Peru
I was honored to go to Peru in the summer before my sophomore year. This opportunity was provided by my middle school through Education First. I started raising money for this trip in eighth grade through sewing pencil/makeup bags.
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Going to Peru was the first time I felt extremely out of place. I could not read anything! I began to understand what a struggle immigrating to another country must be, and I have undying respect for this quest.
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I wish I had been able to connect with these people more deeply. I was able to connect through my actions, I helped where I could and smiled a lot. I know that I must learn Spanish in order to truly connect and understand their culture.
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Standing at Macchu Picchu 'The Old Mountain'
Eating guinea pig in Sacsayhuaman- Cusco. Peru
Our service project was with an organization called the sacred valley project. We cleared dirt, gravel, and boulders from their front yard so they could build a fence. They needed a fence for the safety of the girls because the school is right by the side of a road.
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The school help indigenous girls from the sacred valley learn Spanish, math, and a bit of English. Going to the school increases the chances that they will be able to get a job in a city and live independently.
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You can donate to the school through their parent organization Latin American Foundation for the Future here:
The biggest learning experience for me was very unexpected. We were in Lima, the nation's capital, en la plaza de Armas watching the daily presenting of the colors when a woman came around the corner, shouting in Spanish. I began to see that there were people with her, shouting as well. I was told that they were protesting for teacher's rights and wages, and for better schools. An old firetruck circa 1940 circled the square, sirens blaring, loudspeaker reprimanding. When it reached the protesters it sprayed them with a hose affixed to the roof. It was a mild stream, not enough to hurt anyone. The police then started shouting and herding people back. I saw the woman from earlier grabbed by a policeman. He had her by the wrist but she turned and forcefully regained her limb from the man.
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The rapidity with which violence was used was astonishing to me. It worked, however, the protest was over soon after it started and the square was milling as before. Apparently, this kind of thing happened almost every day.
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In America, it would have taken more protesters and more time for the police to use violence. The Peruvian way suppresses the protest very quickly, the American way suppresses individual protesters but fuels the movement overall.
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This experience showed me that free speech and freedom of assembly are things I have always taken for granted and it reminded me how important they are for the health of the country and the psychological efficacy of the people.
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This scene also speaks to the mentality of someone in a policing role regardless of their identity and how that mentality can be worsened when in a group. The Stanford experiment explains that when someone takes on the role of enforcer, they tend to take it farther than they objectively know to be right. We see this ring true in the police forces of both America and Peru.
This plaza was built by the Spanish on top of a great Inca gathering place. I had the privilege of visiting many Incan sites and learning about their colonization. These Incan sites were astonishing in their craftsmanship and durability, and many were destroyed by the Spanish. We also viewed jewelry from ancient Incans and other indigenous peoples, owned by a Spanish family. This begs the question 'what deserves preserving, and who deserves to preserve it?' This question is especially difficult in this age, where claims have been disseminated through generations.
