On a Cruz Del Sur bus, leaving Huancayo for the last time. This city has been my home since September – I will miss the rolling Andes that frame the Mantaro Valley, the stray dogs that always sleep on the same street corners, my walk to work, the brown dusty streets, noisy traffic, and quiet reserved people. I will not miss the horrible pop covers they play too loudly on this bus line. Huancayo is a very real place – inhabited by farmers, business men, and professors, it’s the heart of the Central Andes, and the heart of my Peruvian experience. I had a real life here – work, friends, family, gym membership, favorite coffee shop. How many lives can a person lead? Many, I’m beginning to believe.

Life has been full of adventures and work. My work in La Oroya is keeping me busy and satisfying – it’s wonderful to see the kids in the CAMBIALO group become increasingly passionate and confident. If you’re interested in what I’m involved with there, please visit our blog, or join our Facebook group, CAMBIALO.

So what have I been doing besides neglecting my blog? Here’s a quick and unorthodox overview of what’s happened since I last wrote:

May

Traveled to Lima to run a 10k race with fellow volunteer Joe

Traveled to jungle town of Villa Rica to put on a peacemaking counselors workshop

Traveled to Cuzco whereupon I met up with my dad and set off on a 4 day hike to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. The next week my dad traveled back to Huancayo with me to visit the city for a day.

June

Celebrated my host sister Hayde’s birthday

Traveled to Pichanaki for another workshop in the jungle

Traveled to Mazamari (jungle, workshop, you’ve got the idea)

Climbed Huaytapallana (17,000 ft), a local peak in the Huancayo region

soaking up the sun on the glacier

I hope this has served to catch you up a little on my life in general…as you can see, I’ve been busy! Look forward to more focused blogs soon. Also, remember that if you want to see more photos, just click on my photo links on the right of my page.

The point is, I’ve always found that what I’m reading is a formative part of my everyday experience, so for those of you curious about what this year has been like, you should know what books I’ve been leafing through in the early hours of the morning when normal people are sleeping. Here’s my book list since arriving in Peru. I’ve starred the ones that I particularly enjoyed…

Fiction

Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

*The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge – Ranier Maria Rilke

*Notes from Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky

*Eva Luna – Isabel Allende

On the Road – Jack Kerouac

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

Eleven Minutes – Paulo Coelho

The Devil and Miss Prim – Paulo Coelho

*Little Bee – Chris Cleave

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie

El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Sophie’s Choice – William Styron

Iqbal – Francesco D’Adamo

Inés of My Soul – Isabel Allende

*A Fine Balance – Mistry Rohinton

Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah

*Stories – Anton Chekhov

Empire Falls – Richard Russo

Theological/Spiritual Readings

Life of the Beloved – Henri Nouwen

*Gracias – Henri Nouwen

Jesus for the Non-Religious – John Shelby Spong

We Drink from Our Own Wells- Gustavo Gutierrez

Spiritual Direction – Henri Nouwen

Academic

Mountains Beyond Mountains – Tracy Kidder

Pedagogy of the Oppressed – Paulo Freire

Currently Reading…

La cuidad y los perros – Mario Vargas Llosa

The Peru Reader: History, Culture, Politics

Binding the Strong Man – Ched Myers (been struggling through this one since Sep…)

Peter Maurin: Prophet in the Twentieth Century – Marc H Ellis

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.

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

The second spiffy re-do I’d like to point out to you all are the links to my online photo albums! Although I will occasionally upload photos directly to the blog, if you want to see more simply click on the link, and it will transfer you to a magical world of digital images, snapped by yours truely.

Finally, I want to ensure you all that I really will be better about posting blogs over these next few months. I’ve practically been living out of my backpack since December, but these next few months promise to be a little less transitory, leaving my more time to write.

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Huancayo Peru, a mid-sized city in the Andes Mountains. As I sit and write, the familiar sounds of thunder and wind compete with the music playing in my office, rain pounds frantically against the windowpane, and a small smile tugs at the side of my face, as I think of the weekly e-mails I get from various acquaintances inquiring about my balmy life in the tropics. So what is my life really like? Scattered, constantly changing, and full of new inspirations, ideas, and projects.

Here in Huancayo, which serves as my home base, I am involved with CEDEPAS, a non-profit organization. In September I began by working on organic agriculture initiatives, but have since been dragged away from my life of dirt and worms, to work in the human rights sector of the non-profit. On the glamorous days, I travel around the country with my co-workers, helping with workshops formulated to train and develop peacemaking counselors in communities that were plagued by the violence that ravaged this country for more than twenty years. On the not-so-glamorous days, I translate documents, do accounting, and hole-punch thousands of pieces of paper. My personal record is over 11,000 pieces in one day. Yes, I count.

Although my work with CEDEPAS requires the majority of my attention, I also work with another non-profit, the Joining Hands Network Peru. Joining Hands has a fair trade program called Bridge of Hope, for which I act as a coordinator between local artisan groups around Huancayo and the principle office in Lima. This work typically entails dusty bus rides, chats with artisans in their workshops about the development and marketability of their products, the weather, and, of course, how I like the food here in Peru.

Only recently have I become involved in what is now my third area of work, an environmental rights project focused on the youth of La Oroya. La Oroya is a small city in the central Andes, one of the country’s most important centers for its prominent mining industry, and also one of the most polluted cities in the entire world. The principle economic actor in the city is Doe Run, a U.S.-owned company. Although its smelter provides a notable means of income for the local population, it also operates in an environmentally irresponsible manner, emitting levels of lead particles that far exceed both international and national limits. Not only has this taken visible tolls upon the natural surroundings – the once-green mountains are now naked and grey– but the local population also suffers from the invisible but deadly affects of the contamination. I am happy to say, though, that while the bodies of the people of La Oroya have been weakened, their hearts and voices remain strong in the struggle for justice. In this effort Joining Hands is working with the non-profit Filomena Tomaira Pacsi to raise consciousness and struggle against the injustice of the contamination.

The issue of La Oroya is a complex one – it involves not only the people of La Oroya, but also the Peruvian government, an American corporation, the international law system, and consumers from all over the world. So what target group are we working with? Elementary aged kids. That’s right – groups of children from La Oroya and New York City who have begun to exchange ideas, coordinate, and document efforts to raise local and international awareness. While these children may not be the movers and shakers of today’s society, they hold the hope for tomorrow, for a cleaner, more united global society in which we truly have joined hands.

This sort of work and life can be chaotic – as of late I have found myself living out of a backpack more often than not, and sleeping in my own bed feels like a special treat. Regardless of this busyness, one of the things that my time here in Peru has taught me is the importance of being. The importance of being wholly present with the people whom I’m in partnership with here. Yes, there will always be e-mails to answer, events to coordinate, and documents to translate, and I am glad to do these things. The true joy, the true accompaniment, however, is found in the small moments of human companionship that transcend the barriers of language and culture. Moments such as sharing a meal, listening to middle-age women complain about varicose veins, or laughing over a cup of coffee. The attempt to be present and to love is the greatest service that can be rendered, and one which must be offered by us all, regardless of where in the world we find ourselves.

With Peace,

Anna Gray

To read more about my life and work here in Peru, please visit my blog at http://annainhuancayo.wordpress.com

If you are interested in becoming involved or giving financial support to our new project in La Oroya, please contact PCUSA Mission Worker Jed Koball

I realize I haven’t been doing the best job of keeping up with my blogs, or letting any of you know what in the world is happening with my life.  So while I prefer to write about specific issues, or events, I figure I owe you all a bit of an update.

I spent Christmas here in Huancayo. Christmas in Peru is very different – we ate turkey at midnight on the 24th, went to mass,  set off fire works, and drank champagne. Think New Years meets 4th of July meets fake Christmas tree. The next day we made hot chocolate, and stuffed ourselves full of the Peruvian version of fruitcake.

On the 26th my two-week vacation started, so I hopped on a bus, wound up, down, and around, mountains for 7-ish hours, and found myself Lima. There I  met up with Ginna, Baja, and Alta, and the next day we were on the road again, headed to Arequipa. 15 hours via bus. In Arequipa we met up with Joe, Erica, and Stacey, and spent 2 days meandering through the streets of the city- mummies, hookah, monastaries, good espresso.

We left Joe and Co. in Arequipa, with dreams of spending a day on the ocean in Paracas before heading back to Lima. Plans changed last minute, and 18 hours, canceled bus, failed attempt to refund us with a fake 200 soles bill, and bus crash (not serious, no one was hurt) later, we found ourselves in Lima again. There we met up with my mom, who had come to visit, and rang in the New Years – yellow-themed things, beer, things that made noise, people that made noise, good times were had by all.

Next, after switching Baja out for Alissa,  we headed to:

Trujillo - lots of ancient ruins, colonial buildings, gringos with stomach issues

Huanchaco- gorgeous beach, ridiculous sunburns, late night card games, hippy restaurants, sand everywhere

Huaraz- snowcapped mountains, hanging out with PeaceCorp volunteers, hiking at 15,000 feet, glaciers

The end of vacation. Everyone went back to their respective homes, I stayed in Lima and a few days later headed to Sucre, Bolivia for an Environmental Conference, where I was a part of the Peruvian delegation. Somehow it took us 32 some hours to arrive at our destination-  I’m still not sure why… Of the 70-some youth that were there, there were 4 Whitworth grads present – 2 of us on the Peru delegation, one as a part of the Bolivian delegation, and another representing the US. It was a good reminder of just how small the world is.

Once back in Peru I spent 2 days in Puno – Lake Titicaca, floating islands, alapca everything, folk dancing.

Back to Lima, stuck there for about a week due to a transportation strike, and another 7 hour bus ride back to Huancayo.

So here I am again. I’m sitting in an internet cafe, it’s raining outside, and in two days I’ll be back on the road. My brother Ben is getting married in Alaska on the 20th, so I’ll be making a quick trip back to the frozen north. Needless to say, these last few weeks my head has been filled with dreams of snowy mountains, northern lights, and old friends. It will be good to be back for a few days.

When I get back to Peru, I’ll be heading off to a beach retreat with the other volunteers, in Mancora. We’ll see who wins the sunburn competition this time. We’ll also be taking a day trip to Ecuador, in order to renew our visas.

On the 8th of March I’ll once again be headed back to Huancayo, where I will be for only 3 days before hopping on a bus to La Oroya. There I will be chaperone/translator for a group of college students who coming to learn about environmental degredation.

Then I’ll be back in Huancayo and might do a better job at making regular blog posts. In the meantime, I’ll write when I can, and hopefully get some photos up soon!