Today has served to be yet another wonderful experience for our group. As you are well aware, yesterday we begin the big project of painting the outside wall of the entrance to the Casa. The color chosen by the owner, Raquel, was a deep shade of purple. Both Raquel and her husband, Sergio, have long waited for the wall to be painted. The concrete wall was covered with graffiti and certainly did not reflect the nature of life inside the wall. Cinnabon, Chris F, Bridget, Marcia, Katie and I took on the role of serving as the painters for the day along with Sergio. It took all day, but eventually we finished the 1000-foot wall. Sergio and Cinnabon were the two paint rollers, but Sergio was smart enough to wear a Spanish firefighters suit and escaped all falling paint. Cinnabon was not as fortunate and needed a half hour in the bathroom to remove the "purple rain" from his arms and face.
In the kitchen, Molly and Melanie worked to make the meal for the day, which was a chicken dish, served over potatoes with a green peanut sauce. We all ate with the mothers and their children, and then continued on with our tasks for the day. Cinnabon and I worked in the kitchen to clean the dishes (a daunting task, to say the least) while Katie went outside with Molly to paint ten white angels onto the freshly painted purple wall (ten to signify the ten years the Casa has been open). Chris F took the younger boys outside to play, while Melanie, Bridget and Marcia all lent a hand in the nursery.
Throughout the day, the madres of the casa could not stop talking about us taking them to the park. It was a chance for them to get away from their children for a while and just be kids (which is what they really are). In the afternoon, we took them to the park to play a soccer game. They were so excited to have the opportunity to just run around. One of them bought us a soda (that Cinnabon says tasted like bubble gum). They were so full of energy that most of us ended up sitting down while they played. After much grumbling, we had to head back to the Casa where things got out of hand. The younger boys, apparently missing our absence, took to chaos and we were smothered by them. Carlos, Diego, Abraham, and Justin took pictures, wrestled, and laughed with us while we were waiting for our bus.
Unfortuntely, Melanie was feeling sick, so the busride was not a pleasant one (the driver did not help). We decided to call it an early night. Chris F and Marcia stayed with Melanie while Cinnabon, Katie, Bridget, Molly and I went to a local restaurant to eat. There was pizza, steak, fettucine, spaghetti, garlic bread and nachos. It was a great meal, and a good time for us to relax. We headed back to the casa for the night and prepared for the next day at the Casa.
- Professor Patty Gomez (aka PG, ProGo, Peeg, etc.)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Painting starts... Day 2
Today was the day - today painting started. Ooo how to describe it.... A MESS. For some reason painting looks way easier than it actually is. The task today was to paint the outside wall; it was just a cement wall and definitely did not represent how lively the Casa is on the inside. So first step, primer. Now who would have thought that so much mess could come from just moving brushes and rollers up and down a wall? Well, we definitely found out first hand, especially Marcia (sorry Marcia, but you were a mess). I did not know that it was possible to get paint all over yourself as well as everyone around you. After a grueling 3-4 hours of two coats of primer we were done with step 1.
Afterwards it was lunch time and to be honest it was a good time, not just because of the great food but because we were all sitting together at the table: all of us from Bryant but also all of the madres. To me this was wonderful because we were actually getting the chance to interact little by little with them. This was only the start of how special this day was to me and I am pretty sure to everyone else too.
After a lot of cleaning and some playing time with the kids, it was time to really get involved with the madres and, in a way, a chance to let them know that we were there for them as well. Everything started with a little session of kick around with the balon (soccer ball). Then as more of then madres kept coming out from the workshop and the kitchen and wherever else they were, the kick session turned into passing around the volleyball. But then Pilar stop the game and we began another game, we passed the ball around and whoever had the ball shared something about themselves.
This is where things got a little interesting - this is where we all got a little more info as to why things in the Casa are the way they are. There were madres that were 14 years old and their kids were already 3 years old (you do the math). Even though we all knew how it is here at the Casa, it was at this time when we all saw a whole other reality: the madres are actually just girls. As we all looked around at each other there was an unspoken unanimous understanding: none of us would ever be able to handle the responsibilities these girls have at such a young age, which they never asked for in the first place. Nevertheless, however any of our lives turn out, I can say for myself and everyone else here that the respect we have for these girls is indescribable. And we are all really grateful that we have the chance to be able to lend a hand to those needed.
Either way we are reminded of how good we all have and an eye-opener that although we all may complain how bad we have it, there are people that have it worse.
-Chris Flores
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
1st Day at Casa De Mantay!!!
Today, Bridget, Chris F., Molly, and I woke up an hour too early (7am rather than 8am) and we had to make Molly google "what is the time in Cusco" to finally realize the true Cusco time. After our 30 minute bus ride we FINALLY.... got to visit the Casa! Katie and Professor Gomez returned to the Casa once again for the second year, while for the rest of us, it was a new experience. When we arrived to the Casa, we were greeted by a kind women named Pilar, who is the oldest mother from the Casa, as well as Fisco, the resident dog.
Let me tell you, the Casa is impressive, big and beautiful. This past May 5th, it celebrated its 10th anniversary founded by Raquel and Sergio. It is painted with bright and vibrant colors, (where some of the rooms had been painted by the previous Bryant group) and has a courtyard. Katie and Professor Gomez commented on how there had been many improvements to the house within a years time, such as newly painted rooms and a grassy and paved courtyard.
As soon as we were greeted by Pilar, she took us for a tour of the Casa. Professor Gomez, Chris F. and I helped translate. Pilar told us how there is currently 13 mothers at the Casa, with one named Faustina who is expecting a child in june. When we think of mothers, we think of women who are usually older than 20. However, one thing that was shocking for me and I am sure for others, was that the "Madres" (mothers) are actually 13-18 years old and 90% of them had been sexually abused or raped. Also, these mothers are usually from rural areas where it maybe taboo to speak about sex at an early age.
By being at the Casa, Pilar told us how by the time these mothers are 18 (which is when the mothers leave the Casa), they will learn to inependently live on their own by working, cooking, cleaning, and of course, taking care of their child. These women receive daily schooling as well as counseling. I thought I understood what living independently meant, but after volunteering and meeting the women today, I learned that the lives of these women are really difficult and that they must grow up really fast to accomplish tasks that most of us do not do until were much older than 18.
During, the tour Pilar showed us the schoolroom, the kitchen, laundry room, bedrooms, (where I found it interesting how both the mother and child sleep together to strenghten their bond), nurseries, and workshop. The workshop was impressive because it is run by one of the owners of the Casa, Sergio where the mothers work 3 hours a day to create accessories such as pencil holders, makeup bags, purses, and other items such as bookmarks. These accessories are then sold to several stores in Cusco called "Trinidad Enriques" and recently to buyers in the United States. I felt that the workshop was a good way for the mothers to learn how to deal with work among other tasks. Also, Molly brought up a good point of possibly being able to work with the Casa in helping them sell on a bigger international scale...... hmmm International Business?
After the tour, I helped take care of babies in the nursery. Let me tell you, I lack mother genes because the children did not want to eat food no matter how hard I tried to feed them. Then after the nursery and a delicious lunch, both Chris's, Bridget and I efficiently cleaned the kitchen. I washed the dishes, Cinnabon dried the dishes, Chris F. dried the dishes and then threw them across the room to Bridget who put them away. Meanwhile, Professor Gomez and Katie went to the market with Raquel to buy some painting for the walls, as well as a new TV and a DVD player. Also, the rest of us made some bonds with some of the children and took them to play at the park. I had a super cute child named Carlos, Molly made a best friend with a little boy named Diego, while Melanie watched over another boy who was quite rebellious and laughed at her when she fell (Sorry Melanie, I had to write it in).
Anyways, I want to end this long blog by saying that the first day at the Casa had been a truly great and tiring exprience. Taking care of small children is harder than it looks but it was a lot of fun. We're all looking forward to tomorrow where we will paint the outside border walls purple and draw cute angels (or at least we'll try to).
- Marcia
Let me tell you, the Casa is impressive, big and beautiful. This past May 5th, it celebrated its 10th anniversary founded by Raquel and Sergio. It is painted with bright and vibrant colors, (where some of the rooms had been painted by the previous Bryant group) and has a courtyard. Katie and Professor Gomez commented on how there had been many improvements to the house within a years time, such as newly painted rooms and a grassy and paved courtyard.
As soon as we were greeted by Pilar, she took us for a tour of the Casa. Professor Gomez, Chris F. and I helped translate. Pilar told us how there is currently 13 mothers at the Casa, with one named Faustina who is expecting a child in june. When we think of mothers, we think of women who are usually older than 20. However, one thing that was shocking for me and I am sure for others, was that the "Madres" (mothers) are actually 13-18 years old and 90% of them had been sexually abused or raped. Also, these mothers are usually from rural areas where it maybe taboo to speak about sex at an early age.
By being at the Casa, Pilar told us how by the time these mothers are 18 (which is when the mothers leave the Casa), they will learn to inependently live on their own by working, cooking, cleaning, and of course, taking care of their child. These women receive daily schooling as well as counseling. I thought I understood what living independently meant, but after volunteering and meeting the women today, I learned that the lives of these women are really difficult and that they must grow up really fast to accomplish tasks that most of us do not do until were much older than 18.
During, the tour Pilar showed us the schoolroom, the kitchen, laundry room, bedrooms, (where I found it interesting how both the mother and child sleep together to strenghten their bond), nurseries, and workshop. The workshop was impressive because it is run by one of the owners of the Casa, Sergio where the mothers work 3 hours a day to create accessories such as pencil holders, makeup bags, purses, and other items such as bookmarks. These accessories are then sold to several stores in Cusco called "Trinidad Enriques" and recently to buyers in the United States. I felt that the workshop was a good way for the mothers to learn how to deal with work among other tasks. Also, Molly brought up a good point of possibly being able to work with the Casa in helping them sell on a bigger international scale...... hmmm International Business?
After the tour, I helped take care of babies in the nursery. Let me tell you, I lack mother genes because the children did not want to eat food no matter how hard I tried to feed them. Then after the nursery and a delicious lunch, both Chris's, Bridget and I efficiently cleaned the kitchen. I washed the dishes, Cinnabon dried the dishes, Chris F. dried the dishes and then threw them across the room to Bridget who put them away. Meanwhile, Professor Gomez and Katie went to the market with Raquel to buy some painting for the walls, as well as a new TV and a DVD player. Also, the rest of us made some bonds with some of the children and took them to play at the park. I had a super cute child named Carlos, Molly made a best friend with a little boy named Diego, while Melanie watched over another boy who was quite rebellious and laughed at her when she fell (Sorry Melanie, I had to write it in).
Anyways, I want to end this long blog by saying that the first day at the Casa had been a truly great and tiring exprience. Taking care of small children is harder than it looks but it was a lot of fun. We're all looking forward to tomorrow where we will paint the outside border walls purple and draw cute angels (or at least we'll try to).
- Marcia
Monday, May 24, 2010
Roughing It 101
Interview question number 1= How do you feel about roughing it for ten days?
Hypothetical example number one: Let´s say you get to La Guardia International Airport, Queens, New York no problem. There is one big group, and three coming alone. So far so good. The final member of the group, the one with all the information, she gets stuck in traffic. So what do you do? You wait. She arrives, you convene, and it is time to move onto checking in your luggage. First, while in line, random passengers try an tell you what you need to do, ¨go to the machines.¨ American Airlines employees follow. Voices raise, American Airlines argues, and we wait. Things get squared away, we move onto ticket booth C in order to get all checked in. American Airlines employees mumble under their breath. You go through security no problem. You´re not roughing it yet, this is fine. Stop one, Miami for a brief period of time. Flight lands, everything is okay. You´re tired, but you´re going to Peru afterall, so relax. Next flight, Lima. If you are long-legged, it might be a problem. Don´t get me wrong, Lan Peru is an awesome airline, however the leg room is not adequate and your foot may get run over numerous times by the beverage cart. 5 hours later, Lima. Baggage claim. You wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. Everyone grabs their luggage around you, and you keep waiting. The baggage people tell you there is no more luggage coming through. Dilemma, what do you do? Next stop, help desk (mostly for lack of a better name). Your luggage is lost. All of it. Everyone. American Airlines has gone on strike, it never made the transfer from AA to Lan, so they´ll take you´re information. You´re in Lima, no luggage, you smell, you´re tired. What´s the next step?
Reality: See above.
Solution: Proceed to Lima airport bathroom and wash body with hand soap, brush teeth with donated toothbrushes, share women´s deoderant all around. Take hour flight to Cusco, arrive, hike up 70 stairs at altitude, reach the balcony of your hostel and have your breath taken away. Forget about missing luggage, overtired feelings, an all that went wrong with the morning. Sip tea with the seven students you came with.
Present: Reality is slowly starting to set in. We´re exhausted. For many of us it has been more than 24 hours since our last sleep. We´re in the process of taking showers, contemplating our luggage situation, which by the way might not arrive for atleast 24-36 hours. We don´t have clothes to change into (except a lucky few), jackets, showering supplies, nothing. But th9is place is incredible the the journey is the destination. It´s all about the adventure. We all answered yes to interview question number one; would you?
-Christopher ¨Cinnabon¨ Brida
Hypothetical example number one: Let´s say you get to La Guardia International Airport, Queens, New York no problem. There is one big group, and three coming alone. So far so good. The final member of the group, the one with all the information, she gets stuck in traffic. So what do you do? You wait. She arrives, you convene, and it is time to move onto checking in your luggage. First, while in line, random passengers try an tell you what you need to do, ¨go to the machines.¨ American Airlines employees follow. Voices raise, American Airlines argues, and we wait. Things get squared away, we move onto ticket booth C in order to get all checked in. American Airlines employees mumble under their breath. You go through security no problem. You´re not roughing it yet, this is fine. Stop one, Miami for a brief period of time. Flight lands, everything is okay. You´re tired, but you´re going to Peru afterall, so relax. Next flight, Lima. If you are long-legged, it might be a problem. Don´t get me wrong, Lan Peru is an awesome airline, however the leg room is not adequate and your foot may get run over numerous times by the beverage cart. 5 hours later, Lima. Baggage claim. You wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. Everyone grabs their luggage around you, and you keep waiting. The baggage people tell you there is no more luggage coming through. Dilemma, what do you do? Next stop, help desk (mostly for lack of a better name). Your luggage is lost. All of it. Everyone. American Airlines has gone on strike, it never made the transfer from AA to Lan, so they´ll take you´re information. You´re in Lima, no luggage, you smell, you´re tired. What´s the next step?
Reality: See above.
Solution: Proceed to Lima airport bathroom and wash body with hand soap, brush teeth with donated toothbrushes, share women´s deoderant all around. Take hour flight to Cusco, arrive, hike up 70 stairs at altitude, reach the balcony of your hostel and have your breath taken away. Forget about missing luggage, overtired feelings, an all that went wrong with the morning. Sip tea with the seven students you came with.
Present: Reality is slowly starting to set in. We´re exhausted. For many of us it has been more than 24 hours since our last sleep. We´re in the process of taking showers, contemplating our luggage situation, which by the way might not arrive for atleast 24-36 hours. We don´t have clothes to change into (except a lucky few), jackets, showering supplies, nothing. But th9is place is incredible the the journey is the destination. It´s all about the adventure. We all answered yes to interview question number one; would you?
-Christopher ¨Cinnabon¨ Brida
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Today is the Day
We blog to you from cloudy, overcast, Southampton, Massachusetts. In a few short hours (24 to be exact) we will be touching down in Cusco, Peru which is where our official journey begins. Our flights are scheduled to leave La Guardia International Airport tonight at 6:45PM, Miami at 11:55PM, Lima at 4:35AM and then landing in Cusco, Peru at 8:25AM.
Before we go, we just wanted to let you all know to keep posted here throughout our journey as we will provide updates regarding our excursions, our service, and our other adventures. Thank you to everyone who supported us through this process. The day is finally here!
In nerves and excitement, here we go!
Before we go, we just wanted to let you all know to keep posted here throughout our journey as we will provide updates regarding our excursions, our service, and our other adventures. Thank you to everyone who supported us through this process. The day is finally here!
In nerves and excitement, here we go!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Fundraising Updates!
Since beginning our fundraising activities a few weeks ago, we've been working hard to raise money for the Casa. So far, we've raised about $1,600 through various events and collecting donations online and on campus. Thanks very much to everyone who showed support!
Our final two fundraisers will be an online silent auction, as well as a program called SmartRaise.
The silent auction can be accessed here, (the auction ID is CasadeMantay, and the password is Bryant) and has many giftcards from generous donors like AMC Movies, Chilis, Stop & Shop (also known as Giant food stores), Aldo Shoes, and many more! The silent auction will begin today, and run until May 17.
SmartRaise is a fundraising website where shoppers choose a particular cause, and a percentage of their purchases are donated to the cause. The website can be accessed here. Shoppers register as "supporters" by clicking "sign up now", choose a cause to support (search "Bryant University Community Service Trip to Peru"), enter contact information, and begin shopping through partner sites (places like Target, Barnes and Noble, Dell, and more)!
We're still hoping to reach our goal of bringing $2,500 to the Casa by the time we depart on May 23, and we need your help - so please take a few minutes to access these two sites and pass them along. As always, thanks for your support!
Our final two fundraisers will be an online silent auction, as well as a program called SmartRaise.
The silent auction can be accessed here, (the auction ID is CasadeMantay, and the password is Bryant) and has many giftcards from generous donors like AMC Movies, Chilis, Stop & Shop (also known as Giant food stores), Aldo Shoes, and many more! The silent auction will begin today, and run until May 17.
SmartRaise is a fundraising website where shoppers choose a particular cause, and a percentage of their purchases are donated to the cause. The website can be accessed here. Shoppers register as "supporters" by clicking "sign up now", choose a cause to support (search "Bryant University Community Service Trip to Peru"), enter contact information, and begin shopping through partner sites (places like Target, Barnes and Noble, Dell, and more)!
We're still hoping to reach our goal of bringing $2,500 to the Casa by the time we depart on May 23, and we need your help - so please take a few minutes to access these two sites and pass them along. As always, thanks for your support!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Donations
As part of the trip, we will be collecting donations of the following items to bring with us to the Casa:
Towels
Queen size bed sheets
Diapers
Toys for kids (infants to teenagers)
Spanish language books, especially for children
Backpacks for mothers and children to use in school
Winter clothes/shoes for kids around 10 years old
Clothes/shoes for the mothers, especially bras, socks, and underwear
Donations can be left on the Bryant Campus in the collection boxes marked "Donations for Casa de Mantay," found in each faculty suite. For larger donations that won't fit in boxes and off-campus donations, please contact bryantamnesty@gmail.com.
Towels
Queen size bed sheets
Diapers
Toys for kids (infants to teenagers)
Spanish language books, especially for children
Backpacks for mothers and children to use in school
Winter clothes/shoes for kids around 10 years old
Clothes/shoes for the mothers, especially bras, socks, and underwear
Donations can be left on the Bryant Campus in the collection boxes marked "Donations for Casa de Mantay," found in each faculty suite. For larger donations that won't fit in boxes and off-campus donations, please contact bryantamnesty@gmail.com.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Para mas información...
Last semester, a student who participated in the Peru trip last year wrote a paper for a Sociology and Service Learning course. The paper includes detailed information about the Casa and the social problems it addresses as an organization, plus a bibliography filled with various sources. The paper can be viewed here - we reccommend it to all those interested in learning more about our project!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Paypal Account
To make it easier for those readers interested in financially supporting our cause, we've added a donate button to the site! Donations will be processed via Paypal, and are thus safe and secure. All of the funds donated to the blog's account will go directly to the Casa.
Stay tuned for fundraising updates, and to find out how your contributions will be used to help the Casa. Thanks for your support!!
Stay tuned for fundraising updates, and to find out how your contributions will be used to help the Casa. Thanks for your support!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
We're Back!
After another year in the making, the Bryant Service Trip to Peru is back with the same mission and some new faces.
So who are we? Along with past trippers Professor Patti Gomez and Katie Gorham, Christopher Brida, Marcia Chong, Christofer Flores, Bridget McNulty, Melanie Simas, and Molly Sweeney will take the adventure to Cuzco, Peru to work at Casa de Mantay. Information about the Casa can be found in a previous post here. On May 23, we’ll depart La Guardia Airport en route to Cuzco. But this will not be where our journey begins, because our journey begins now!
We're planning to use this blog as a means to tell our story from start to finish. We’re going to talk about our fundraisers, planning, donation collection, and much, much more. Once we’re in Cuzco, this blog will serve as a means to give our readers a snapshot of our day-to-day activities.
We truly appreciate your support, and we hope you will continue to follow our progress!
So who are we? Along with past trippers Professor Patti Gomez and Katie Gorham, Christopher Brida, Marcia Chong, Christofer Flores, Bridget McNulty, Melanie Simas, and Molly Sweeney will take the adventure to Cuzco, Peru to work at Casa de Mantay. Information about the Casa can be found in a previous post here. On May 23, we’ll depart La Guardia Airport en route to Cuzco. But this will not be where our journey begins, because our journey begins now!
We're planning to use this blog as a means to tell our story from start to finish. We’re going to talk about our fundraisers, planning, donation collection, and much, much more. Once we’re in Cuzco, this blog will serve as a means to give our readers a snapshot of our day-to-day activities.
We truly appreciate your support, and we hope you will continue to follow our progress!
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