03/14/2018
Today was a busy day. We visited many different programs around the community as well as a couple of the houses where the martinsitos live when they aren’t at the program on MWF. The first program we visited was the theater, Arena y Estelas, where they converted 3 adjacent houses to create an area large enough to put on plays and create props. Because of political violence in the town a group of young people started making plays about human rights. They also offer circus training, dance classes and more for young minds to discover their talents. From what they learn there they bring the art to other schools around Peru and even around the country. They also travel out of the country to Europe to share and promote. The local theater hosts many groups from all around Peru and internationally for plays. After, we visited one of the other day care centers, Asociación Vida y Esperanza, there they had children ages 3-5 and they also offered programs for the mothers such as Zumba. The center has a cafeteria for all three meals also has a second floor that has areas for dance, aerobics and English. They offer help for homework assigned in the schools. Close by there was a clinic/ pharmacy, San Martín de Porres, located in a place where there is no medical center and a very poor area. Is a good place for mothers, with specialties like gynecology as well as orthodontics and others. It is also a lab that can do tests and offers house visits to people that are elderly and sick. Finally we went to an after school program called “Proyecto Deporte y Vida” where they had a large center to accommodate many kids from K to 6th grade along with an outdoor court for larger activities where they learn about respect and kindness for others through sports and games. After lunch we went back to Asociación Vida y Esperanza and helped with the younger kids, 2-3 years old, until the parents came to pick them up.
The plan is to continue supporting/helping out the community after the volunteering is over. This is just the beginning!
