First Activities in Cartavio

January and February are the months of summer vacation here in Peru and here is the work I have been doing this summer in Cartavio. 

Taller: La Dulce Espera 

One of my partner organizations is the local health post, here called Puesto Salud de Santa Rosa.  There I work mainly with the obstetricians and our first collaboration is coming quickly on Feb 14.  We are having a "taller" (workshop) on Valentine's Day for the expectant mothers between the ages of 14 and 19 and their significant others.  There are currently 20 adolescent expectant mothers receiving care at the health post and probably more in the community.  The workshop will cover health considerations for pregnancy at a young age and activities to help the teen parents care for themselves and their future while being parents (ie stay in school, get a job, fight depression, etc) 

Tutoring 

Through a connection at the health post I met a mother worried about her 14-year-old daughter, Melissa.  Melissa was born premature and has a physical disability in her leg. She has undergone two surgeries and cannot walk without the aid of another person or by holding onto the wall as she goes.  Melissa has been out of school for over a year because she and her mother were scared for her to change schools when it was time for her to begin high school (here called secundaria).  And so I am working with Melissa to get her, her mom, and a local high school ready for her to start classes when school starts this March. This includes tutoring in English and Math - requested by Melissa - so she doesn't feel self-conscious about being behind in the classes, setting up physical therapy if I can find the resources for them, and some afternoons drawing as she loves art most of all.  

La Academia 

During the summer there are free university prep classes offered by the municipality (local government).  In order to get into university in Peru, you must take a high stakes entrance exam offered in the fall.  The entrance exam determines who is admitted and who is not.  The national universities offer free higher education but have very few spots and the private universities are very expensive.  As far as I know, there is no such thing as financial aid or scholarships here.  The academia in Cartavio is preparing students for the March entrance exam to the national university in Trujillo.  Approximately 5,000 students will take the test competing for one of only 500 vacancies.  I have started helping at the academia to motivate the students. As the director says, the students have the ability to do well on the test but they lack the confidence and/or drive so I have been helping with that, as well. 

The rest of my time is spent getting to know the people of Cartavio.  I have a few friends I visit - a middle-aged owner of one of the bodegas, a young Catholic missionary native to Cartavio, a 68-year-old high school science teacher.  It is easy to get bogged down in the objectives and grand project ideas of the youth development program of Peace Corps Peru but these friends help me remember 2 of the 3 overall goals of Peace Corps are about creating friendships between Americans and host country nationals. So I hope I am doing something positive for the youth in Peru, but more importantly hope I am a good friend to people who have shown me so much hospitality and gratitude.