La Oroya needs your attention

As I’ve briefly explained in a prior post, I’m involved in a new project here in Peru, and would like to explain it a little more thoroughly in, hopes that some of you may have interest in getting involved, or may know people who would. Essentially this is a brand new international youth project, and we need more involvement from people in the US to help get it off the ground. So I’ll explain.

Theme:

Environmental justice, youth empowerment and skills development, social justice movement.

The Problem:

La Oroya, Peru. One of the most contaminated cities in the world, listed among such places as Chernobyl. While it was once a verdant green valley filled with farms, there are no longer any trees on the mountains, many local children are born with lead poisoning, and the rivers are so contaminated that the fish no longer run in them. Why? Due to centuries of irresponsibility on the part of mining companies. The principal economic entity in La Oroya is the US-owned smelter, Doe Run. Doe Run is an important source of income for the people of La Oroya, and we are not suggesting it be shut down. Rather, we believe the company should be more socially and environmentally responsible, by installing basic precautionary measures, such as filters to capture the large lead particles that it emits. For years now Doe Run has failed to comply with national and international environmental laws in Doe Run, while it should be noted that it has a similar plant in the US where the pollution is substantially less. To put it bluntly, a US company is unnecessarily poisoning the local population, and no one is stopping them. If you want more specifics about this, just ask.

These mountains were once green

Project:

We are working with a group of elementary-aged kids in La Oroya, and another group in NYC. They meet twice a month via skype, and coordinate awareness-raising events. The kids meet locally twice a week, and we’re working to develop their skill sets – e-mails, blog management, interviewing, talking on the radio, filming. We’ve recently bought flip-cams and are teaching the kids how to use them. Long term goal: to make an award-winning documentary, filmed primarily by the kids themselves, and capture the attention of the US public about the problem. Also, to empower the next generation in regards to social justice. I know it sounds big, but we really believe we can do this.

Where you come in:

We want to get more US groups of kids involved (ideally elementary aged, or early middle school) – youth groups, after-school groups, whatever. The time commitment would be a lot less than the principal group in NYC. Below is what we’re thinking the involvement would look like. Keep in mind this is a fledgling project – we’re still trying to get everything going, so things are just now developing. That’s why we’re looking for more people to get involved soon! If you yourself aren’t interested, but you know someone involved with kids who might be, please send me their contact info, or pass this on to them!

1) We provide a “lesson plan” on La Oroya, that teachers, etc. could use appropriate to the grade level (mostly elementary school).

2. After the lesson plan has been taught, we’d arrange for a skype call.

3. The class would commit itself to doing several things (maybe five things… and we’d call it “Give Me 5″. For example: 1) tell five people about La Oroya; 2) write a letter to a congress person, the president, Ira Rennert (owner of Doe Run), etc (we’d provide a sample letter).; 3) sign a petition that would be posted on our webpage; 4) write an article/letter to the editor for your local paper (we’d provide a sample article) and/or contact a reporter to talk about our campaign; 5) raise money/make a donation to the campaign (we’d provide them with our mascot/stuffed animal that they could sell).

I really believe that this project will achieve good things. Not only are we hoping to raise awareness concerning the problems of contamination in La Oroya, but we are trying to show the next generation that they have the power and responsibility to make the change we need to see in this world, and that they can do that through international solidarity.

A Tale of Violence

What sadness does this peaceful green landscape hide? I ask myself as I stand observing the small city of Huanta from its rather prominent overlook, accompanied by a 50-some foot statue of Christ.  It’s a strange sensation – to oscillate between the children playing with shadow puppets and their father recalling the years of conflict, assassinations, massacres, and torture that plagued this region. In that field, the army brought people to be tortured and killed. At that church, 6 young men were dragged out during a worship service and executed. You can still find human remains in those mountains…and thus his memories continue to unfold sadly before my eyes. I wonder, if this contented, middle-aged, father can so quickly conjure up these bloody accounts of the past, what remembrances whisper across the thoughts of the people I am daily passing in the street? Of the little old lady selling sweets on the corner, of the men talking in the street, of the women walking their children to school? What remnants of the violence continue to haunt their lives?

Panorama of Huanta

I have yet to blog concerning the violence that wracked Peru for 20 years, shaking the country and society to its core. It’s a complex issue, and one to which I wish to do justice (as ironic as that word seems when recounting such a history). Let me say right here that I will fail to do that – I will fail to communicate the pain, fear, and helplessness that I know many people experienced. Neither will I be able to express to you the hope, inspiration, and defiance that others felt. I will, however, try to tell you what happened.

Violence broke out in Peru in the early 80s, instigated primarily by Marxist intellectuals, as a desperate response to the dire poverty and social inequality that had spread throughout the country. The most prominent Marxist (soon to be termed ‘terrorist’) group was the Shining Path. They focused their efforts in the communities of the Andes, where the poverty was, and still is, more concentrated, in hopes of converting the local populations to the cause of revolution. What began with lynching dogs from telephone poles, issuing threats, and stirring up unrest among youth, soon devolved into assassinations, explosions, and destruction of public and private property. The government chose to counter this movement with its own violence, and the general population found themselves caught in between two warring entities.

Although the Marxists never gained wide support from the local populations, the government began treating most Andean locals as terrorists or suspects. The Shining Path, likewise, persecuted the locals, often accusing them of collaborating with the government forces. In response to this, some communities formed self-defense committees, which at times worked to protect locals, and at times committed their own injustices. Thus what was meant to be a movement of liberation manifested itself in village massacres, bodies in ditches, destroyed infrastructure, torture, and further oppression.

Church where 6 young men were dragged out and executed by the army during a service

No one ever won. By the year 2000 the violence had subsided, partly due to the iron-fisted policies of President Fujimori. While some credit him with bringing peace, most see his policies for what they were – an abuse of human rights, and the use of terror to fight terror.  He has since been tried and found guilty of these crimes in international court (it should be noted that his daughter is running for president in the 2011 election).

In the meantime, the country continues to rebuild itself. Some remnants of the Shining Path remain, but the majority of their activities are in connection to narco-trafficking. While some have been able to put the past behind them, others are still dealing with the ghosts of the terror. Many people disappeared during this time, and their bodies are still in the process of being found – when in Ayacucho I spoke with a woman who had finally had the closure of burying her father, just three weeks ago. Many families have yet to find the remains of their loved ones. Other people I know, not much older than myself, still struggle with the mental effects of having witnessed violence as young children, or the physical effects of the malnutrition caused by the upheaval. Communities and individuals continue to struggle to shed the cyclical nature of violence. Despite this tumultuous era, the people of Peru continue to move forward, working towards a prosperous and peaceful future, an effort that I have had the privilege of observing and participating in.

Christ statue overlooking Huanta

Building a Bridge of Hope

Conscientous consumerism. Fair Trade. Ethical Products. These terms bring a lot of images to mind. When I think of fair trade, yes, I think of coffee beans and beautiful artisan wares, but above all, I think of people. Of empowered women, of families leaving behind poverty, of fathers who dream of their children’s futures. Of warm embraces, of laugher, of hope.

Aside from my work at CEDEPAS, I work with the Red Uniendo Manos Fair Trade program, called Bridge of Hope. For those of you new to the concept of Fair Trade, let me give a brief description. It is a trade method that functions on the principle that human labor has a certain value which must be upheld. Put simply, it prevents the exploitation of the producer by setting a bottom price that the product cannot sink below, regardless of market competition. Fair Trade makes the statement that we, as consumers and producers, have the ability (and responsibility) to make decisions that are not purely dictated by the demand and supply of the market, but are also guided by concern for the well-being of our fellow human. Far too often producers in developing countries are forced to sell their product for an exceedingly low price, one which barely covers the raw materials input into the product, whereupon middle men and distributors rake in the majority of the profit. Fair Trade is a method of combating this, ensuring that the path from producer to consumer is as direct as possible.

Beyond economic development, most Fair Trade programs work towards social development as well. The Bridge of Hope program, for example, requires that its participants work within specific artisan groups, which have been democratically structured by the artisans themselves. By working in a community of other artisans, producers encounter an additional source of economic security, creativity, skill sets, and local solidarity.

The Bridge of Hope Program deals exclusivley with artisan wares, and I work primarily with the program’s artisan groups in communities surrounding Huancayo. Essentially I function as the link between the artisans and our office in Lima, in addition to helping the group develop new products to be exported to the US or sold in Lima. In my personal opinion, Fair trade is an excellent model of development. It does not depend on charity, but rather is based on a mutual partnership developed between the producer and the consumer. As a consumer, when you purchase a Fair Trade product, not only are you receiving a quality good, but you have the comfort of knowing where it came from, and from whose hands. It was not produced by a nameless person living in a blank part of the globe – nothing we own was, and Fair Trade gives us the ability to know that we are respecting that person, acknowleging the worth of their labor and products, and making global connections. This is development we can believe in.

If you are interested in looking into the Bridge of Hope’s program, click here. To buy or browse Fair Trade products, click here.

Below are some photos taken at our annual artisan workshop, this year held in Huancavelica. Here all of our artisan groups got together for 3 days to exchange ideas, fortify inter-group relations, and renovate their marketing strategies.

The Truth Behind the View

Below is a short article I wrote for the Red Uniendo Manos Contra la Pobreza’s monthly newsletter, La Retama.

When I found out I was going to spend my volunteer year living in the Andes mountains, I was elated. For me, spending time in the outdoors is a source of peace and one of the strongest reminders of God’s beauty. Here in Huancayo the surrounding country side has continued to nourish my soul, but has also served as a reminder of the grave injustices that plague Peru and our world.

It is common to see socio-economic injustice manifested geographically, and Huancayo is no exception. The poorest and most alienated of the region’s populations live high in the surrounding mountains. Many struggle to simply provide their children with proper nutrition. Some communities have begun to worry that they will be the first to be effected by the oncoming climate change, as resources become more limited.

Below in the apparently peaceful Valley Mantaro, ugliness continues to permeate the natural beauty. The Mantaro River, which runs through the entire valley and serves as the primary water source for farmers, is severely polluted. This is due to the greed and carelessness of mining companies located upstream of the valley (for more information concerning this, read the Red Uniendo Mano’s releases on US smelter Doe Run), a clear and distressing example of economic interests overriding basic environmental and human rights.

Despite the unsettling reminders of broken relations, both among humans and between humans and the Creation, I cannot help but to continue to find hope in the natural beauty that I find here in Huancayo. Just two days ago, my host sister Haydé and I sat on top of a small mountain, eating oranges and surveying the valley below. I smiled as I noted the lush greenery exploding around the edges of the polluted river, a vibrate reminder that amidst the brokenness of our world life continues to thrive.

Wait, what am I drinking?

Some of the CEDEPAS girls in front of our anniversary flowers

Organic Farm in Chupaca

The last few days I’ve been mulling over what to write about next. So this morning, as I found myself grinding eggshells between two rocks alongside a path in an impoverished village, 12,000 or so feet up in the Andes mountains, I thought to myself: “well, I’ll just write about my day.”

After an hour of navigating dirt and rock roads with hair-pin turns so tight that at one point the driver had to back the truck up to the end of the cliff in order to make the corner, my co-workers and I arrived at the village of Cochangará. Today we had arranged to prepare organic fertilizer with the ECA in the community (definition of ECA in my previous post), and prepare the plot where we will be planting potatoes. In typical Peruvian fashion, we showed up about 1 1/2 hours late, hiked our supplies up the path to the field, and found the campesinos already at work. To till the soil the they use two steers, yoked together and hooked to tool which tears up the ground. I’ll post a photo soon.

While some people continued to work, we started the process of making the fertilizer- stepping through the animal dung to mix in crushed eggshells, yeast, molasses, and a number of different ingredients you can buy at the local market in Huancayo. After finishing the concoction, we began to haul water from the nearby stream, and to mix the 20-some large bags of poop together with the one shovel that had been brought to the field. 11 sets of steers, one shovel – some things I have yet to understand. It should be noted that in much of this work, I am only allowed to participate to a certain extent. My official job is to take photos of the process for the sake of CEDEPAS’ promotional materials, to take attendance, and to give assistance to my co-workers when they need it. Being 1) a gringa and 2) a woman, it takes some convincing that I can really get my hands dirty, but my co-workers (mainly 30+ year-old males) are starting to get used to the idea.

At some point during this process the community’s school teacher showed up with a snack of yogurt, and a large bottle of…well, of what I thought was water. After taking my first gulp out of the communal disposable plastic cup, I quickly discovered that it was a hard alcohol called Caña. I managed to hide my surprise – of course I knew I was about to throw back a shot at 11 in the morning. Only a naïve gringa would have thought it was water! 2 or 3 rounds later, we headed back to work and a group of teenagers continued their performance of  traditional Peruvian music with the well-polished saxophones they had lugged out to the field.

By the time all had been properly tilled and the fertilizer mixed, it was time for lunch. While I normally look forward to sharing meals with people out in the field, today was a bit of a challenge. You see, the digestive system takes a while to adjust to life in another country. So although I’ve been eating the same thing, more or less, for the last two and a half months, indigestion and its correlated problems have simply become a part of my every day life. Today, however, was worse than normal. By the time we were sitting down for lunch, I had been stifling the need to use the bathroom for, oh, about 7 hours. Yes, it’s amazing the things one’s body can put up with when given no alternative. Luckily I manage to sip my way through a bowl of soup, and my co-workers were only to happy to eat my share of the potatoes. After overcoming the post-lunch urge to curl up in the fetal position and groan, I said good-bye to the community members, snapped a photo with some guy who said he wanted to a “reminder of the gringita (little white woman),” and headed back down to the truck. After a short inspection under the hood,  it started up just fine and we wound our way back to the city.

It’s now evening here in the office, and soon I’ll be heading home. I’m dusty, or more accurately, covered in manure, and my usual sunburn has settled quite comfortably once again on my face.  It has been a long, but good,  12-hour day.

Note: this was written at a different time than posted – I didn’t actually do these things today. Just an explication for you skeptics who may be looking at the clock and saying ”please Anna, it’s 11 in the morning - you didn’t just finish a day at work…” Well, you’re right.

What I’m Actually Doing Here

Changos Bajo, Mantaro Valley in the region of Junín

Changos Bajo, Mantaro Valley in the region of Junín

“Social justice work,” “development work,” “organic farming” – just a few of the phrases I’ve thrown out there in an attempt to explain what I’m doing here in Peru. Now it’s time (and I’m finally able) to be a little more specific. I’m working with two organizations – CEDEPAS-Centro, and Red Uniendo Manos Contra La Pobreza. My work with Uniendo Manos, which is in fair trade, is still in its beginning stages, so I am just going to focus on CEDEPAS for now.

CEDEPAS has 4 different departments: 1) Farming and Agroindustrial Production, 2) Theological Formation, 3) Local Governance and Development, and 4) Human Promotion. I am working primarily in the agriculture department, and doing some side work for Human Promotions (which I’ll write about some other time).

The agriculture department is currently working with a number of different programs. In some communities we are focusing on the organic production of local medicinal plants and herbs and promoting their consumption in the local market.

Many of CEDEPAS’ programs are funded by outside financiers. One such is the project we are collaborating on with Heifer Project International. The intent of this project is to establish food sovereignty, or, more simply put, food security. In many villages malnourishment is common, which can greatly detract from the development of children. This is due both to a lack of resources, and the unfortunate practice that many people have of sending their best agricultural products to the market, and keeping the poorest products for their own consumption. (Sidenote: Before judging people for the tendency to do this, take a moment to consider that many of us are also guilty of this - giving the best of our years and most of our energy to our jobs, and giving what is left over of ourselves to our families.) We’re combating this by both raising consciousness of the need to first secure your own nutritional needs before sending goods to the market, and by injecting additional nutritional resources into these communities. There is a 4-year plan in place to promote the production of agricultural animals (guinea pigs, sheep, and cows) as well as food crops (corn and potatoes). The logic is simple and functional- we give a person 10 (this is just an example, not the actual number) guinea pigs. Over the course of a year, their guinea pigs reproduce, the numbers grow, and at the end of the year they give back to us 10 guinea pigs, plus one additional one, which is added to the project’s supply bank. This person continues to grow their animals, and in the meantime we give those 10 guinea pigs to another person, and the cycle continues. Guinea pigs, by the way, are not pets here, but rather a traditional food source, and incredibly nutritional. There’s also a high market demand for them, so once a family has enough with which to feed themselves, they can sell the excess as a means of additional income.

A second project we are working with is the Swiss-financed project “Mission 21.” It has a number of focuses, but its agricultural focus is the establishment of agricultural schools in rural communities, meant to promote the growth of organic food crops. The logic is this: A group of community members commit to participate in the school (called an ECA) for one season of planting and harvesting. CEDEPAS provides all the supplies for the school, such as the seeds for the crops, and the materials for fertilizer. We use a piece of communal land, divide it in half, and on one half the farmers sow their crop (we are working primarily with potatoes) in their traditional manner. On the other half of the field they sow the crop in the manner instructed by the ECA. At the end of the season the differences in the quality of product is noted. Throughout the season we put on a number of educational sessions about agriculture, but always in a hands-on manner, meaning that we are using the field as the classroom. At the end of the season those who have participated harvest the crop. The amount of seeds which we purchased and gave to the community is harvested and set aside, and the rest of the crop is divided among the farmers for consumption. The seeds that were set aside are then given to the farmers, so that they may use them to individually plant their crop the next season. This is the project I have been the most involved with thus far. It is still in its beginning stages- the 8 communities we are working with are still deciding who will be involved, and what land will be used. The combination of both education and resource development seems to be a good model, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it developes throughout the year.

These are the projects I have been the most involved with thus far in my time here with CEDEPAS. Since these are mainly technical projects, which require advanced agricultural knowledge, I do mainly back-up work, such as the preparation of materials, or giving on-site assistence. My co-workers who are agronomists, animal specialists, and the like, lead the actual workshops and meetings. So far my experience with CEDEPAS has been good- my co-workers are knowledgeable, dedicated, and welcoming. Also, I have appreciated being involved with an organization that works directly with the marginalized populations of this region in a manner that it equitable, respectful, and functional. The point of these projects is not to force a development plan upon a community, but rather to offer technical assistance, the basic capital necessary for this assistance, and a framework within to structure it. Once this has been offered to a community, it is the decision of the community members as to whether they want to work with us, and on what terms.

A Look at Lima

1/3 of the entire population of Peru lives in Lima, so if you want to try to understand Peru, you have to try to understand Lima (disclaimer: I have yet to understand either).  Lima is a bit of an anomaly.  First of all, it’s a desert right on the coast. Hence the humidity is extremely high, and the sky will often spit mist at you, but it almost never actually rains. Because there is so much pollution in Lima, it is hard to tell what is cloudy weather, and what is smog. During my time there I began to believe that the sun doesn’t actually exist, whereupon I went on a hike, got a nasty sunburn, and was promptly put back in my place. Had I been paying better attention when we visited the ancient Temple of the Sun God, I could have avoided this mistake.

There is notable economic disparity in Lima. As a result of the 20 years of internal violence the country experienced, the majority of which took place in the countryside, many people moved, and continue to move, from the countryside into Lima. Many of these people don’t bring much capital with them, and as a result they end up settling on the outskirts of the city. Thus Lima has a number of districts that have been thrown together out of necessity, with populations still struggling to gain access to basic public services such as water. Although these communities are slowly becoming more integrated into the city, many people there remain marginalized and have notably less economic opportunity. Walking through heaps of garbage and past malnourished children only to find yourself peeking into windows of stores selling $150 cowboy boots ( just a 20 minute drive away) is a stinging reminder of  our world’s need for economic justice.

I don’t want to leave you with a negative impression of Lima. I certainly don’t have one. The people of Lima were nothing but wonderful to me, and I look forward to meeting up with some of my new-found friends next time I’m in the city. The coast is beautiful, the culture is rich (there are ruins within the city that have been inhabited by 4 different ancient civilizations!), and the ceviche is tasty.  Most importantly, I met a lot of people who are working hard to make the city, the country, and the world a better place to live in, and they’re doing a good job. I feel lucky to get to work with some of them.

Wait, why are you going to Peru? Well, let me explain…

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, this September I will be traveling to Huancayo, Peru, where I will be spending a year doing volunteer work for two social justice organizations. In an attempt to include you all in this next phase of my life, I have compiled some information concerning the programs I am working with, what I will be doing, why I have chosen to do this, and ways in which you can support me while I am abroad. This post may be a bit dry, but bear with me- I promise they will get far more interesting once I’m actually in Peru!

What volunteer organizations will I involved with, and what my work will entail

I am being placed in Peru by the Young Adult Volunteers (YAV) program, which is directed by the Presbyterian Church USA. While there, I will be working under a grassroots organization called Joining Hands Against Hunger (Uniendo Manos Contra La Pobreza, in Spanish). Joining Hands Against Hunger places volunteers either with their own programs, or with other non-profits within the country. In my case, I will be working part-time with Joining Hands Against Hunger, and part-time with another non-profit, CEDEPAS.

My position with Joining Hands Against Hunger will entail working with fair trade artisans. Fair trade is a movement designed to promote economic justice by ensuring a fair price for products manufactured by people who are otherwise exploited by unfair wages. Oftentimes small producers in developing countries are forced to sell their products to middle-men, who then sell the products to manufacturers in developed countries. This means the majority of the profits are being received by the middle men and retailers, and not by the producers themselves. Fair trade bypasses this system by establishing minimum product prices that ensure economic success for the producer, and enabling a direct connection between the consumer and the producer. This promotes economic development as well as conscientious consumerism on the part of the buyers in developed countries. The most well-known fair trade movement of recent years has been in the coffee industry. I will not be involved in this, but instead will be working with artisans who produce wares such as weavings and pottery.

The second organization I will be working with, CEDEPAS, is a community development organization. The organization focuses on socioeconomic, political, and environmental development. I have yet to find out what my work in the organization will be.

It goes without saying how excited I am for this upcoming year! What I will be doing is directly connected to what I studied during my time at Whitworth University. Most importantly, I appreciate the manner in which volunteers are placed in the communities in which we will be working. I will be present and working in the Huancayo based upon the request residents of Huancayo themselves. This is important because the programs are designed to work in solidarity with the Peruvian people in ways that they themselves have deemed appropriate. By approaching social justice work in this manner, one may avoid imposing an agenda outside of the community’s own goals and desires.

Where will I be living

I will be living in the city of Huancayo, which is in the central highlands of the country. It is a mid-sized city (350,000). Huancayo is high in the Andes Mountains, which means I’ll be living at an altitude of almost 11,000 feet! During my time there I will be living with a Peruvian family.

Why have I chosen to do this, and in what ways am I qualified

The last fours year of education at Whitworth, and in particular a semester in which I studied and traveled in Central America, have served to open my eyes to the injustices and needs of this world. I believe that with knowledge comes responsibility, and for me this is the appropriate step towards contributing to humanity in a way that is meaningful and in alignment with my skills and beliefs. I have spent much of my time at Whitworth focusing my studies on Latin American issues, Spanish, development, and socioeconomics issues. Because of this, and the five months I spent living in Central America, I feel equipped to spend this next year in Peru.

How can you support me while I am abroad

Any support you are willing to give me while I am in Peru will be welcome! Most importantly, I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers during the time that I am away. E-mails or letters are wonderful to receive when so far from home. My work this year will be unpaid, and I have to raise half of my living expenses for the year, which amounts to $9,000. I am working this summer to help fund this, but any support you would like to give would be very helpful. Even five dollars makes a difference! While you are free to simply send me donations, the easiest (and tax-deductible) way is through an online account the YAV program has set up for me. The website gives the option of making a one-time donation, or committing to a monthly amount. Simply go to http://www.pcusa.org/yav/support.htm#international and select my name to make the donation.

Contact Information/Ways to track my year in Peru

If you have any questions about my upcoming year or would like to receive updates from me throughout the year, please feel free to contact me!