October 12, 2008

Dear St. Andrew's 6th Grade,

Greetings once again from Peru! It's hard to believe that a month ago I was in Washington, DC, just meeting my fellow volunteers. Hopefully, by this time next month, I will know my site assignment and my home for the next two years. The only thing we know for certain at this point is that we will be in one of the departments (equivalent of states in the U.S., only less independent from central government) to the north of Lima. We could be on the coast, the "Sierra," or highlands of the Andes, or even in the desert! Everyone is very anxious to know.
Lately in our training classes, we have been learning about child nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding for infants. Many children throughout the world don't receive proper feeding in the first two years of their lives, resulting in stunted growth and improper development of the brain. By encouraging mothers and their families to adopt healthy, varied diets, young children will grow up healthy and stronger, as well as better equipped to break the cycles of poverty in their community. It's a slow process, but little by little health promoters are making progress in rural Peru.

Among the most interesting training sessions we've had have been in La Universidad Agrarin (Agriculture University) on Saturday mornings. We learn basics of planting, compost and general farming so we can be better prepared for the reality of our sites, where gardens, potato fields, and animal raising are important parts of life. This past Saturday, we were introduced to the University's beehives and cuy (pronounced COO-ee) pens. We got an up close view of honey-producing bees, which often provide important sources of extra income in certain regions where we will be assigned. We got to taste honey straight from the "colmena" (beehive) but I accidentally got stung! It was pretty intimidating being surrounded by bees (we had on face masks) and I put my hand on one of them by accident. We also saw the cuy pens, which in case you didn't know, are what we call guinea pigs. Though it might be hard to believe, guinea pigs are a delicacy here, and an important source of protein. One day soon, I'll probably be giving it a try . . .

This past week, we also had a holiday, which a few of us used to explore a small town 40KM from our town. The holiday was October 8, the anniversary of Peru's only naval victory in the late 19th Century against Chile. We were far from the seashore, however, opting to go to San Pedro de Casta, about 3200M above sea level, only accessible by ascending a windy dirt road for three hours in a mini bus (called a "combi" here). We went to explore some interesting rock formations outside the pueblico, but we arrived too late in the day to enjoy properly the hike, so we watched a series of horse races that ended in the central plaza of San Pedro. The town is unique (I found out later) because its population is of indigenous Aymarn descent, a culture usually found closer to Bolivia around Lake Titicaca. In the north, there are a significant number of Quechun speakers, some who speak it as their first language. Maybe you can help me . . . what are the differences between Quechua and Aymara? Are there other indigenous groups in Peru?
Well, that's about all for now. No gifts this time, though I'm thinking of setting up a photo site to share some of the pics I've taken with you all. In any case, I hope this letter arrives just as easily as the last one, and that all is well back at SA!

Hasta pronto,

Douglas M.