We want YOU... for long-term volunteering!

A friendly hello to all those enthusiastic and capable would-be volunteers out there: We, a group of three volunteers arrived last August, are coming to realize that, slowly but surely, our time in Chimbote is coming to an end. Over the last ten months, all of us have come to care a lot about the programs we have got involved in and the children we work with, and it would make our goodbyes all the more sad if no-one was there to take over our responsibilities. If you are thinking about moving to Chimbote to volunteer for at least a few months, please think about whether you can see yourself in any of the following positions. We are trying to give you a realistic picture of the jobs´ challenges, but don´t be scared off: part of the volunteering experience is discovering skills you never suspected you had...

Are you interested in working with kids?

We are looking for:

PROMOTORES/-AS EN PROGRAMA DE PREVENCIÓN

Recommendations:

-Intermediate Spanish
-Minimum stay: 5 months
-Recommended arrival date: July 2010

Schedule: work in prevention centers: 5 afternoons/week, plus planning (biweekly), preparation and training sessions

Responsibility: intercultural team of teachers, psychologist and volunteers

Typical activities: games, sports, music, arts and crafts, health education, homework support, promoting values

Working with: 15-40 children, ages 3-13

Ask yourself: Can I work with children with behavior issues? Some kids in the prevention program come from backgrounds of violence, addiction, or other severe problems. Can I cope with that?


PROFESORES/-AS DE ARTE

Recommendations:

-Intermediate Spanish
-Experience with arts and/or crafts: drawing, painting and/or other skills, and/or basic knowledge of art theory or history
-Minimum stay: 6 months
-Recommended arrival date: July 2010

Schedule: 2 extracurricular classes/week in the library (up to 20 children, ages 5-13)
2 classes in preschool (15-20 children, ages 4-5), plus preparation

Responsibility: independent, coordinating with preschool teachers

Ask yourself: Am I willing to essentially take complete responsibility for this program? Am I self-motivated? Can I come up with new project ideas week after week? Can I work creatively with limited resources?

GARDENING ENTHUSIAST

Recommendations:

-Intermediate knowledge/experience in gardening
-Desire to take responsibility for the 3 gardens
-Willing to work with members of the community

Schedule:

-Varies depending on the stage of the garden
-Can require both full and part-time attention, usually 3 to 5 days a week

Responsibility:

-Garden Maintenance (watering, weeding, seeding, insect management)
-Soil Preparation
-Transplanting and planting seeds
-Maintaining community involvement

Ask yourself:

-Do I enjoy working outside?
-Do I have some knowledge about flower and vegetable gardens?
-Am I willing to put in the necessary time and effort to keep the garden growing?


If you are interested in working in these programs, we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and tell you more about our day-to-day work - ¡sólo pasen la voz!

Finally, a word on Spanish language skills: Much has been said, and rightly so, about intercultural experiences transcending language barriers. I have been lucky enough to meet volunteers who more than made up for their lack of fluency in Spanish by their resourcefulness, creativity, and extroverted character.
However, I would like to stress how incredibly helpful a knowledge of Spanish is when you come to volunteer. Whether you participate in prevention planning meetings or training sessions, tutor students, or coordinate art classes with the preschool teachers, your knowledge of Spanish will help you to be accepted as a member of the team, have your ideas be heard, and allow you to really make a difference.
So, if your Spanish is a little rusty, I would like to encourage you to take any and all opportunities to improve it before coming to Chimbote: Sign up for classes, buy a language-learning CD, study online, go to a language camp, find someone to tutor you, buy a Spanish edition of your favorite children´s book... and keep in mind that every little bit will help make your volunteering experience more rewarding.

¡Anímense! Los esperamos en Chimbote a partir de Julio.

Saludos,
cuídense,

el equipo de los voluntarios

Oh, the possibilities!

If you are coming to Chimbote to volunteer with Los Amigos, you may have some questions about what kind of projects or work is available for you to participate in. Depending on the amount of time you will be with us, and of course, what your interests are, there are many different areas for you to look into.

Just a little background...Over the last decade or so, Los Amigos and the Parroquia de Nuestra Soccorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish) have created various programs that are meant to assist, provide for, educate, and bring hope to the poor of Chimbote. With the help of volunteers, many of these programs have become successful in doing just that. Although it is important to realize that the demand for this service may never diminish completely, the chance to experience and help change a person's life is truly a memorable adventure.

One of the entities associated with Los Amigos is called ACAF (Civil Association for Family Aid). Essentially, it is the Peruvian civil association which distributes Los Amigos funds in Chimbote, oversees Peruvian employees working for Los Amigos programs, and maintains compliance with Peruvian law regarding fund distribution and employees. ACAF is resposible for many of the programs that you may be interested in volunteering with while here in Chimbote. Here is a list of those programs, along with a little information about them:

•Soup Kitchens
-6 in operation
-costs $0.30 per meal, covered by Los Amigos
-157,000 families served a year

•Medical Post
-laboratory and pharmacy funded by Los Amigos
-special program for the treatment, prevention and education of tuberculosis

•Hospice
-24 bed facility
-provides pain medication, dressings for pressure ulcers and care for 198 dying patients and family members
-employs over 25 people from Chimbote

•Rehab Center
-provides treatment and therapy for those with disabilities from accidents or physical deformities
-all equipment is donated

•Social Work
-works side by side with those who are handicap(discapacitados) to provide houses, medications, food and necessary equipment

•Quintas (multi-family houses)
-5 built and supported by the parish within the last 10 years
serves a speicific population, such as the disabled or families headed by a single mother
-built in a square with secure entrances facing inward toward an open courtyard
-all quintas are made with fire proof cement blocks
-can support 15 or more families per quinta

•Battered Women's Shelter
-in operation since 2004
-women and children are provided with a safe place to live, protection and psychological counseling

•Halfway House
-Matt Talbot Center provides a place for men seeking refuge from drug and alcohol addictions
-can house up to 12 men

•Daycare/Kindergarten
-provides a safe place for infants and toddlers while parents are at work
-teaches children basic lessons to better prepare them for school

•Youth Centers
-3 centers operated by the parish
-typically invloves children 5 to 12 years of age
-used for focusing on the prevention of drug and gang related activity

•Libraries
-5 in operation
-contains books, tables, chairs and proper lighting
-great place for children to study


•Education
-tudoring program
-art program
-reading program
-english classes


There are also a few programs that are not overseen by ACAF, but are definitely a valuable part of the community and parish. Here are just a few that some of our current volunteers are working on:


•Choi Program (Unlimited Opportunites in Chimbote)
-includes Micro-lending, Dollars for Scholars, computer education, english classes and a recycling program

•Construction
-making cement/concrete blocks for floors or walls
-building estera reed houses

•Gardening
-maintaining trees, bushes, grass and flower gardens around the parish
-planting and maintaining vegetable/fruit gardens
-education on farming/gardening techniques

All of these programs are very important to the community and the local Chimbotanos. They provide work and support to so many families in need. If one of these programs sparks an interest for you to volunteer with, there is never a shortage of things to do and places to help. If you are still undecided about where your skills will be most useful, take the first couple days here in Chimbote to see the different programs and various projects. I also encourage you to visit the Los Amigos website (if you have not already) for more useful information: www.losamigos-chimbote.org.

Luckily, there is always a handful of helpful volunteers and workers who are happy to answer any questions you may have. Your aspiration to help and make a difference here in Chimbote is truly appreciated!

Bienvenido a Chimbote°°Colin

Hello cyberspace...This is my first blog ever so we will have to see how it turns out. If you are reading this it means that you are interested in visiting Chimbote or you have stumbled on this blog randomly. In either case, I am glad you are reading this.

My name is Colin. I am 22 years old and recently graduated college this past May. I left for Peru on Thursday March 11 and will be staying until the 25th. Just a 2 week visit but in my mind enough time to get a small taste of the Peruvian culture, do some service, and learn a lot.

I have been fairly active in service since high school and have been on three different short term international service trips in the past. All three of these trips were to a small village in Guatemala called San Lucas Toliman. San Lucas is one of my favorite places in the world and when I decided that I wanted to take another service trip I thought about returning for a fourth time to Guatemala. But I ultimately decided that I wanted to go somewhere different to serve a new community and learn about a new culture.

My mom suggested I look into Los Amigos in Peru and after some reaserch I decided that it was exactly what I was looking for. Chimbote is a large departure from my experiences in Guatemala. Chimbote is a city of 400,000 people. San Lucas is a town of about 4000. While the cultures do have some notable similarities, the unique histories of both regions and countries have created unique social and economic problems. The problems of both regions are similar but due to the unique qualities of both areas, the solutions are different.

I have only been in Chimbote for a few days now but one of the things I noticed immediately about Los Amigos and the people of Chimbote in general is the welcoming environment and a focus on community. During my two weeks here I am living with a wonderful host family with lots of patience for my stumbled Spanish.

I have met a lot of truly inspiring volunteers in my time here. When one truly comprehends what Father Jack and Sister Peggy have accomplished here and the goals that are being reached every day it truly is amazing.

I will post another blog in about a week after I have a full work week under my belt. I am having a wonderful time here and am turly grateful for the experience!!

LINES & CHIMBOTE BRACELETS

Hey ya'll. This is Kevin again. How was your day? Good? I hope so. Well, I am here to talk some more about the great reasons for working here. Right now the medical mission of 41 doctors is here and they are currently working like mad crazy to see as many Peruvians as humanly possible. There is a big need for translating and just shear crowd control. Especially since something I've noticed about Peru is there is a lack of comprehension of the idea of forming LINES! It is especially prevalent with the kids, especially when you are serving them cake and juice and popcorn and candy. Regardless, the important thing is that people are being helped in ways that cannot be explained or even truly described.

We also have a new volunteer here for 2 weeks, his name is Colin, he will be posting soon I hope. It is his second day of working and he's already got a full plate. There is never a lack of opportunities to help out. You have the basic locations: The Medical Post; the Prevention Centers which act as Gang and Drug prevention havens for the kids of the neighborhoods. They are basically like smaller versions of Boys and Girls Clubs in the States; There is also Casa De Juventud which offers an array of activities involving education in fields like economics, computers, and the basics. There is an organization started by a girl from my school that is helping a group of women out financially so they do not have to resort to other, less than digifying means of earning a living, namely prostitution and others. http://www.facebook.com/ChimboteBraceletProject?ref=ts This is the facebook page for the organization, Chimbote Bracelets.

So besides donating funds to Los Amigos or coming and volunteering, you can support the people of Chimbote personally by purchasing these bracelets for about $5 a bracelet. Keep in mind that $5 equates to around 15 soles, which goes a LONG way down here.

As of today I have 10 days left in Chimbote, and I'm stuck between being excited to return to Lima to reunite with my group and eventually head home to be with all that is normal for me. Friends, family, ENGLISH, Fast Food that I like, The Daily Show, my car, cell phone, etc., etc. Something that I am aware of and preparing for is the little known condition of 'Reverse Culture Shock.' It's stronger and more of an issue with a lot of my friends who have traveled abroad. And it is something that needs to be addressed and prepared for. I haven't sent a text message since the beginning of January. I haven't driven a vehicle since the beginning of January. I haven't watched a TV show in English since the end of Christmas break. These things seem futile and irrelevant but the reimmersion into my own culture and the complete overload of hearing nothing but English again can be difficult. On top of that I am graduating from college about a month after returning, and I am planning on moving to Oregon this summer. That is a lot of big changes in my life in a matter of 6 months, January to July.

What I am trying to get across is that volunteering abroad is an important experience for anyone. It helps bring the world a little closer, person by person. But it is smart to prepare oneself mentally for the immersion into a different culture and then equally to prepare for the return. So please, come and share your time, talents, and personality with the people here. Peruvians are intensely friendly and always willing to help you truly experience their beautiful country. So by all means, come down for a couple weeks during summer break. Or quit your job and commit to 6 months or more. I can tell you that having spent most of my 6 weeks here I definitely feel that I NEED a lot more time, so I'd recommend and be jealous of those who could commit to several months. You'll see yourself and the people around you change in front of your eyes and the relationships you create and build here will be impossible to forget.

Unless I post again, I bid you adieu from Peru...ha, I love rhyming. I hope all is well with you and those you love. Volunteer! Si Dios Quiere. (If God Wills It). Nos vemos y cuidanse.

MOPS

Bueno, I don't know where to start for this. I don't have anything fancy to share like them there pictures with the photo camera, but I shall try my best to paint a picture with my palabras.

My name is Kevin. I hail from Casselton, ND. It's a small farm town near Fargo, as every other town in North Dakota essentially is. I go to school at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. It's near Chicago and South Bend, where Notre Dame is. I am here with a friend from Goshen as well, Max, you will hopefully meet him at a later post.

We are here with our college on a program that is required by each student at Goshen to complete sometime before graduating. Besides our group of 17, who are scattered around Peru right now, there is a group also in Cambodia. Our group is split up into Huaraz, Ayacucho, Cuzco, and La Merced for service. We are in the middle of our 6 weeks of service that follows our 6 weeks of studying in Lima. Anywho, enough about me.

Chimbote is sweet. I thoroughly enjoy it more than Lima because Lima is no different than any other big city in the states. There is an overload of things to do, and they all cost way too much money. Even in soles. Chimbote is a simpler way of life. There are less distracions and you can spend more time actually talking to people. Also, the people in Chimbote are bar none more friendly to strangers than in Lima. This allows you time to actually practice your spanish, which is much easier when you are put in a situation where you literally cannot ask anything in English. My spanish has excelled in leaps and bounds simply because of this fact. I went out in Lima and have gone out here in Chimbote and just talking with my host families has been where I learned the most.

As far as conveniences go, I mean if you are attached with an umbilical cord to your cell phone or laptop, then Chimbote is a pretty extreme way of cutting that cord. I can attest to the healing power of cutting that cord. As an admitted textaholic, not being able to keep tabs on my friends via a random text or phone call has been difficult yet liberating. I came to Peru looking forward to being cut off my 24 hour access to the internet, cable, and cell phone. Welp, I succeeded in surviving this endeavor. I'm still alive and I'm happier. We always joke that coming to Peru is like going back to elementary school. Before facebook, messenger, cell phones for each and every kid, and texting. Now we have to rely on each other to be at a certain point at a certain time to do a certain thing. You can buy 'pay-as-you-go' cells here, but I'd only recommend it if you are staying for a few months.

What do we need? Just today I went to a library to help out and we ended up sweeping and mopping the place up to find more rat poop, spider webs, spider eggs, and rats than I care to ever remember. Ok it was only 1 rat, but it was 1 BIG RAT. I want to issue a plea for dontations of money for, or donations of MOPS. The whole deal, Mop with bucket and the thing you ring it out with. MOPS MOPS MOPS. You'd be saving people here a lot of trouble and it would better living conditions and learning conditions tenfold.

Ok I have a habit of rambling and I sense that is where I'm headed so I will stop for now and save the rest for another post another day. Please come help out in Chimbote. The food, the girls, the guys, the people in general are amazing. Don't be afraid of not finding something to do, you can't imagine how smart, clever, and resourceful you can be when forced to. It's worth every second and cent you have to offer. For now, nos vemos, hasta luego, buena suerte. We'll see each other again, see you later, and good luck. Gracias para leyendo. Kevin

Chimbote Cribs

Hey ya, it´s Katina coming at you from the scene of Peru...crashing the cribs of Chimbote! I´m going to share a little bit of what you might expect to experience while bunking up with a Peruvian host family.

Like many other people who make the brave trek to Chimbote, I had a lot of questions about what to expect, what to bring, what I can buy there, what I should buy before I leave, what the living conditions would be like, what I could do for fun, what, what, what, what, ahhhhh!!!! OK, I will admit, I freaked out a little. And as you can imagine, with all of the volunteers arriving throughout various times of the year, the volunteer coordinator gets bombarded with questions...Wow, this blog is a brilliant idea!

Short-term volunteers usually stay in the dormitories located at the parish. If you are a long-term volunteer, you are most likely going to stay with a trusted family of the parish. The location of your home may vary from Nuevo Chimbote, to La Victoria, to Alto Peru, to Miraflores Bajo (all neighborhoods surrounding the parish)...however, no matter where you stay, the parish is easy to get to on foot or by kombi (taxi vans).

Obviously, the details of each house will differentiate, but I have found that the basic necessities are very similar. The host families all have running water, bathrooms (toilets and sinks), showers (no hot water, but who needs hot water in Peru?)












Kitchens (stove and refrigerator), a washing machine (with plenty of lines to dry on), bedrooms, and electricity (FYI...the outlets can take U.S. appliances without an adaptor). I have also found that many of the host families have a computer, phone and television (for your daily dose of Peruvian soap operas).












And what, you may ask, is there to do in your spare time? Oh, the possibilities...well, to state the obvious, it always appropriate to relax during the siesta. For questions about this, please see Charles...below.


If shopping is what you desire, downtown Chimbote has many shops and markets, where you can find almost anything your heart desires. For the smaller, daily necessities, there is the mini-mart Mario´s, conveniently located one block from the parish. It has a surprisingly large selection of goodies to choose from. If you are looking to support the local industry, there are usually smaller family owned markets on every street. Then of course, as you may find in any other city, there is an array of parks, restaurants, cevicherias, bars, discotecas, and movie theaters to occupy your evenings and weekends. Or, if you are in the mood for some fun in the sun, there are plenty of beaches that are only a short cab ride away!











No matter how long you come to Chimbote for, you are sure to have an adventure! I realize there is a level of anxiety when traveling to new territory, and it is normal to have millions of questions. Keep in mind that the Peruvian way is usually very laid back and relaxed. Get used to going with the flow, and your experience here will be much more enjoyable. And remember, come with an open mind, stay with open eyes, and leave with an opened heart. From the scene of Chimbote...¡Ciao amigos!

Food in Chimbote

What do they eat in Chimbote? Yes. I know. A daunting question. One I asked myself before boarding that plane back in August '08. You would think to yourself, what's the big deal? Each culture has its treats. Pad Thai from Thailand. Filet Mignon from France. Indian food from India. Of course the assumption is that all cultures have cuisines to sport, but this is not just any food fan talking. This one's from Lebanon. The land of
Kefta!
Warak Dawali!
Hummus!
Tabouli!
The land where rivers flow with goat milk and garlic cloves are a popular pre-date breath-freshener.
Replacing the nutritional mecca of my youth seemed impossible to beat, but deep down, I nourished hope that something tasty could come out of Chimbote.
My first week at the mission La Parroquia de Perpetuo Socorro did throw a speed bump at my meeting with Peruvian food. Since I first arrived with a missionary group from various churches in the Minnesota/Fargo area, all the kitchen staff wanted to do (and wonderfully they did of course) was make us feel at home with dishes like spaghetti, pizza, and BBQ chicken. And why complain? I mean. How can you say no to the goods of your hood? But yes. The inevitable occurred. The group left and the transition began. And my 15 new pounds can tell you the rest.
Before Picture










After Picture



Well, you can't really tell with this picture... but it did happen.








In all honesty, learning about and trying Peruvian food has been a humbling experience. A culture with many crossroads over the years has created a gastronomical diversity so immense that my taste buds are simply on overload. Although the journey still continues, I can account for wonderful experiences with the following dishes:
Pachamanca.
Look at the plethora of those ingredients





And after stuffing them in the ground with a bunch of burning rocks, you get a plate that looks like this!
Benjamin Franklin did deem God a good God for creating beer but if He is so good, why give us such small stomachs? Tinges of ecstasy in a temporal existence...true pity. Speaking of ecstasy..I do recommend Ceviche. Just down below! and of course, you must order the Parihuela to wash it down with.
The journey has been brief...but at least we figure...this Lebo is being taken care of. Until next time. Volunteer: Charles (Carlos) Ashou