My experience in Peru has been everything I could have wanted. It will be one of those, “When I was your age” stories that I will tell my children. My only real responsibilities are to Skype my parents on their birthdays and to not get arrested. The people I am meeting and interacting with are all incredible. Some of my friends here know what they want to do when they grow up, some don’t. A few are grown ups. There are certain things that I can’t learn at university and this trip is providing me with that sort of education.
The best part of my job with Arariwa is that I get to travel around to different pueblos and interview small-scale entrepreneurs. Most of the time it’s fairly monotonous. I ask the same questions and receive the same answers, más o menos. Every so often, I interview socios who really open up and share their inspiring stories with me.
This past Tuesday, I traveled to Calca where I met Milagros and Hector. For the past seven years, they have been running a children’s school in the town named after Thomas Alva Edison. Milagros and Hector work tirelessly to increase the sustainability and value of the school. Like most colegios in Peru the school charges a fee. Some families cannot afford to pay the 190-sol ($66 dollar) monthly price promptly. To combat this frequent lack of funds, Hector and Milagros take out microloans to pay their teachers.
Hector, a science teacher, does not receive a salary. Milagros, who serves as the director as well as a history teacher, earns 1100 soles a month or about $385 dollars. They have recently started an adult education program. These night classes focus on the value of healthy diets, exercise and the need to oversee their children’s homework. When I was there, the room was full with parents. The school also has the largest library in the area with over 300 books.
When I told them that they were doing great things and were an inspiration to me, Hector scoffed. He told me that Edison invented the light bulb and that they have a long way to go to reach that sort of monumental effect. Anyone that is using Edison as a barometer of success clearly has the right intentions.
Visiting Calca reaffirmed the importance of this trip for me. I am encountering people who, with very little resources, are making a profound difference. Milagros and Hector were an inspiration to me and a testament to the significance of microloans.
Jonah Brill is currently volunteering as a Field Researcher with Arariwa in Cusco, Peru.
Latest posts by jonahbrill
- Hasta Luego - August 20th, 2010
- The Things I Have Learned - August 13th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Hiking The Colca Canyon - August 6th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Fuegos Artificiales - July 30th, 2010
- Los Precios - July 16th, 2010
- I'll Take a Little Potato with My Dirt - July 9th, 2010
- ¿Dónde Está El Baño? - July 2nd, 2010
- Day in the Life: Summertime and the Living is Easy - June 25th, 2010
- Snapshot: Cow Heart and Confusing Conversation in Cusco - June 18th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Morning Commute - June 11th, 2010
