Childrens Home, Peruvian Christmas & Photos

Good Afternoon Everybody and Merry Christmas.Yesterday Giovanna, her friend Iris and myself returned from a Childrens Home about 50 miles to the South of Lima where we dropped off about 100 lbs. of clothes, food and toys . Obviously, I was the resident mule. Getting there was quite an adventure, busses and cabs, over very rouh terrain and finally arriving at a walled in compound and what appeared to be about 5 acres between two mountains in a small arid valley.We were met at the front steel gate by an old Catholic Nun, apparently in charge and was informed that the facility had been there for about 7 years and originally funded by a German Firm, operated by mostly volunteers. Once inside the facility we were met by a number of children, all who wanted to give us a tour. One young lad of maybe 6 years took me by the hand and led me away to the shoe factory which is housed there. The older boys make shoes and take care of the farm animals, mostly belted hogs and also work in the dairy across the street, an 80 holestein herd. Then two little girls about 11 and 13 appeared from nowhere and took me to their fruit orchard of apples, peaches, bannanas and other furit I did not recognize. One of the little girls proudly brought me about six very ripe peaches which we delighted in, so sweet. Then further on through a clearing appeared their very well kept gardens of sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, hugh beets, equally large carrots, beans, onions, and, pineapple. The gardens were very neat, clean without weeds and were watered hydroponically with gate valves every 16 feet. Shortly thereafter I met a young 28 year old Peruvian doctor who spoke very good english. He had been volunteering there for about three weeks and was very interested in us and our mission there. I informed him that we were there to do what we could bring some yankee sunshine ilnto the hearts of those he was there to take care of. He said that the facility did not receive much help from the outside world and what did come by were normally a few local volunteers like himself. We were also told that the Peruvian governmental authorities were downsizing such facilities and leaving the unwanted children to the streets and back alleys of the villages and towns. We understood that the population here was down from 170 to 130 in less than a year. Then on to the bakery we went and were served fresh bread with one little fellow taking me over to see his machine, a huge bread mixer, his job was to clean daily, I guess. Lastly, we were ushured into the very big kitchen where about 10 or 12 children, the oldest being maybe 15 were preparing dinner in huge pots, mostly potatoes, chicken, rice and fruit drink. Everybody there had one or more jobs including school and church activities, all very well mannered and obviously starving for attention and affection. It was a lot to take in and digest and yet one felt such admiration for their toughness and how the facility was so efficiently layed out with one thing in mind - productivity and self-sufficiency. Ofcourse, the climate provides for aggriculture all year long and their foreign exchange comes from the sale of their shoes which match or exceed any I have every seen, all hand made by the children, the young boys were so proud and pleased to show me their complete line. The experience made me reflect on how deprived my own grandchildren are not having to spend a year here with these little ones. Some, were, ofcourse, hardened as you could see it in their eyes coming from some undescribeable situations I am sure.Needless to say, it was difficult to leave. After asking what the two little girls wanted for Christmas, there was a long silence, then they drifted off with Giovanna. Maybe no one ever asked them that question, don,t know, but later when I was looking over the laundry area on the open 4th floor roof, the girls appeared and Giovanna said that they had an answer for me. Both wanted clothes and from their regged little pants and shirts, I could understand. They could not look into your eyes very long as their humility and deprovation had well set their character.
They were housed in dormitory fashion, row upon row of metal military bunk beds each with a folded towell on the foot rail. each room being very clean and neat as would be the German tradition and certainly not unlike the Peruvians I have met. I could see quickly that this facility was completely self sufficient and sustainable, very well thoughout out and relatively speaking, more accomodating than a similar facility in Ohio or the great north woods.Before my exit, I whipped out my trusty Chineese Harmonica, set down on the outside steps and started playing Christmas Carrolls starting off with Rudolph. It was not 30 seconds before I was surrounded by intrigued little ones. They had never seen a harmonica let alone trying to figure out where the music was coming from. Across from where I was playing there was a large concrete pad socor court with two volunteers form Boston, a young cople supervising the game. They indicated to me that they came down to do what they could for a couple of weeks as the result of a recommendation from a friend up there in New York. Upon arriving back here in Callao, dirty, exhaused, we sent off our one roll of film for processing. Shortly, this epistle will be supplimented with some very moving photographs. Hopefully they will hit their mark and somehow, these little ones will be the beneficiary of someones love and kindness. We are celebrating Christmas this week and remembering the One who came and set us Free. Let that gift that was passed to us be passed to others less fortuniate, not in word only, but in deed and truth. As I was waiting for the girls to come outside, they appeared with Monica, the little girl who gave me a tour of her orchard. I had given her and two of her friends one Peruvian solos each. Then she said to me , thank you in english and motioned for me to return. Giovanna told her that we would after talking to Santa, as we thought he might have something for her .We will probably return to their dessert valley shortly after the first of the year to work for a couple of weeks or a month. Maybe I can learn to make shoes and bake bread !!!Stay tuned for the uploaded photos. Dad Robb

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