Last day at PPA...

Today was our last day at PPA. Mother’s Day is very important in Peru so it was a full day of programs from the children, including singing, dancing, poetry reading, and presentations of cards and flowers. The traditional clothing and the children’s efforts were wonderful.

I visited the toddlers for one last time. They are doing so well. It is so sad to leave them. They are very fortunate to find a safe haven at PPA but I wish for them a bright future in a safe and loving home. Our wonderful journey at PPA is at an end, an experience we will never forget. I believe we met our goals as an effective team. Each of us has been touched in a different way and we hope we have had a positive impact on the children. We missed Veronica the second week but her kind heart, high energy, and wonderful smile were with us. Thank you to our fearless leader, Edith. There is nothing she cannot do and do well.

Quote for the day: # 56 by Betty Okuma

Number 56, what a journey we have traveled
What have we seen
What small part of us do we leave behind
Veronica, Juanita, Felipe, and Betty
Inspired and encouraged by Edith
She opened our hearts to the children of PPA
She pushed and pulled us up the hill in San Juan
The children stole our hearts and will forever be part of us
The kindness of the sisters, brothers, and volunteers Will keep the dream alive until we return

Betty Okuma

A touch, a hug, a kind word can open a child’s mind to new things

One of the Okumas has fallen ill again, Felipe. I again assisted in the kindergarten classroom. They continued work on their Mother’s Day cards. They were very boisterous today, especially when a substitute teacher took over. When I tried to quiet them down with stickers, I had a sticker riot on my hands. They all wanted multiples instead of a single sticker as I had naively expected. I later joined Edith in distributing the donations from Global Volunteer team members. The donated goods go to a central location to be inventoried and recorded. Then they are invoiced for distribution to each area. The recipient verifies the number of items received and signs for them.

Juanita completed her work with Franklin and Ricardo which went well as usual. She had her last English class with the boys and bid them hasta pronto. This was our last day in our work groups due to the Mother’s Day programs tomorrow.

We completed the day at Barranco which was a very unique area, formerly a fishing village now converted to a beautifully renovated area of restaurants and bars for the younger crowd.

Betty

Our Journey continues...

Our journey continues. Due to my illness I shifted to assist with the kindergartners. They were very loving, boisterous, and attentive. They worked on Mother’s Day cards and hopefully will be able to spend that day with their Moms and families.

A thank you program in the main building for the brown lady volunteers was very nice, especially the role of the children who were selected to perform traditional Peruvian dances. They were so cute and confident. It was heartwarming. The kindergartners also presented a lovely thank you card to the brown ladies.

Juanita continued with her morning schedule of working with Franklin and Ricardo and Felipe with Alonzo in the garden. Alonzo expressed that he was very appreciative of Felipe’s assistance on the grounds. They think Felipe is a professional gardener (huh?). Edith noted that Franklin and Ricardo are developing a special bond with Juanita. Juanita and Felipe said farewell to their ‘favorite’ English class of girls.

Nine toddlers are available for adoption and currently Fatima’s is in the works. She is being adopted by a Peruvian couple who have been playing and working with her in the toddler area. She is very sweet and boisterous and is regarded in a heroic sense by the helpers and other toddlers as she is usually the one pushing the wagon when they go for a walk. Yea Fatima!

We finished the day at Café de la Paz at Kennedy Square and the Indio Market.

Quote for the day: Haiku by Betty Okuma

A single child in
A single moment can move
A mountain given the chance.

Betty Okuma

Working hard...

Juanita continues to work with Franklin and Ricardo in the morning reading three books and doing some crafts. I continue working with Alfonso behind the laundry. We did finish the project today. It really looks 100% better than when we started. Eventually the area will become a basketball court and park for the older children.

After lunch Edith took Juanita and I to the open air market to buy cookies and a shovel. Found the cookies but the shovels were too short.

In the afternoon, Juanita and I had the boys for English and taught them names of animals and making sentences from the names of the animals. We also taught them numbers 10 to 20 in English.

In the evening Edith went out of her way to take me to Ace Hardware to get the shovel that I wanted. It was an adventure taking the vans. The shovel that I wanted apparently are not sold here in Peru.

The long day was ended by having dinner at Juanita’s favorite restaurant San Antonio’s.

Felipe

Monday! Second week...

Start of a new week without Veronica and Betty out sick. Juanita started the morning reading to Ricardo and Franklin, Green Eggs and Ham three times. Also drew pictures of Hostal Torreblanca from a postcard that Juanita brought. Morning was capped off with a reward of a Dona Pepe candy bar.

I started the day working with Alfonso, the gardener. Through sign language and some rudimentary understanding of Spanish I determined I was responsible to move a pile of rocks and debris. It was back-breaking work. I was given a shovel that broke in half. At lunch I asked Edith if she could one day take me to the Mercado so I could buy Alfonso a new shovel. As always, Edith said no problem.

In the afternoon, Juanita and I taught the third grade girls. We were ready to teach the girls English but they all brought their homework. We let them do their homework which was simple addition and subtraction. We observed that all of the students were not able to do simple addition and subtraction in their heads. They had to use their fingers. We decided the next class we would do flash cards to help the girls do addition and subtraction without using their fingers.

Phil (Felipe) Okuma

The end of first week...

My last day of journaling. Veronica’s last day with us at PPA. I shall miss her sensitive exuberance. Now it’s just the reserved Arizonans remaining for next week. Betty is back with us and we were able to take our group photos wearing our Global Volunteer tee shirts in front of Hostal Torreblanca.

It’s a beautiful day ending a magnificient week at PPA. We attended to our morning assignments. Veronica and I were with Franklin and Ricardo. Their patience span is very limited and we have become realistic in our expectations. I have learned that the children respond to incentives or rewards for motivation to work. The beanie babies have worked in that behalf. I saw Felipe helping Edith place the 80+ chairs getting ready for this afternoon’s movie and popcorn fiesta.

Well… movie time, drinks, and popcorn was great for the 3, 4, and 5 year olds for the first 15 minutes. Then concentration began to break down. I think the kids loved the whole idea of the event. The photo op was great but as sister Anna Marie appeared, all cameras vanished, only to be clicking away again as soon as she left the building. I came to PPA to photograph the children and photograph I did.

As I close my part of the journal writing and end my first week, I’d like to reflect upon some thoughts: Many years ago I planned that Global Volunteers was going to be one of my choices for a new beginnings when my husband died. Eight months ago my husband passed away and shortly thereafter I contacted Global Volunteers. I was prepared to accept the unwelcome circumstance in my life. Therefore, my thought for the day is: “Be prepared to explore and implement new choices for new beginnings in your life.”

Thank you to Edith, Veronica, Betty, and Phil for sharing so much of your hearts with me and becoming my forever friends.

Quote for the day: The Art of the Possible by Alexander Stoddard

“Think about a river,
See how it flows and runs its course
Water must have freedom to flow
When it does not, it overflows and erodes the land
We need some freedom to flow, to let go and move on, to refresh ourselves, flow
with the ever-changing advent of life.
We will be carried through a wonderful adventure where unmanageable
occurrences become known to us, and we experience a part of ourselves
never before imagined.”

Juanita

Another day and all new expectations...

Another day and all new anticipations as to our expectations of how the children will be on this holiday. Highly spirited as we soon found out with classes out and children playing all around the grounds. Betty went off to her beloved toddlers and Felipe remained back at the hostal due to stomach problems. And he finally agreed to taking a cipro. Veronica and I found our three boys Ricardo, Franklin, and Elias not in the study mode. It was challenging to ground them into a learning mode, so we didn’t. It was play, play, play. Our time with them was a little shorter, I think mainly because we were tired. We used the remaining time to visit and play with those adorable, loving, and fun kinder girls. What a treat for me! Veronica had already fallen in love with all of them during her last visit.

We then went off to the market to purchase goodies for tomorrow afternoon’s popcorn and movie activity.

Returning from lunch, we were greeted by Felipe who was eagerly awaiting our afternoon activities with the second grade boys. I so enjoy the pleasure I feel giving small gifts to the children. Today we allowed the boys to choose their own preference of beanie babies. We took photos with the boys throwing their beanie babies up in the air or carrying them on their heads. It was fun and tiring. Another day completed, each being very different from the one before.

Betty did not join us for the dinner due to a sore throat. We did, however, manage to have a divine dinner at Vivaldi… excellent ambiance, delicious food, attentive service, and live music. I know that we came here for the children, yet I’m having an absolute ball eating my way from restaurant to restaurant.

The remainder of the evening was spent at El Circuito Magico del Aqua… a water show more spectacular than at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Another extraordinary day comes to a weary end.

Quote for the day:
“Greater Good is not just a mantra.” It is also the name of a new publication: The Science of a Meaningful Life Greater Good published by UC Berkeley in California. Let’s all continue to be mindful of greater good.

Johanna "Juanita" Burton