Sometimes

Sometimes things just work out. This week I -randomly- met all my literacy teachers in the park, treated them to a sweet potato fried treat while we had a meeting on the bus stop about how literacy classes will be working in the next couple of weeks. Just when I thought things were moving slowly I meet 4 teachers that are ready to get started asap. I felt awful offering them a mere 70 soles, or $23 a month, for their once a week services, but that is the going rate - and I don't want to seem too gringa by offering them an outrageously high rate. With time and good work hopefully I can reward them for all their efforts appropriately. This means things are moving in a direction to actually starting something long-term. I need to celebrate, oh wait - I'm going to the beach today. So, I will. Actually, I am going to get my passport stamped in Trujillo, but also taking advantage of being able to finally explore a new part of Peru. I just hope the mountain doesn't fall down again and block the road. Let's plan for the best.

Knitter's paradise

Today I went out to a little tourist site outside of town in hopes of getting some inspiration and good info. for my women about working in "co-ops." I went to Granja (Farm) Porcon. It is a co-operative made up of 400 inhabitants that began in the 70's with help from the Belgium Gov. They gave money to reforest the land with pine trees, and now 9 out of 10 Hectares is covered in pine that is used as a crop, but always reforested. It rained on us during our tour of the farm, so I don't feel like I got a good sense of how the co-op actually works (as we were rushing through), but it looked like there was multiple income generating activities besides lumber: milk products, artesian crafts, hotel and tourism. However, I was inspired by all the animals that produce wool for knitting. Pictured here is a vicuna, family of the llama. 2 lbs. of wool from the vicuna is worth anywhere between $700-1000. More than gold during the time of the Incas (and now!) Maybe this is where the women need to be investing? Vicunas for all the women! Wait, I want one too.

Jewerly in Making

So something has actually come together - a successful organized learning opportunity! We held two jewelry workshops this week for a total of 21 women. They came from 8 different village banks, and the facilitator herself is a president of one of the banks. In one afternoon all the women that came for the workshop walked away with a complete set of jewelry: necklace, earrings, and bracelet. They were so proud and asking for more. Next month I think we will be putting on more workshops - learning a different model and style of course. Some of the women came with their daughters and babies, and the daughters proved to be a great help for some. I was most happy when one of the women said, "I want to make more so I can sell jewelry in my tienda (store) and have more income." That was kind-of the idea, but more-so giving the women an opportunity to learn a new skill, and those that will use it for their business - more power to you, sister!

Lost in Communication

Today was a day, but isn't every day a day? I had set up two different meetings with two different village banks. In the morning I traveled an hour, 40 minutes of which was a hike out in between cow pastures (although I do realize many of my friends in the U.S. commute this amount of time daily, so I am not complaining, just saying). Upon arriving to the usual meeting location for "Perlita" bank I found a closed barbed wire fence and no one, only a couple of lazy dogs. So I waited. No one. Then a neighbor came out, who is part of the bank, and asked me what I was doing.
"I am here for the meeting with the bank members, only problem is that no one is here."
Andrea, the nice neighbor, didn't know about the meeting. I guess the message didn't arrive. This isn't the first time. And, I think it won't be the last either. So Andrea and I chatted for a bit. She bought a bull with her sister-in-law with their loan money. She is hoping to make a profit, but from the sounds of it, she pays quite a bit to rent land for the bull to graze; so hopefully she will at least break even. We talked about how she loves to raise animals and wants to be involved with the literacy classes that are starting at some point. She is a quiet bank member in the group, but really opened up to me this morning. She is going to spread the message that I will come back next week to meet with the whole group. I hope the message doesn't get lost again. Left me with more food for thought about supporting the women in money (business) management. It seems to be a reoccurring theme here, along with the idea that some women hold, " Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose." True, but YOU also can make decisions so that you have more wins than loses.

Then in the afternoon I went to a different village bank, where there was also some lack of communication understanding. I went to talk to "Triunfo" to get some more concrete information about how they want to proceed with literacy class, and then also take some more pictures of the members. Lorenzo, the president, was there - but everyone else was out working. She was actually on her way to the office to visit me. We almost just missed each other. She didn't understand that I was coming out to her neighborhood, and I thought I was going to meet with everyone. And this is all happening just when I am feeling very fluent and good about my communication with the banks. I need to re-think this - the whole communication thing. What I have found is that if you tell someone something one or two days prior - there is a greater likelihood of it happening. When I try and plan meetings a week or more in advance it usually falls flat in my face and I get a good walk in, but no group meeting. So at the moment I am feeling a little lost in communication.

Chopping down the tree

Although carnival is done, there is still some celebrating going on in Cajamarca. Different neighborhoods get together and put up an 'yunsa' tree. Kinda of like a Christmas tree, but with plastic items, fruit, shirts, and other random useful things. So the tree is set up during the day and at night everyone gathers around to drink and dance around the tree. Then you take turns trying to chop down the tree. Like piñata chaos, when the tree comes crashing down, everyone runs to get whatever goodies they can from the tree. If you knock the tree down, you have to buy all the plastic things that go on the tree for next year. I don't know the meaning behind all this fun, but I do know that as we were trying to get to the disco last night, it took a little longer than usual, because there were lots of neighborhoods celebrating with their yunsa tree in the middle of the road. Yunsa detours everywhere.

On a totally unrelated 'Yunsa note' today I treated myself to an out of my normal Peru existence experience. I went to Banos de Inca, a town just outside of town, to treat myself to a spa treatment. The Spa I went to was inside this swanky 4 star hotel, complete with gardens, horses, thermal swimming pool, and old Spanish style buildings. Not that work is that stressful, but I feel like I am juggling lots of different possible programs/trainings/activities, and I thought this treatment would help put me in a peaceful place to start the week off relaxed and confident. While I was in the Spa it was drizzling and the surrounding mountains were coated with clouds; I felt like I was walking into a fairy tale. After my massage, I went into the thermal swimming pool and enjoyed the perfect combination of hot water and cold sprinkles. It was delightful and perfect, to say the least. Sometimes I feel like I strattle two different worlds. World with money and poverty. Clean and the dirty. The Haves and the Have Nots. Adobe and Cement. I left my perfect spa world to take a rusty minivan back home. But, you know, I was happy to leave the spa and go back to "normal Peru." That is what I live and breathe and that is why I am here. I just feel so fortunate to be able to cross over to the other world every once and awhile.

With a stamp

Frustrated, lack of patience, have to laugh, want to cry, where's the fast forward button? This week I have been working non-stop to get literacy classes started, this is now more than a month after I spoke with the Min. of Education that they are willing to collaborate. I know I could go ahead and start with the teachers I've got, but with Min. of Edu. collaboration we can get materials and an official certificate for the women once they are done with classes - so I want to do this right. I went to the head-honcho on Monday because things were moving at a snail's pace. She introduced me to the same man that I had been trying to work with. She said my matter was urgent, so we got on the computer right away and starting drafting up a working contract. The man (bless his heart) that I was working with was typing like a 4th grader, so it took all afternoon to finish this contract. Imagine sitting in this hectic Education office, people crammed in wall-to-wall, people hiding behind stacks of paper, and we are working on this 1980's old computer - slow as molasses. I knew I should have brought my knitting. Well, the contract didn't get finished because I need an official stamp with my name on it in order to sign this contract.
"I don't have a stamp."
"You have to get a stamp."
"Can't I just sign it as is?"
" No it is not official that way," and on and on...
So I go and get a stamp made. Come back the next day, only to find out the guy that needs to sign the contract isn't there, but he will be there tomorrow. Can I come back? As it is now I am waiting for my copy of the contract and the names of some teachers, but some of the big stuff has been figured out. With a stamp it makes it all official.

Kid Donation and Money Talk

It was an exciting day yesterday. A group of kids in the U.S. gathered their "pennies for peace" and gave a generous donations for kids in Peru. The donation was used to buy school supplies for the kids of the new bank "Triunfo." School starts next month, and for many of the mothers it is overwhelming to have to buy all the school supplies for their kids. There was lots of happy faces when the kiddos saw their new notebooks, pencils, and glue.

After the loan repayment part of "Triunfo" meeting, upon the women's request, I prepared a money management discussion. We talked about the importance of separating personal and business money. We also talked about the importance of investing their loan money into their business. The women made comments that often times they are asked to borrow out their money, and it is hard for them to separate personal from business money. It lead into a short discussion that I think left some food for thought about how they will manage their money in the future. Here I am using examples of how different women use their loan money.

World's Biggest Water Fight

I have never seen so much water in my life. Carnival weekend turned into an all out water war. I had to wear a piece of blue plastic to try and keep my camera and parts of my body dry. The weekend started with the usual all-night music and dance party in the central plaza. I woke up every morning this past weekend with carnival music ringing in my ear, but it was actually not my imagination - bands that had stayed up all night were still rockin' out at 7 or 8 am. On Saturday it was throw paint at each other until you were unrecognizable. On Sunday and Monday there were parades with elaborate costumes, multiple carnival bands, and of course, water. People were stationed on both sides of the streets (and on the rooftops above) with their water balloon ammunition (and water buckets). Before the parade started, groups that were walking on the parade street were direct targets for the water war. As the parade started, the water ceased for a bit, but started right up again when there was a break in the parade. I don't think anyone escaped the war. We were all drenched when it was said and done.

The parades were a fun sight to see. Everyone in the parade was dancing down the street, and almost every costume group had their own band. People in their costumes would stop and dance with us on the sidewalk, and some would ask for the home-made alcohol "chicha" drink. It was definitely an interactive event, wet and wild. I have come to the conclusion that just like Disneyland or Yellowstone, everyone should experience Cajamarca Carnival just once.

To the Streets!