Days 5 and 6

Day 5
The ups and downs of Team Peru

After only 4 days away from Denmark, the Team has already had the chance to experience the indescribable highs and stomach-sinking lows of people who set out to really truly see the world and it’s people. The waves wake us each morning- the power of the Pacific Ocean, a resource that could give the people of Northern Peru so much but which provides less and less each year. From our garden, stretching, yawning and shaking off the sweat from another tropical night’s sleep, we watch the local fisherman stoically rowing out into the blue on tiny rafts, hoping to bring back enough to keep the inhabitants of the entire area going for another day.

After our breakfast of freshly baked bread, and a swim for those who brave the layer of intrepid insects which heroically tried to cross the pool in the night but didn’t quite make it, we load into our vans ready to do some work. The drive to Los Organos is beautiful- the area has a harsh beauty, which is difficult to understand. Mountains rise in the distance that look so fragile and barren, like enormous sand dunes that have dried up and never moved. There are trees and grass over most of the landscape but in sporadic patches and all of it so dry, the slightest flame would leave a trail of fire from Mancora to Los Organos.

And then we arrive at the new children’s home, which everyone back at home has paid for. All the money pots, the bottle drives, the change collecting, bake sales, Motionsdag. If only everyone could see what it has meant to such a poor community as this. It means a modest house, in the middle of abandoned wasteland. Made of bamboo and cement, it is a cool and safe sanctuary for 6 children who have experienced horrors we can thankfully only imagine. More will come to know this as their home. And after today, that home is a little brighter, a little more special and hopefully exactly what these children, what 6 year old Claudia and 18 year old Hector need to help them live as normal a life as possible.
Our combined efforts created a flower, rainbow and butterfly room for the girls, an underwater paradise for the boys and 3 bold and beautiful signs letting everyone know “This is Mama Cocha. This is our home”.

Back into the trucks, with the scorched landscape whizzing by, we arrived back at our sanctuary. Our beach house, a place to reflect and come together and build our strength for this whole adventure. And this-afternoon, a place full of clowns as we let our inhibitions go, dressed ourselves up in crazy costumes and bright red noses and felt the power of laughter and fun. Tomorrow, the clown doctors who showed us their magic today, will hold clown therapy sessions with the children and the staff of Mama Cocha.

All of these things were uplifting, the ups to balance the downs. But what were the downs today? Quite simply seeing how the inhabitants of Mama Cocha Children’s home are wrenched from their dire situations in the first place. We sat together and watched footage from just before we arrived. Footage of a family whose youngest are locked in dark rooms behind bars. Who are beaten and made to fear their older siblings. Children who would be lost if it weren’t for a few tireless people saying to everyone in this community “No, this is not OK”.

That footage will be used to make the documentary of our time here but most importantly, it will tell the story of Suzy, of Kiya, of the amazing women living as surrogate mums and teachers with the children, of the families struggling with poverty and pain and of the children themselves. It’s a story worth telling and one definitely worth seeing. Let’s not hide ourselves away from these lows, from the harsh reality of life in a large proportion of the world. If we take the lows alongside the highs and never turn away, we will come to understand more about ourselves even if we will never understand the bad things that happen to others. That will make the difference.

By Donna

Today was a hugely eventful day for both Team Peru and Kiya Survivors. With an early start to the day we were able to further continue the decoration of the new Mama Cocha Children’s home. The bedrooms are now nearly completed and we are proud to see such a difference in the environment, the new colors have brought the whole house to life.

After lunch we all participated in clown therapy workshop, where we dressed up and learnt to express our emotions through alternative methods of communication. After much silliness, we were shown the true reasons for why we are here, through very raw video footage of Kiya’s latest house visit. It was extremely hard for us to watch the violent and disturbing image which is the reality for so many Peruvian children. The footage showed how and why Kiya Survivors is so important to Peruvian children. It also showed us what kinds of situations Suzy (founder of Kiya) had to deal with on a regular basis which only fueled our respect and admiration for her. During several heart to heart discussions which followed the video, it was easy to see how much Suzy inspired the Team. We were all determined to work our hardest to provide Suzy with the money she so desperately needs.

By Chloe and Maddie

Day 6
Today was all about finishing up the bedrooms at the Mama Cocha Children’s Home, putting the finishing touches on what we have worked so hard on the past two days. Unfortunately, last night was when four people got sick, so they could not participate in painting. But the hard work everyone put in the last few days, meant that there wasn’t much for us to do. It felt so good to finally see the finished products, and all that awaits us, is to see the children’s reactions.

Getting back to the beach house, we had the whole afternoon to relax and refuel. Throughout the day, more people started getting sick, and the mystery remained, on why everyone suddenly was getting the same symptoms. But thankfully, I am the only one who hasn’t gotten sick yet! Let’s hope I didn’t jinx it!!

By Lisa

The pickup trucks doors creaked open and a pair of colorful clowns sprung out. There were around 16 very excited kids stood waving frantically to welcome them.
Dressed with massive fancy hats and colorful clothes and smiles, they danced around the room that was filled with ecstatic Peruvian kids, and handed out musical instruments, balloon animals and warm hugs.
The atmosphere was absolutely magic, everyone (including every teacher and carer) were joining in with the energetic dances and games.
All of a sudden the gates swung open and in came a man bearing a large freshly purchased parcel courtesy of CIS and co. Within seconds the wrapping was ripped off to reveal a brand new wheelchair. Jose Antonio entered grasped in the arms of his carer and introduced to his fantastic new mobile companion. What a thing to witness! As he settled in his padded seat we broke into a roar of cheering and clapping, filling the room with brilliant sound.
Sargundo, a good friend of Jose who was standing close reached his arms around and squeezed him tight.

Jose Antonio watched the rest of the clown’s fancy acts from the comfort of his new seat, There he sat, smiling a smile he´d not smiled in a while.

Adam

Remember more photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/teamperudk