For one of our culture classes, we had the opportunity to volunteer in an area called Villa el Salvador in Lima. This is one of the largest shanty-towns in Peru and the people live there in extreme poverty. We took taxis to Villa el Slavador with some Peruvians that were more familiar with the area. My taxi arrived earlier than the other so we had some time to first walk around the market where we were dropped off. The people there were all very happy to see us because they knew we were there to do some sort of help. A large group of children followed us around, but when I asked for a photo with them they got shy and ran away. A little while later they came back to us and one of the little girls offered me a piece of candy. Although this was just a small gesture, it really stood out to me that this girl who was only probably five years old and living in a shanty-town, still wanted to offer this stranger a piece of candy. This was just the beginning of the kindess and caring attitudes that we experienced during our time of volunteering.
Some other girls and I were able to spend the morning helping out in a daycare within the community. Because my major is Family Studies, seeing how this type of thing went in an area like this really interested me. The building was up on a dirt hill and from the outside appeared nothing like daycare—all cement with grafitti on the side. The only thing that marked it was a sign saying “Cuidado Zona de Ninos”. (careful children’s zone) There were eight kids at this daycare, all around 3 years old. When we got to the door, the immediately started crying. Their teacher explained that a group of white people had came the week before to administer shots to the children and they were scared because they thought we were there to do the same thing. So to ease their worries, we stood outside the door and sang itsy-bitsy spider over and over until the crying stopped. When we were finally able to enter, I again was just amazed at the difference between the daycares I’ve volunteered in in America versus here. It was a small two room building, with cement and one tiny bathroom. The toys were all dirty and very outdated. There was one teacher for the eight children, bless her heart, and I admire her so much for being able to take care of them all on her own every day.
Once the kids warmed up to us, we played with them and tried to keep them entertained. Some were definitely more outgoing than others and loved playing with our phones and seeing themselves in the front-view camera. We helped the teacher serve them lunch and then laid them down for their nap. Once they were all asleep, we were exhausted and hungry as well and headed back down the mountain where some community members had made lunch in the local church for us. After eating, we spent the afternoon working on the side of a hill, shoveling dirt, removing rocks, and picking up trash. They plan to build a new daycare at this sight where they can provide for more children but all the work has to be done by hand so it was a very time consuming project.
I feel very lucky to have been able to experience life in Villa el Salvador. It really made me take a look at my own life and all of the little things that I take for granted on a daily basis. It made me feel so good to see how appreciative the people were there, and was amazed at the kindness they offered to us.
Some other girls and I were able to spend the morning helping out in a daycare within the community. Because my major is Family Studies, seeing how this type of thing went in an area like this really interested me. The building was up on a dirt hill and from the outside appeared nothing like daycare—all cement with grafitti on the side. The only thing that marked it was a sign saying “Cuidado Zona de Ninos”. (careful children’s zone) There were eight kids at this daycare, all around 3 years old. When we got to the door, the immediately started crying. Their teacher explained that a group of white people had came the week before to administer shots to the children and they were scared because they thought we were there to do the same thing. So to ease their worries, we stood outside the door and sang itsy-bitsy spider over and over until the crying stopped. When we were finally able to enter, I again was just amazed at the difference between the daycares I’ve volunteered in in America versus here. It was a small two room building, with cement and one tiny bathroom. The toys were all dirty and very outdated. There was one teacher for the eight children, bless her heart, and I admire her so much for being able to take care of them all on her own every day.
Once the kids warmed up to us, we played with them and tried to keep them entertained. Some were definitely more outgoing than others and loved playing with our phones and seeing themselves in the front-view camera. We helped the teacher serve them lunch and then laid them down for their nap. Once they were all asleep, we were exhausted and hungry as well and headed back down the mountain where some community members had made lunch in the local church for us. After eating, we spent the afternoon working on the side of a hill, shoveling dirt, removing rocks, and picking up trash. They plan to build a new daycare at this sight where they can provide for more children but all the work has to be done by hand so it was a very time consuming project.
I feel very lucky to have been able to experience life in Villa el Salvador. It really made me take a look at my own life and all of the little things that I take for granted on a daily basis. It made me feel so good to see how appreciative the people were there, and was amazed at the kindness they offered to us.