New Peru Stories
Peru Projects
I just returned from Peru. The next series of stories are from our group travels during November 2008.
Chosica Girl’s Home
Our adventure started in Lima, Peru November 1st. Our flights were on time and we had to get organized before our tour began. Since we had an extra day in Lima our group of seven traveled 50 miles to the outskirts of Lima to the Chosica Girls Home. This is where our nine year old friend Aracely calls her home. She lives with fifteen other girls who do not have parents. The purpose of our visit was to review the conditions at the Home and take the girls on a shopping trip to the market. In past years we brought clothes for the girls from Lima and delivered them to the Girls Home. This year we were going to give each girl 50 Peruvian Soles ($16) and let the girls choose their own clothes.
Most of these girls have never had any savings or the opportunity to buy anything with their own money. The shopping spree to the market was an interesting social experiment. Some of the girls knew exactly which clothes they wanted after months of walking the aisles of the market and window shopping. With their new money they went directly to their favorite booth and made their purchase within ten minutes. Other girls were more cautious and wanted to savor holding on to their money as long as possible. They would compare prices for similar garments at every booth. Finally after an hour of looking they chose the best clothes for the price. Overall the shopping trip cost about $250 and it was a memorable day for them and us.
That night our friend Aracely returned to Lima with us to join our tour. She is one of the top students in her school and her teachers gave her permission to travel with us for three weeks. Aracely does have a mother named Nayda but she works in the city and cannot take care of Aracely. Nayda would also join us on the tour to help our support crew. During the tour Aracely would write a daily diary about her travels. Watch for a translated version of Aracely’s diary on the PAC Tour website in the future. She is a bright and friendly kid and she added a lot of personality to our tour.
End Part 1
I just returned from Peru. The next series of stories are from our group travels during November 2008.
Chosica Girl’s Home
Our adventure started in Lima, Peru November 1st. Our flights were on time and we had to get organized before our tour began. Since we had an extra day in Lima our group of seven traveled 50 miles to the outskirts of Lima to the Chosica Girls Home. This is where our nine year old friend Aracely calls her home. She lives with fifteen other girls who do not have parents. The purpose of our visit was to review the conditions at the Home and take the girls on a shopping trip to the market. In past years we brought clothes for the girls from Lima and delivered them to the Girls Home. This year we were going to give each girl 50 Peruvian Soles ($16) and let the girls choose their own clothes.
Most of these girls have never had any savings or the opportunity to buy anything with their own money. The shopping spree to the market was an interesting social experiment. Some of the girls knew exactly which clothes they wanted after months of walking the aisles of the market and window shopping. With their new money they went directly to their favorite booth and made their purchase within ten minutes. Other girls were more cautious and wanted to savor holding on to their money as long as possible. They would compare prices for similar garments at every booth. Finally after an hour of looking they chose the best clothes for the price. Overall the shopping trip cost about $250 and it was a memorable day for them and us.
That night our friend Aracely returned to Lima with us to join our tour. She is one of the top students in her school and her teachers gave her permission to travel with us for three weeks. Aracely does have a mother named Nayda but she works in the city and cannot take care of Aracely. Nayda would also join us on the tour to help our support crew. During the tour Aracely would write a daily diary about her travels. Watch for a translated version of Aracely’s diary on the PAC Tour website in the future. She is a bright and friendly kid and she added a lot of personality to our tour.
End Part 1
posted by Lon Haldeman at 8:00 PM
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