CMaDFA: South America visit Learn about Meal-a-Day projects with Bruce Parker and Steve Johnson while they travel in South America.

Reaching the Most Marginalized

Wow! Talk about contrasts.  One moment we're with some of the poorest people you'll meet high in the Andes mountains. The next we're on SuperBus listening to (rather, being forced to listen to) Madonna singing Material Girl.  Then not much later we're in some absolutely poor neighborhoods checking out the work of the Bruce Peru Organization.

Here are some random thoughts I had this morning at about 5 am on the bus:

I started to get ready for this trip physically about six weeks before we left.  A lot of running, losing some weight, etc.  The reason is because over the years I’ve learned that doing documentary style video work usually takes a little extra energy.  For example, if you’re going to follow a group of people a half a mile or so across hill and dale, uphill, skirting vicious dogs, avoiding barbed wire fences, rocks, holes, etc. it’s good to be in reasonably good shape.  The problem for the videographer is that he or she has to run to keep up with the group that is making steady progress by walking.  You stop to get a shot of of people passing, then run up the hill a bit to get a wide shot of people passing, then run ahead a little get ready for a closeup of someone’s foot stepping on a rock, then run to catch up to the group going over a hill.

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You get the idea.  All in a day’s work, no pity being looked for.  The thing is I’d never done this at 12,000 feet before.  Wow!  (Dyron, have you ever trained for an Ironman at altitude?) If it was hard to breath in Villavicencio because of pollution, it was just plain hard to breath in Alto Peru and Suro Antivo yesterday because of a lack of oxygen.  Interesting experience.  I was thinking that, now that they've got some electricity, what they really might go for up there is an oxygen bar.

Now, about that overnight bus ride from Cajamarca to Trujilllo.  These buses, or coaches rather are really quite nice.  The seats tilt way back, there’s a thing to put down for your legs so you can stretch out…if you’re the size of the average Peruvian.  Bruce and I are not.  I’m six three and I have to look way up to Bruce.  (Anyone who has had a hug from Bruce knows what I’m talking about!)  I’m not sure my right knee will function the same when it comes time to disembark (just kidding, Arlene.) (Sort of.) When we got on the bus a collection of Madonna’s music videos was playing on the big TV at the front of our section…with a speaker right over our seats.  We left promptly at 10:30 pm and the music went on til about 11:15 (“Material Girl” played at about 10:56.) I’m thinking “Why?”  Anyway, as I write this it’s now 6:06 am and the wheels are still turning though thankfully the TV is silent.  Unfortunately, fancy as this ride is it doesn’t have a shower.  We got back to Cajamarca in time to eat dinner around 8, slam together yesterday’s post over a hamburger and fries,  run a few blocks to the hotel lobby where we stayed Sunday night to filch a little free wi-fi to upload the blog and then just make it in time to the bus station.  After a night on the road we're now pulling into Trujillo.

Oh, my goodness!  The TV just lit up!  Bruce said “More Madonna!”  And, no kidding, her music videos just started playing again!

We’re heading for a day of looking at a project Meal-a-Day has been supporting this last year that involves providing schooling for some very marginalized children.

Bruce Peru Organization has been serving the 26% of Peru's school age children that do not attend school.  This group is made up of campesino children, kids who live on the edges of Peruvian society.

What happens is this. For cultural and economic reasons kids from these neighborhoods don't attend public school.  Bruce Peru sets up small schools in the neighborhoods and encourages children to come.  Once they see that learning can be fun and they begin to have a sense of accomplishment, they thrive in the classroom.  Bruce Peru's mission is to get these kids up to speed with their in-school peers so that they can be integrated into the public school system.  Founder Bruce Thornton says that when they checked their figures several years ago, 85% of those who started their one year support program completed it.  Bruce Peru continues to follow these kids for two years once they're back in public school, paying their expenses and providing other services.  80% of those who return to public school are still there two years later.  (Please note: Bruce Thornton is quick to point out that his figures may be in the high seventies now.) Meal-a-Day has been contributing to Bruce Peru this last year.

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Tomorrow it's off to high altitude again.  Bruce just told me to wear my boots and long johns.  I didn't pack any long johns.  We'll be looking at homes that are being modified with inexpensive materials to make them warmer and having stoves with chimneys installed to eliminate smoke inside the dwelling.

We're looking forward to it!  (And we're halfway through our travels!)