AY Yay Yay… it has been quite a while, hasn’t it?! Take it as good news that I’ve been soooo busy that I have been unable to keep up my blog. I’ve been hanging out here in San Clemente, Peru for about 4 months now. In that time, I have eaten pounds of raw fish (ceviche), watched little kids poop in the street, seen a woman breastfeed her baby on the back of a motorcycle, and fed a starving dog one quarter of a raw chicken in front of 3 women (which means that within 24 hours every single inhabitant of San Clemente had heard the story about the crazy gringa who loves animals more than people, because if she didn’t, she’d have given that chicken to a human…not a lowly mutt). But to be fair, that dog is actually a puppy who has the biggest, droopiest ears, and I just couldn’t watch him starve to death. To add to my list of cool things I do in Peru, my students and I used clay to mold female and male genitalia and stick it to the chalkboard.
My children’s English class and I got in front of the entire town (2000 peeps) during the annual Fair del Senor de Los Milagros and sang the hokey pokey, head shoulders knees and toes, and A Tootie Ta. Again, the crazy gringa is caught making a fool of herself. But you all must understand that there is a method to my madness. Every day I encounter timid, embarrassed young women who don’t want to participate in class or jog around town in front of other people. They let men talk down to them and truly believe that men are strong while women are weak, that men are more intelligent than they are, and that they have been created to serve the men in their lives: fathers, uncles, brothers, and husbands. It does not matter how many workshops I give on gender equality, these things are intrinsic in their culture and I can say little to change that. BUT I can DO plenty: I can run for miles and show my strength. I can give my opinions and back them up. I can tell them about all the goals I’ve met and the dreams I aspire to achieve. I can look a man in the eye. Most importantly, I can give these young women a good example of a woman that is strong in every sense of the word. Is that enough feminism for one day? I think not.
Another thing that I am supremely proud of is my community’s World AIDS Day activities. 2 months of planning and stressing culminated in one hell of a show. The entire school had a parade around town, singing and carrying their signs declaring the importance of condom use and HIV prevention.Then we all came back to the school for a competition between the high school classes. Each grade had to present their HIV/AIDS theme in a creative way in front of the rest of the school. We saw VIH (HIV) and SIDA (AIDS) spelled out with bodies, social theater about condom use, and a choreographed song regarding discrimination. It was awesome! But what made it even more awesome was that the marketing team from Kimberly Clark (makers of toilet paper and menstrual pads) came to give the Hora Loca party. The kids sang and danced with balloons and confetti. It was an unforgettable experience for them and for me.
Currently, I am in the process of writing my work plan for 2011. Top priority is a library and youth center. The building is there but my dream is to fill it with books and chairs, bring internet to the computers, and paint a nice mural on the wall. This project will most likely continue until the day I leave Peru. Let me know if you want to donate books or dinero to further my project. I’m extremely excited about the coming year and all the great youth I get to work with.
Important update: Lee arrives in exactly 1 week and will be spending 3 glorious weeks with me, first in Lima, then the beach for New Years, and 10 days at my site. We’re planning a hand washing campaign and some other exciting adventures.
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