situation.
• They waited until AFTER we got to site to inform us that rainy season in Ancash is also the peak time for fleas!
• Fresh baked bread every day is a treat.
• Administering health questionnaires is exhausting, but totally worth it when the senora gives you several kilos of just harvested potatoes for visiting her.

And that's about it for now. My diagnostic is progressing nicely and I'm really starting to feel at home in my site. In my free time, I'm going to start giving English classes next week to students during their summer break. I'm a little intimidated to get up in front of all those kids (and teach for the first time), but I trust that they'll see my good intentions and hopefully go easy on me. If anyone has any teaching/working with youth experience they'd like to share, send it along!