Small Wins

This week has been one of the most fulfilling weeks as a Peace Corps volunteer, so I’d like to share it with you all, and to me as well…before I forget.

First off, I celebrated World’s Aids Day (December 1) in my town by putting together a radio program with my obstetrician and a small radio spot with my youth group, and also by giving talks in the high school. Now, HIV/AIDS is not something that is a big problem in Cajamarca like it is on the coast. My volunteer friends on the coast work on HIV/AIDS work all year round, but here, I’m lucky if people have even heard of it. There’s also this stereotype that people in the sierra don’t want to talk about sexual education, so the thought of doing the oh-so-famous condom races of the coast would not fly here in my town. But I am glad to say, that I was proven wrong. During our HIV/AIDS talk in the high school, my obstetrician whipped out condoms to show the kids, and honest to god, it was probably the first time they have even seen them. And not only did she teach them about them, she even handed them out. Can’t wait to tackle sex ed in the schools next year!

The very next day my youth group (C.A.I.D.), which I helped form with my health post and primary school, had our first official “paseo,” as the Peruvians call it, as a group to Bambamarca. We, along with the four other CAIDS in the area, were invited to participate in a theatre competition with the theme of adolescent pregnancies. To be honest, when first given this task, I wasn’t sure if we were going to be able organize ourselves, but the kids pulled it off. And while we did not win anything, the kids got up there in front of a big audience and most importantly, learned a very important lesson to take home with them: Use a condom. So overall, it was a big success. To top it all off, we all “pasear-ed” to “Los Tres Churros”, which is this big capturing system of water where they raise trout. Peruvians are so funny about paseos, but that is another story all together…Overall, it was a fun day and I have lots of pictures to prove it.

Another great thing happened, for the first time in over a year being here, I actually had an intellectual conversation with a Peruvian, which trust me, doesn’t come around very often. It was so refreshing to talk about something other than the rain or corn. Our converstaion ranged from beliefs, religion, marriage, politics, and our goals in life. It left me so optimistic and ready for more, but also wondering where to find more intellectuals in Peru!

And to top off everything else that happened, I’m glad to say that I’m a grand-bunny-mother five times over! That is to say that my bunnies finally made more bunnies (five) and actually my Mrs. Bunny is preggers again! So the saying “mating like rabbits” actually does make sense.

So there you have it folks, that was my wonderful week. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but you have to go on “small wins” in the Peace Corps, since at times, that’s all you get.