My 'Round the World' travels!: Volunteering

Ok, so my hair has grown a bit, but my fringe is still a mess and takes quite a bit of styling with my new hair gel (called vaseline..so handy for any of life's mishaps). So, I graduated from my Spanish school on 'Feliz Dia del Estudiante' which is the annual 'Students Day' over here. It was perfect for those finishing on this particular day as we all felt a bit special than the ones who graduate on a 'normal' Friday. We got cake, some weird Peruvian drinks and music after our speeches. Oh and we returned later to class which was also a bonus! Was sad to finish it and it was great feeling like a big kid again in lessons. Think I tortured the life out of my poor teachers as I did carry on a bit, but they enjoyed the banter - glad to see the back of me I'm sure.

The next week was time for volunteering. Well, it was a bit of an eye opener all right. I was posted to a small school in Ccorrea, which is about 45 minutes drive squashed on a tiny bus through the mountains. The scenery getting there is just breathtaking, as is the smell of BO on the bus. The journey home is a right laugh too - talk about being 'close' to people..no such thing as having your own personal space here as there's always someones ass, leg, knee, arm or head squashed against yours. The bus is full to bursting - if arms, legs and bodies were allowed to hang out the window, then that would be what our bus looks like; just about breathing space (of all the BO and smells!).

I am in a class of about 25 children, with another volunteer called Gordon from Scotland, with ages ranging from 3-5 year olds - similar to a Primary One class at home. The other volunteer, Wendy, from Wales is in the other classroom. The school has two classrooms, the other being 6 - 8 year olds. Arriving at the school each morning, the volunteers are nearly always there before the teachers. The vast majority of the children come to school by themselves (yes, 3 year olds walk themselves to school), some children travel for over an hour down the mountains to get there. A few parents take their children to school, which, here is not the norm. Lessons begin at 9am, but for the last week, we've been in the classroom for at least 70 minutes by ourselves with these children playing the same games (making a chain out of beads, placing coloured blocks on a few cards or playing jig-saws). The teachers here like to go and have a wee chat to each other frequently, and on other occasions they have disappeared out of the school grounds (probably away for a wee cuppa just to get them ready to actually try and teach something) for over 45 minutes, leaving the rest of us to deal with the normal school day.

The children come from poor backgrounds and any money etc donated to the school helps with the purchase of essential items for them. The classroom is actually well resourced, thanks to all the donations from volunteers and governments from other countries. First day was lovely; the children all sang me a favourite song of theirs and they learnt about animals and had a music session. As the week went on, the learning got less and less and the break times got longer and longer - one break actually lasted until lunchtime.

Being a child protection officer at my own school nearly wished I wasn't here. There were times when I couldn't believe what I was witnessing, but being in a different culture and environment, I had to just get on with it. Their 'bano' (bathroom) time had me whincing. They have 2 toilets for both classes (of around 56 children in total) which is right beside the bigger staff toilet (yes, all in the same room). Since I've been there, the toilets haven't flushed and there is no running water to the school as the community outside of the school always turn it off to save water; this is even after the 'Director' or 'Principal' has begged them to keep it on.

As there is no water in the toilets, the children go outside on the grass to do their business (very close to the classrooms). As a volunteer, I must go and keep an eye on the kids - no toilet roll here or washing of hands, so you can just imagine what the smell is like after they have finish and return to class! One day, after 'bano' time, the teacher brought us all outside to sing and dance (yes, she brought us to the exact place of the outside communal toilets). We all made a circle and danced around singing to Pachamama (the god of Mother Earth here). I was trying desperately to avoid all the wee and whatever else was surrounded around my feet. One child stood in anothers poo, so the song to Pachamama had to be stopped whilst it was covered over with stones (but not wiped off his feet!). He was told off for stepping in it... no telling the person off for actually taking a dump there then?!

The children are so adroable, but there are a few rogues as well - just like any other school. One particular child in my class threw another girl off the top of a slide onto the ground below. The punishment for him? Well, the teacher took the girl that he threw off by the hand and made her hit him several times in the arm/chest so that he didn't do it again. Obviously, he cried. One little boy in my class has a deformity in his brain - he is 8 years old, in with 3-4 year old children, and it would break your heart just watching him. He can't talk, but has come on a lot since being in this class for a few years. He built a lovely 'casa' or house the other day out of lego and his wee face lit up. Little moments like that make you realise how lucky you are. Some mothers have a rota system and are meant to come into school and cook lunch for the children. If they don't turn up, the children don't get fed (which has been 3 days last week). The children here may be poor and climb all over you with their dirty hands etc one thing is for sure, they are all happy. I'd love to take a few of them home.

They all come to school with a decent break, mostly of fruit, which is obviously from subsistence farming at home. 9am punctuality isn't important here as children wander in at whatever times they arrive from walking from home. If it is a particularly rainy day, some children don't come into school and are maybe not sent by their parents. One little girl was sick during the week and two other children had to take her home; they arrived back after an hour, still with the sick girl, as her mother was not at home. Most children at this partcular school have to fend for themselves, and I suppose, grow up pretty quickly.

Have had a few embarrassing moments at the school; one being made to sing a song. God, I wished I was a P1 teacher at that moment...my song..'Twinkle, Twinkle"...myself and another voluteer, Wendy, were mortified, but the kids were so quiet - I think they thought we weren't wise! Myself and Gordon were asked to cover boxes with coloured crepe paper (the boxes were falling apart and if they were in my class they would have been binned years ago). Those colleagues of mine reading this know how useless I am at art...well, I'm still trying to cover the damn things, but I suppose as each box is finished, the better I get at them (if that is possible). I'm like a classroom assistant in the school. Like all classroom assistants: overworked and underpaid (well ok, not paid at all). Leona, if you're reading this, I know what you mean, when you say you go off into a wee world of your own when you're busy with your artwork - Me too (except the 'art' bit is not quite your art!).

Ok this blog has taken ages, but I hadn't written one in a while and I've been getting a few emails asking me to update. Keep the emails/facebook messages coming...it's always nice to hear your craic from home or wherever (even if you think it's uninteresting and boring) and I'll always try my best to reply as soon as I can. Well, I've got one week left here in Cusco before I leave for New Zealand, so I'll try and fit one more blog in from South America...maybe someone can come over and drag me onto the plane kicking and screaming, as I don't want to leave here. Hasta luego for now...ciao!