Could not get on the internet last night. I have been moved to a bigger room but for some reason i cannot get wifi. That is why i am sitting in reception to write this.
Yesterday Friday i spent the day with Rosalinda and her family.
My host picked me up and took me to the project.
I was taken straight to meet Rosalinda and her mum. She is the smallest 13 year old i have meet.
After hugs we were taken down stairs to the church for a welcoming. They had a big banner welcoming me – with my name and our flag.
This welcome was given by the Pastor. They have songs and speeches and then sung their national anthem – followed by ours – from the internet. Very moving.
Next came the photos and more hugs – this time the teachers and the few children that were at the project that morning.
A tour of the school was next – all three floors. More photos and before you say it – not one taken by me. My host took over the role and might i say has done a great job.
They have 168 children in the project but they are never all there at the same time. School in Peru is different to NZ. the juniors go to school 7.00 am to 12.00 then the seniors from 1.00 – 6 pm. This is in the same school in the same classrooms. Not like our system where we build two schools. So the project takes the children the opposite times of the day to school.
After the tour etc, we were taken to Rosalinda’s home.I meet her brothers – I had meet the mum and dad – Mum with her at project Dad – he was the Taxi driver. So I employed him to drive me friday and saturday.
Now the house is better than most three bedrooms and one big room kitchen and dining table and chairs and thats it. The mm and dad have their own room , Rosalinda shares the second room with her two younger brothers. Two beds hard together with only enough room at the foot of each bed to stack clothes books and all the things kids have.The third bedroom was her older sister and her two young boys Hard life for a solo mother in Peru. There are no benefits – she and her mum & dad share baby sitting and work jobs around that. It looks like to dad spends more time at home than the two girls.
By now every one is ready for lunch – so we all pile into the taxi ( a sukayi Swift with a boot) 4 adults and 5 children. No seat beats in the backseat. One of the shopping malls has a large outdoor food court. So after every one was full – we sent the boys off to Coney Park to play games and the girls and I went shopping. We got a lot of school stuff – shoes and clothes, Towels and bed sheets and a kitset bookcase.
Some of you is wondering by now – how are you going to get all that home in a small taxi. I did but I was told no problem. And there was no problem – the bookcase went into the car and the other stuff fulled the boot and we all piled in again.Back home and we got everything up to the third floor. Roberto and I started to put the bookcase together for them – with a lot of help from the boys – Not.
We no sooner put it in its place than the Mum had Rosalinda’s books in it and Rosalinda had taken a couple of shelves to lay out all have gifts. time came to go. I was soo tided when i got home – i tried the internet to do this but could not so i went to bed and was a sleep in no time.
Today Saturday – I went thru it all again with Diego. Big difference class was in – and this meant visiting each class for songs etc. Diego’s classmates had decorated the room up with balloons and another big welcome to Mr Robert poster. Very touching. Lots of photos because every class wanted there photos with me and at the end when it was time to go – the whole project piled out on to the road for a group photo – then another line of hugs all around. Oh I forgot to mention that Rosalinda was in class that day so I got photos of both Children together – very special two days –
Yes you guessed it into the taxi to go to Diegos home – this time 1 block from the sea – a tsunmi would wipe out their home. This place only had two bedrooms – Diego and his two older brothers all share a room (again only two beds for three.
Lunch again this time at the famous surf beach – (I had had pizzas for two days and I needed fish – even if it was raw.
Shopping again at another mall. Diego as you might guess is mad on soccer – so first stop was for a ball. Thank goodness my host was able to talk him into a Sol 69 ball and not the Sol 200 + he wanted. Next came shoes etc. We bought food – rice and sugar etc to help the Mum out. and a new electric drill for the dad. During this visit we had to go up to the second floor on an escalator and the Mum stopped and would not get onto it. Turns out – she had never been on one – so i took her hand and helped her. First time for every thing.
What a day = both days have been so much the same but at the same time so differant. i have enjoyed both and the children are all great.
Tomorrow I am meeting up with Betsy – I meet with Betsy last time I was here and she is now 23 and I am told very excited to meet me again.
Well it is time for me to hit the hay – its still 26C and 61% humidty and its 8.00 pm
chau