Author Archives: erinlc

02/04/2013
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caserios, happenings, youth group

the reason.

the new junta directiva, the local alcaldes, and other community members that have offered their support to the new group

the new junta directiva, the local alcaldes, and other community members that have offered their support to the new group

the reason why i came back to site early was to put on an event to jump start a youth group that i am starting with the PRE. we spent the couple weeks before preparing and promoting it. going to all the colegios in the caserios, as well as meeting with the neighboring district’s mayors. and guess what…IT TURNED OUT GREAT! i really needed a project to take off. in fact, it softened the blow that i had yet another socio leave my site, which put a halt to my earth day project…so that means within the last month 3 out of the 4 people i have been working with have left my town…lucky, me! but back to the event.

at the event, more than 90 people from the caserios showed up. my socio, myself, and the alcaldes all gave speeches on the importance of looking ahead, and that they can change their futures. generally speaking, living in the caserios insinuates that they live in poverty. many of the homes have dirt floors, are sometimes made of adobe, there is limited, and sometimes no electricity. running water is a luxury and a bathroom inside the house does not exist. these families work hard for the things they do have. the idea of this youth group, is to combine a group of students (both secundaria and university age) and young professionals to be leaders and mentors in their communities. they are from a variety of caserios, spanning across 4 districts. with this group, we will work to disseminate more knowledge to share with the members of the community to raise the standard of living. they will work to determine what those needs are (e.g. family planning, sewing lessons, cuy raising, job skill training, etc.), and myself and the other members of the community will work to help provide them with the knowledge and skill sets to better life in their caserio.

this is just the beginning of this project, so i am excited to see where it goes. i am also just as delighted to have found a member of the community who is extremely enthusiastic and motivated to work towards sustainable change. see, didn’t i tell you that i could sense the winds were changing direction????

 

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02/04/2013
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adventure, mancora, piura, relax, semana santa, vacation

semana santa.

clear, blue ocean in mancora.

clear, blue ocean in mancora.

last week was a national holiday here in peru, semana santa. everyone, both peruvians and volunteers, had the majority of the week off. to celebrate, i was originally going to go hiking in chachapoyas to a remote lagoon, but due to my needing to be back at site early and to the number of mudslides in the sierra right now due to the rain, i opted to head north with some girlfriends and relax on the largest tourist beach in all of peru, mancora.

first, i went and visited for the day at a friend’s site just outside of piura city, and we did a couple of english-teaching charlas. after, we packed our bags and headed west to the beach. the weather was warm. the water was perfect. the food was incredible. and it was nice to feel like i wasn’t in peru for a few days. no one stared at us, and the service at the restaurants were surprisingly attentive. i was there with a group of about 6 girls, and we just had a delight. we went to the beach all-day everyday, and would eat a delicious dinner in the evening, and normally went dancing for a little while after. all and all, it was incredibly relaxing. and i think, i am one of the only volunteers to go to mancora for the first time and walk away absolutely loving it…

kg, sandy & me.

kg, sandy & me.

the only notable adventure from the trip was the journey back. as mentioned earlier, i needed to be back to site a day early, which put kg and i traveling back on a big travel day. most large bus companies were already full, so we opted for a smaller company. the night of, we showed up a little early for the bus, and a guy told us that it was broken down, and was not going to show. so, while i waited to get the full story from our vendor, kg went to see if she could find another bus. luckily, she flagged a bus down that was headed to trujillo, and they agreed to stop in chiclayo for us. as they pulled up, i demanded our money back, and then accidentally took too much money back as i swiftly grabbed the remaining change in his hand, and hopped onto this bus that stopped to pick us up off the side of the road. the bus was completely booked, so we were stuck riding in the front cabin with the drivers, who basically sold us their seats for a pure profit. though i wouldn’t say we got the best night’s sleep or any sleep at all, as the driver was chewing on coca leaves, as the other drivers took swigs of liquor before taking over their portion of the drive. the sad reality, is that what we saw is not unique to our bus, but is more so common and we only witnessed what really happens on our bus trips. however, we made it back safe and sound and there was limited swerving on the road, so all and all it was quite the trip! so worth it! and honestly, i loved that delightful week with my ladies!!!

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25/03/2013
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adventure, friendship, happenings

farewell to samuel (read: sam-well).

despedida group lunch: ceviche on the beach-e.

despedida group lunch: ceviche on the beach-e.

one thing that should be noted about peace corps. each of our experiences is unique. no two services are the same. even those of us who serve so closely together. there are numerous reasons why this is, which i won’t go into. but just as no two services are the same, the length needed to serve also varies from volunteer-to-volunteer. some volunteers feel the need to serve the maximum 5 years of service, and others it’s just mere months, but normally most people complete 2 full years of service. the experiences we gain here are so unique, yet we form a strong bond of unity with one another, because on some levels we do understand the challenges and accomplishments we experience.

casey, sam and steve at lunch.

casey, sam and steve at lunch.

oh heyyyyyy ladiesssss.

oh heyyyyyy ladiesssss.

 

for my dear friend, sam, his time has come to an end. he is the bravest volunteer i know. he has overcome numerous obstacles and made such an impression not only on the lives in his community, but also in his fellow volunteers’ lives. he has such a positive personality that is always ready to take advantage of whatever life has in store for him and to live every moment to its fullest. his enthusiasm is infectious, and he is irreplaceable. also, i think it’s also important to note that he is my fellow texan, and that is bond that i can never be broken.

the three musketeers.

the three musketeers.

sam. lambayeque won’t be the same without you. peru 19 won’t be the same without you. peru won’t be the same without you. but i am so happy that you get to share your greatness elsewhere (maybe even hawaii?). i can’t wait to be reunited with you again…because it WILL HAPPEN, and let’s be honest, it will probably look like this:

no apologies.

no apologies.

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22/03/2013
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art, youth group

relojes de papel.

buckets of paper soaking.

buckets of paper soaking.

for our fourth project, we made clocks from paper. the students brought their soaking paper to the museum. then we blended it and strained it and mixed it with glue to make it almost like clay.

the giant paper blender.

the giant paper blender.

some of the guys straining the water out of the paper through some locally purchased mesh.

some of the guys straining the water out of the paper through some locally purchased mesh.

jair mixing his paper pulp with glue.

jair mixing his paper pulp with glue.

forming the clock shapes in the frames.

forming the clock shapes in the frames.

forming the bird center. where the clock arms will go.

forming the bird center. where the clock arms will go.

 

ready to go! well. all that is needed is the mechanical part for the clock...which is easily purchased in the market here for just 10 soles!

ready to go! well. all that is needed is the mechanical part for the clock…which is easily purchased in the market here for just 10 soles!

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22/03/2013
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art, youth group

lamparas.

a third project that we completed was making lamps. we used reclaimed wood that we found tossed aside nearby, and made the lampshades out of twine. the electrical cord and bulb were purchased at a local hardware store. so easy and so fun to make!

saraita working on sanding the base of the lamp.

saraita working on sanding the base of the lamp.

nilton and shela working on making their lamp shades.

nilton and shela working on making their lamp shades.

 

one of the lampshades collapsed so they made it into a ladybug lamp. so creative!

one of the lampshades collapsed so they made it into a ladybug lamp. so creative!

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22/03/2013
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art, youth group

quadritos.

another project we did in the environment group, was the dust/dirt that is in abundance here, and mixed it with a little water, and made cement/clay quadritos with a mochikan art symbol on it. just like how the ancient mochikans did their artwork.

working on creating their quadritos.

working on creating their quadritos.

all finished!

all finished!

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22/03/2013
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art, youth group

bolsos.

everyone working on sewing their bags.

everyone working on sewing their bags.

as promised, here is an update on the bags made from catalogs. they probably took the average person 12-15 hours to finish, and took 2 1/2 weeks of our sessions to complete, but it happened!

sarita with her finished bag.

sarita with her finished bag.

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22/03/2013
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artisans, community diagnostic, family, food, happenings, túcume, trial and error, update, youth group

a little bit of everything.

oh hi! long time no see! what have i been up to lately? well, that is a great question, indeed!

let’s see…

my environmental arts group ended. this is everyone with all their projects they completed.

my environmental arts group ended. this is everyone with all their projects they completed.

this is my part of my world map painting group waiting for my socio to show up with the needed projector, and who didn't show up for the second day in a row...

this is my part of my world map painting group waiting for my socio to show up with the needed projector, and who didn’t show up for the second day in a row…

third time is a charm. after waiting for 2 hours on the third day, he finally showed. we had a blast drawing the map.

third time is a charm. after waiting for 2 hours on the third day, he finally showed. we had a blast drawing the map.

between my day planner and the random plastic bag i found in my bag, it was a pretty sturdy setup....

between my day planner and the random plastic bag i found in my bag, it was a pretty sturdy setup….

i hiked all 15k through the bosque de pomac, and it was a nice break from the usual distractions. this is the million year tree and is sacred to the incans who originally inhabited the area. also, the government is working on the reforestation of the bosque, since many of the trees were cut down to use the wood for pollo a la brasa.

i hiked all 15k through the bosque de pomac, and it was a nice break from the usual distractions.
this is the million year tree and is sacred to the incans who originally inhabited the area. also, the government is working on the reforestation of the bosque, since many of the trees were cut down to use the wood for pollo a la brasa.

a group of volunteers went camping. this is part of our group enjoying the sunset.

a group of volunteers went camping. this is part of our group enjoying the sunset.

i celebrated carnaval in illimo and joined banda verde. this was my favorite verde float.

i celebrated carnaval in illimo and joined banda verde. this was my favorite verde float.

though the red team went all out in the decorations. carnaval in illimo is a big celebration. the day before there was a giant water fight in the town square between the two teams.

though the red team went all out in the decorations.
carnaval in illimo is a big celebration. the day before there was a giant water fight in the town square between the two teams.

originally for international women's day, i wanted to give a charla to the women of vaso de leche about the importance of being a woman. though, big surprise, my muni said no and wanted to do a parade instead. so, i worked with vaso de leche to organize the muni workers for a parade. this is everyone after.

originally for international women’s day, i wanted to give a charla to the women of vaso de leche about the importance of being a woman. though, big surprise, my muni said no and wanted to do a parade instead. so, i worked with vaso de leche to organize the muni workers for a parade. this is everyone after.

after giving a little speech on gender equality, the band decided to play more more tunes, which resulted in a mini dance party. i was partnered with a regidor (equivalent to a city council member/officer).

after giving a little speech on gender equality, the band decided to play more more tunes, which resulted in a mini dance party. i was partnered with a regidor (equivalent to a city council member/officer).

ysabel and i after the parade, with the sign i made.

ysabel and i after the parade, with the sign i made.

i finally gave my community diagnostic presentation. it was....interesting to say the least...but it happened and some positive things came out of it.

i finally gave my community diagnostic presentation. it was….interesting to say the least…but it happened and some positive things came out of it.

my family and i went for a night out on the town in chiclayo and dined on the finest pollo a la brasa. seriously. it was DELISH.

my family and i went for a night out on the town in chiclayo and dined on the finest pollo a la brasa. seriously. it was DELISH.

the artisans had a number of new products, and so i spent an afternoon taking more pictures for them.

the artisans had a number of new products, and so i spent an afternoon taking more pictures for them.

 

and of course. samia and i are still keeping it real. school has started, so sometimes i help with her homework. or sometimes we just hang out and pretend to dance marenara.

and of course. samia and i are still keeping it real. school has started, so sometimes i help with her homework. or sometimes we just hang out and pretend to dance marenara.

the number of mosquitos in my site has increased significantly  i now know what it feels like to get eaten alive. i go through insect repellent like it’s my job, but it doesn’t seem to keep them away. also of note, as seen in the pictures above, there are a lot of ups and downs. and that is exactly it. there have been a number of challenges i have been facing work-wise in site. sudden changes with my socia at the health post…i had been working with her for 3-4 months on the preparations for one project, and now she is no longer working there, and other health post employees are overloaded already. my municipality has been more of a challenge to work with than anything else. the school i normally work with cancelled it’s first week of classes, then during the next week, i went to coordinate my program with them, there were zero teachers in the classrooms with kids, and they had yet to make the schedule for the new year, and the schools are just handing out textbooks/curriculum this week. in fact, the official school schedule will not be ready until next week…that is 4 weeks after the school year has started…and even though i am little astonished by this, i can’t say i am anymore surprised by it. in fact, all of it seems pretty par for the course, in regards to the experiences that one has not only living in a developing country, but also it’s just part of the peace corps experience.

the important part is concentrate on the positives and learn from the things that don’t work out. and with that, i am concentrating on the goals and things that i want to get done in site, and if i keep that perspective, i really think some positive changes will happen. and the winds are slowly starting to change in my favor!

…it’s about time…

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09/03/2013
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happenings

no shame.

normally when i open a 2.5 liter bottle of cielo water, i get a little annoyed that they always overfill it and it spills on me/the floor. tonight, as would be expected, when i opened my bottle, it spilled on my shorts, but between the the water and the nice breeze from the fan, i couldn’t complain about the water on my shorts. in fact, my body temperature probably dropped a few degrees with this nice added coolness. at what point is it socially unacceptable to start wearing wet clothes regularly as a form of self-air conditioning? just curious…a friend of mine wants to know…

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18/02/2013
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happenings, happiness

1/4.

approximately 6 months ago, i raised my right hand and swore-in as a peace corps volunteer. at the time, i only had a slight idea of what was to come, as we are always told “it depends.” and my goodness is that true. when i think about all the things these last 6 months have brought, and all the emotions and frustrations it brought as well, BUT i can say that it has been worth it.

my site is in the desert. you will not find my department featured on a brochure for peru. but it is the REAL peru. and even though i have been brought to tears a couple of times (out of frustration and happiness), i have an INCREDIBLE site with INCREDIBLE people. just seeing small changes in the lives of others has already made it worth it. and you learn that even the smallest things sometimes go the longest way.

how poetic that today my socio at the muni, who is one of my kindest socios but not the easiest to work with, paused our conversation this morning to tell me how much better my spanish is. of course, he emphasized how terrible my spanish was when i first got to site, BUT to hear that i have made great improvements sent me over the moon. or that my socia at the health post is so excited about our plans to work together this year, and how lucky she feels to be able to have a cultural exchange with me and share ideas. those moments remind me why i am here and doing what i am doing. and the filler moments of dancing marinera in my house with samia or dancing the night away at birthday parties, those are the times that i will forever hold in my heart.

so, i am officially 1/4 of the way done with my service. i can’t believe it. the time has flown by, which makes me a little nervous, because i still feel like i have so much to do. i now truly understand why our service is at least 2 years. there is no way that sustainable projects can be achieved in a shorter time frame. also, to celebrate i am going to FINALLY get to do my world map…it has only been 5 months in the making…and finally, i am excited and anxious about what the next 18 months have to bring and have ZERO idea of what comes after the fact…but i am grateful for this time that i have right now to learn about myself…the good and the bad and hopefully make me better and help me become the person i dream of becoming. FINGERS CROSSED!

so thanks for everyone. for reading. for being a great support system. and all of the above. six months could not have happened without you.

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