First few days in site....

The first few days at site have been interesting. I feel like I am still going back to Lima, so I am trying to make myself realize that isn’t happening.

I have organized and put pictures up in my room, It is so different from other peeople’s sites I feel because my room, is solely a bedroom, it feels like something I would have in the United States, not just like a spare space. This has a real bedroom feel, like what I would have in my bedroom in the US. So it is interesting to hear what other volunteers have and are doing with their spaces. I really love my room, here are some pictures J I have several walls of love J

I have been spending my mornings at the CEBE, I was able to get to know some of the alumnos (students). It is interesting because it is really hard for me to understand some of the alumnos when they speak to me, I try to stare at their mouths and lip read, so I bet that makes me look less creepy and awkward. However I have found that a lot of the kids have potential and I am starting to think of projects that I can do for each student, or to include a lot of different students. It is also kind of frustrating because though I do have experience in working with youth with disabilities, I feel as if I am under qualified for my job. There are many kids here that need behavior plans and one on one therapy and I won’t be able to give that to them, I am just going to have to figure out what I can do, and poco a poco (little by little) make it happen. It will be a long process but I really think like it will be a great opportunity to learn and teach. I want to go visit all the houses of the alumnos to interact with them outside of the CEBE, but also to interact with the parents, and discuss their interest in working with their children, and when I find those parents who are truly interested in learning and teaching their children, I can start to figure out plans from there.

The alumnos all have talents, but there are some of them who make manteles, they are these delecatly sewn table cloths or place settings. They are truly incredible, they sell them and then they get to decide what to do with the money. I asked the two students that work on them everyday at school, what do you do with the money you make? With schock they told me they put the money right back into making more manteles, like it was a no brainer…it was quite funny. With this in mind I have started thinking about projects that the other students can do, even the ones who are the lowest functioning can still participate in a craft project. While talking to my directora of the cebe, I was explaining that every year with Muscular Dystrophy Association we make some sort of craft at camp and then sell it as kind of a fundraiser. I brought up the idea of maybe doing this with our students, and some of the kids could even do what we do at MDA which is paint flower pots, and other sorts of things. My director got really excited and she took me into this other part of the CEBE that I have never been in, and it was a huge carpentry room, where in the past kids have made picture frames, flower basins, and other really cool stuff. She was immediately talking about how we could do these things too. It was so cool to see her excited about doing this project. She told me that next year in June there is an annual street fair where they have sold their manteles before, and we could sell our other stuff there too, have a stand…I am so excited to see what we can accomplish in making crafts all the way up until next June. The proceeds can go to the students who invest their own money but also then back into the school to fund another project! I have so many ideas and I am super excited to keep a journal of all of them. My director and I have decided we are going to meet at the end each month to discuss new ideas we have for the CEBE.

I also gave out encuestas (surveys) today to all of the professors (the 3 that exist) in the CEBE. It includes questions about how many students come everyday, why more students don’t attend everyday, what are some successes the CEBE has and what are some of the challenges they face, and what they would like me to help with. I have two of the three back, and it is really cool to see what the teachers want in the CEBE and want from me in my time here.

Overall I am having a great time, I have been making a lot of my own food and getting to the bodega/panderia owners where I buy all my stuff. I have got the gringa price a few times but for the most part I have not really felt like I have been cheated. I hope that people get used to seeing me, as I will be living here for two years, and start to give me the Peruvian price for eggs and bread and stuff.

Cutervo is cold, but the people are super friendly and “warm” so I couldn’t be having a better time J