Gordita

Yours truly. Gordita. Little fat one.
I don't mind. Gordita means you look healthy, good, and your mom fed you well.
Peruvian women love calling me Gordita.
It's a compliment.

This Gordita is feeling tired, excited and inspired.
The end of this week Maggie and Gordita ventured out with G&C, our hopeful future allies in the fight against poverty here in Cajamarca. Went to the campo, just below the gold mine. I was scared, would people throw rocks at the car, as I have heard, in protest against the mine? I carried my business cards as my shield, no, no, I work for a different organization. I am on your side.

We went to visit health progress within family homes.
Goal sheets posted on dirt walls with pictures so that everyone can understand. We dream of a clean house that is in order. We want a new kitchen. A mirror. Clean toothbrushes. Clothes hung up on a thin thread, but not on the ground. A new stove in mid construction. Proud yet humble faces greeted us at every door. What big effort for small changes. Sustainability for a better day. Truly I was inspired and touched that these families, much like the families I work with, have taken steps to make their home a better place. Little things. Posters that reminded the family to drink boiled water. To brush their teeth every day. Not so little things, because they are milestones for a family that "never knew another way, because no one ever taught us." Our young teen truck driver safely brought us down the rocky road. We flew past the mountain curves, me ever thankful we didn't fall off the cliff that hugged the other side of the road. A return to Cajamarca with a new vision of changing lives through health education.

Gordita embraced the weekend with a soccer game. In the nice stadium. Where usually only the men play. This morning the women owned the stadium. We had few fans; empty stadium seats surrounded us with a background of mountain midst. This Gordita may not stay gordita, not if the stadium invites us in every weekend and if she dances the carnival in the street all night long. Gordita might become Flaquita.

Coffee Chaos

After a quiet working afternoon with Maggie at the 4 star hotel spa I now feel completely recovered from yesterday. I wasn't sick yesterday; My body was just completely amazed and shocked by the amount of women that came to meet Maggie in the tiny Afider office. We organized an "informal" meet and greet The Director which surpassed my wildness dreams of participation. I arrived at the office at 3:05pm to find more than a dozen women waiting for the office doors to open. As soon as I opened the office doors it was as if a flood gate was open. Everytime I looked at the door there were new faces pouring into the office and immediately the women began playing musical chairs. Where to sit? We had planned for about 30 women. There were more than 70, 80, 90? We went next door to look for chairs, Vanessa brought stools on the motorcycle, we asked the neighbor to let us use some benches. So you would think with all this chaos that the women would lose their patience, complain, and who knows what else...But, the three tiny rooms that were filled with both sitting and standing women, as if they were coming out of the woodwork, all patiently waited for their coffee, saltine crackers, and words from the Director. We turned our informal meeting into an afternoon with speeches and a brainstorming session. Last year I may have lost my cool at a gathering like this; yelling at someone - Why isn't the coffee ready? Why didn't we plan better? This room didn't get marmalade yet! But this year I took it all in and just went with the chaos and enjoyed it. I loved seeing so many women squished into a tiny little place, filled with hope and excitement for what this year may bring. Curious and anxious to learn and participate with DiscoverHope Fund. My hope and personal goal is to keep this thirst for opportunities alive; in the small spaces foster big passions and help make women take small steps towards their dreams.
So after all of that, a drink and good nights rest was in order.
But, Maggie and I still had some things to work out for planning for 2009. Where better than the Laguna Seca in Los Banos? The sounds of birds, not combis. The air full of vapor, not smoke. The scene of endless flower bushes, not trash. The peace to think clearly, not be distracted by blarring cumbia music.
In Peru you gotta know how to handle both: the chaos and the stillness. We embrace the stillness today and dived into the brainstorming, planning and goal setting for this year. And, let me tell you, if we have as much participation as we had yesterday in the office it is gonna be a pretty amazing year.

The 2nd time around

Believe it. The first development classes of DiscoverHope Fund have been organized and are on the February calendar. I can't believe how much easier it is to organize classes the 2nd time around. Last year I went on a wild goose chase around Cajamarca to look for artesian, literacy and health teachers. This year I have a whole phonebook full of teachers. And this year I am entering into conversations with our contracted teachers with a written contract. What a great concept! This way both DHF and the teachers are held responsible for taking responsibility for making the classes successful. We are trying to avoid the late-show teacher or the teacher that holds a class and then disappears into her tienda (store) while class is going on (both of which have happened to us before). It is all part of the learning process and I consider this a huge positive step in implementing our lessons learned into actual physical action change.

Next month we will have a sewing with ribbon, natural juice nectar, and a ring making class. That is a lot for the first month of classes, especially since next month Carnival jumps into full swing with costumes, parades and yes, more water balloons. We are using our trusted and true teachers from last year, but part of what the next couple of weeks will bring for me is a search for other teachers that can teach new things to our loan recipients. For the month of February we will ask the women to squish into the current Afider office or travel across the city to a garage that we often use for classes. Then, in March, I am already dreaming of using our community center space for classes. Oh, how lovely!

The Hermit rests

So thankful for the weekend after a very busy first week back in at work. I have already lived and worked in Peru a year so it should be easy to just jump back into the world of work with our village banks? Easier thought than done.

Maggie and I packed in a full week of nonstop work which included buying women's products, advising women on export markets and meetings with folks that can make some really amazing things happen health and education wise with some of our groups. Maggie also visited a number of possible community center location. Our plate was full. The week ended with a highlight for me that actually didn't involve the women. Maggie and I went out to the countryside to visit a group that creates weavings organically and we were planning on purchasing some of their weavings and also give them export advice for future weavings. We walked on the muddy cactus lined road until we got to the point where the road becomes thinner and you can see the adobe houses and the cows and pigs of the women we work with. One of the loan recipient sons saw me and came running to me with his arms wide open and his face with a grin from ear to ear. He gave me a big hug and said "You're back!" That was what I need to feel the true warm welcome back home in Peru.

When the sun came up on Saturday morning I just wanted to stay on my foam mattress bed and listen to the roasters crow. The one motivation I had to get out of bed was to clean up the awful mess the shower boys had left the night before. Yes, so I had not yet been in Cajamarca for 1 week and my shower broke. Lovely homecoming. It took 2 days and 5 visits to fix it. Not bad, actually. It was a nice first test of my Peruvian patience. Getting anything fixed in Peru is a waiting game. The shower guys said 5pm on Thursday night, then they called and said 6, at 6 called and said 7, 7 turned into 7:30. I didn't wait longer than that and my landlord informed me the next day that they never made it that night. The bright side of all of this is that now I have a sporadically hot shower, not just luke warm, but HOT! Thanks be!

Maggie and I worked a little this weekend labeling women's products, but other than that I was a hermit this weekend. And this hermit is feeling well rested right now. Although, I did make it out to the one and only "Usha, Usha" to sip wine and clap my hands to peruvian guitar and box rythms (and a dance or two). Besides that, there wasn't too much else happening this weekend. This is such a contrast to last year when I arrived in Peru, I wanted to explore everything, taste new flavors and walk the streets and find my way here. This year I am coming back to a familiar place and it was an exhausting homecoming so there was no exploring - only rest this weekend.

Actually, in one sense it was a momentous weekend. My sweetheart Hugo motivated to become a chef. This is an amazing motivation because it is an unusual surprise to find a Peruvian man that cooks for himself, his sweetheart, or anyone else for that matter. We had the gas stove full and made a loopsided "causa;" avocado, egg and tuna stuffed potato. It was even more delicious than it looks like in the picture.

The Hermit is rested and ready for another week of work, whatever that may bring.

...And they're off....

...and running. And dodging water balloons.

So the first work week back in Cajamarca has begun for me. I spent all day in the office yesterday with Maggie greeting women and registering them for our Buy Day this afternoon. It was so great to see familiar faces and receive hugs from the women that I know will do great things this year. Actually, it has been a bit of a relief to be in the office these past couple of days because out on the streets the gangs of kids on summer vacation are armed with water balloons and will hit you or me if they are lucky. Carnival can be a fun time of year, Can be an annoying time of year. It all depends if you are the one throwing the water balloon or getting hit by it.

Also, in staying in the office yesterday we got to witness history as Obama became our new president. Although the internet streaming wasn't ideal in the office, we heard the meat of the speech and got chills and inspiration all at the same time.

And after all that there was still a nightly meeting to be had with all our Afider (Peruvian partner) staff and Board. It went well, as meetings go with Peruvians. Not talking about specifics or details, but getting an affirmation that we are moving forward in the same direction. It was also symbolic in that another year contract was signed between our two institutions. We started conversation about creating a Women's Center this year; one central location where women can learn, create and sell there products. Now that we have this fabulous idea all we need to do is make it happen. You will be hearing about this in the future so keep checking back.

Until then, now that the work train is back on track I need to keep it moving while dodging the balloons!

The long, long journey

I am finally safe at "home" in Cajamarca. I had my last tex-mex meal in Austin with Maggie and Will and zipped and locked my luggage for the night flight that transported me into my work world again. It has been a long trip here. My body is tired and weak, but my spirit is happy to be alive in the wet mountain town I call home this year. Arriving in Lima at midnight is the worse time to wait in an hour long line to get check-in by immigration. Everyone else in the twisty line is just as red eyed, tired and delirious as you. After that mess everyone has to go through the customs line - red or green light? The customs officials must have thought I looked a little suspicious and sent me off to the "red" right where some annoying guy was going to go through all my personal belongings. But, there was no one off to the right. No one waiting for me to check my bags and hassle me. So I got the red light, but gave myself the green light. I was in. I made my appearance amongst the screaming crowd and I spotted my sweetheart that had traveled down from Cajamarca to meet me and be my Lima bodyguard.

It was a lovely and sweet reunion to be with Hugo again. Absence makes the heart yearn, hurt, but grow that much fonder too. We made some visits to the US embassy to find out Hugo isn't elegible for a tourist visa, thus can't vacation with me in the U.S. in May when I return for Adel's wedding. Big bummer. But despite the sad news, we tried to enjoy the Lima heat. We had a great time with Jen, my friend who only a month ago came to Cajamarca and now was on her way home to Wyoming. We kinda switch places actually. Jen and I wished each other well, going to our respectively jobs in different countries, finishing our vacations in opposite countries. Then last night Hugo and I embarked on an overnight travel, this time by bus to Cajamarca. We took the SUPER VIP bus, where the seats go all 180 degrees down for your full sleeping pleasure. Hugo and the rest of the bus was snuggled into their posh reclining seats while I was shuffling back and forth. I can never sleep on the overnight, bumpy, 18 hrs. bus rides from Lima. In fact, I hate them. I never feel more grateful (and tired) then when I arrive in Cajamarca after that "laundry machine" like bus ride.

It is rainy, cloudy and cool here in Cajamarca. My apartment looks abandoned with dust covering the floor. Cajamarca feels so familiar - the openness, the dirty streets, the noise, but it feels like I haven't been here forever and it has only been a month. I feel a little adjustment coming in these days to come. A re-culture shock. A little cleaning and re-connecting with friends should help the adjustment. Work doesn't start until Monday when Maggie and I visit the office and make the announcement that the gringas are in town. Until then, I need some time to breathe this cool air, sleep in MY bed and ground myself.

Inspired in Austin

This is gonna be my last U.S. blog postings, that means from here on out I will be reporting live from Peru. I have been in Austin for the past couple of days getting ready for my work this year with Maggie, my amazing "boss" (pictured here, after a hard day of errands) and the whole Austin, TX Discover Hope family. Brainstorming with Maggie has been so great for us to generate more ideas for this year, but also getting me to a mental place where I am ready to jump into work in Cajamarca. I no longer feel like I am on vacation anymore. Although the all the wine, good tex-mex and comfy sofa still contain those vacation elements.

Meeting the Discover Hope team here in Austin has been really cool, for lack of a better adjective. I had no idea how many people Maggie has single-handedly rallied to join forces in eliminating poverty in Cajamarca. I met the Board for an all day strategic plan, which was a different language - not spanish - but so helpful in putting puzzle pieces together of how Discover Hope all works. On my side in Cajamarca I never realize how much support there actually is in the U.S. and how I am never really alone in my efforts. I also met a bunch of DHF supporters at a "Nora meet and greet" yesterday. It was crazy because every single person in the room knew me (and everything about me) and I knew no one. I gave a little presentation on what work is like "in the field and on the ground." Seriously, this was one of the only audiences I have experienced where I had everyone's undivided attention. This never happens in Peru.

With that said, I am inspired and ready to be in Peru, see Hugo, have my apartment back and start workin'!

Crossing the bridge

I am crossing the bridge from my winter land vacation to Discover Hope world of Peru. I am sure many of you have crossed your bridge from vacation into work already, so if you have any suggestions to make it an easy crossing I am open to them. Don't get me wrong, I am excited to go back to Peru, it is just taking some extra energy to get out of my relax winter land mood. I am preparing to go to Austin, TX tomorrow to meet the Board of Directors, give a small presentation and brainstorm with Maggie about what may happen this coming year. In a week I will be in the arms of Peru once again.

Part of the reason I think it is so hard to get into work mode is because I didn't get to catch up with and visit all the folks I wanted to. Can you believe that 1 month is not enough time to do that? I guess, 1 mo., 2 mo., it never seems to be enough time. I do cherish the moments I did have to catch up in English! and be with kindred spirits that know and love me both before Peru and now still. Thanks for everything you guys...see you soon! (For many of you, in May already!)
You may ask what is going on here? After dinner we had a blooming flower show in the teapot courtesy to Mom.