Biosand water filters

My Rotary and Rotaract clubs are currently working on an amazing water filter project for a community in Lima. The objective of this project is to improve the quality of life for thousands of people living alongside the Rimac river, where 5,000 Bio Sand water Filters are urgently needed.  My clubs, along with Rotary clubs all over Lima and even the US, are raising money to provide the materials and training for these filters. Each Bio Sand Water Filter costs $125. These water filters are used mainly in homes, schools, orphanages, churches and other social organizations. They produce 1.2 liters of water in 2 minutes- which means just $125 provides enough daily clean water for 10-15 people! No electricity, maintenance or spare parts are required- which makes them especially attractive to this region.

What is great about this project is its sustainability. The members of the community themselves are involved. The fathers in the community learn how to build the filters, while the mothers wash sand that goes into the filters. We also hold training workshops in the community focusing on key hygiene messages to protect infants against diarrhea and other diseases contributed to unclean and insanitary water.

The community receiving the filters

This is a great project and a fun way to build connections between communities in the US and in Peru. My host club, Highlands Ranch, and sponsor District 5450 are considering supporting the project financially. In March, the Rotaract club from Northwestern (my Alma mater!) is coming to Lima for their spring break. They are donating funds to the project and will help us deliver the filters to the community.

Teaching community members how to take care of the filters

Drafting ideas

The teachers at San Marcos are currently on strike, which oddly enough, has not affected the Masters in Public Health program. However, the students in my program have finally decided that they are not learning what they need to be learning, and have decided to have their own little “revolución.” After class on Monday, one of the students voiced their concerns that they were not learning much from the program, that the professors were not putting in the necessary work and that changes need to be made.  Everyone agreed, so we spent the next hour or so drafting up a resolution.  By next semester, the students want: a syllabus of the program, professors who show up to class, more applicable lessons, and basically a better program. I’m excited to see what happens!

A signed copy of the resolution

I have been trying to pay my tuition (matriculación) for 3 months now. I really miss online bill pay. But that does not exist in Peru. Instead, to pay a bill, you have to get a code number, go to a specific bank, and pay. Sounds fairly easy, but I have had problem after problem just trying to pay my tuition. I have called the director of foreign students about this so many times that she knows my voice. I have been to the bank FOUR times but have failed every time. I’ve had problems with code numbers, payment amounts, trouble paying with credit cards and trouble withdrawing enough cash to pay for the semester. Next week I will go back to the bank a fifth time. Wish me luck!

FOOD!

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I traveled south to the town of Ica, Peru. I went with my friend Britney, another Rotary Scholar in Lima, and we met up with about 30 Peace Corps volunteers. We tried to leave Thursday morning but the buses were not running due to a strike. We didn’t arrive until that night, so we ended up having Thanksgiving dinner on Friday.

We had pachamanca (meat cooked in the ground for a loooong time), tamales, corn,  sweet potatoes, cheese, abas (beans), followed by pumpkin, apple, and strawberry pie. It was delicious, and certainly large enough to be classified as a Thanksgiving meal.

That afternoon, we went to Huacachina, an oasis in the middle of huge sand dunes. And for only $10, we rode dune buggies up the dunes to go sandboarding. I was really looking for the sandboarding, but I have to say the dune buggy was the best part. It was INSANE. We drove up and down and all around the huge mounds of sand.  I felt like we were going tip or roll over completely, we were going so fast. It was quite a ride! Definitely beats any roller coaster I have been on. The sandboarding was also a rush, though it didn’t work very well to try to ride the board like a snowboard. I ended up riding down on my stomach, face first, because it was way faster.

Sandboarding

The following day we visited several Pisco wineries in the region for some Pisco and wine tasting, and then headed Paracas on the coast. We took a boat out to the Islas Ballestas and saw sea lions, penguins, star fish, dolphins, and thousands of birds. The Islands are famous for being covered in guano, bird poop that is used as fertilizer all over the world. There were so many birds that I am surprised no one got hit buy a “stray bullet.”  We were lucky to escape…

Pelicans on the beach in Paracas

It was a great weekend, filled with great activities and great company. I loved hearing about to the Peace Corps volunteers’ experiences. They all live in different rural communities all around Peru. Some of them only have running water for an hour every day, live hours away from the nearest city, and certainly do not have internet or cell phone coverage. It made me realize how wealthy Lima is (well, the nice parts anyway; there are still shanty towns on the outskirts of the city) and how much inequality there is in Peru (and the rest of the world for that matter).  This trip was a great opportunity to reflect on all the things I really am thankful for.

Jumping off the dune buggy

I spent some time yesterday reading over the materials that Rotary International gave me at my Outbound Scholar Orientation back in April. It was a great opportunity to reflect on what my purpose is here and how lucky I am to actually be here, right now. I decided to write down three major goals of what I would like to accomplish during my time here. They are:

1) To serve as an ambassador of goodwill by building relationships, sharing my experiences, and connecting people in the US, Peru, and other parts of South America.

2) To learn more about medicine and public health through study, research and service projects.

3) To really live in Peru, learning the language, customs, culture, and diversity of this exciting country.

Parque del Amor, Miraflores

Surveying the patients about dental hygiene

I went to my first “campana medica” this week. Rotary clubs put on medical campaigns fairly often, recruiting doctors or dentists, raising money, and going into different communities to provide medical care.  This campaign was put on by Rotary Club Lima Sunrise, the only English-speaking club in Lima, made up mostly of expats and a few English-speaking Peruvians. Along with a team of dentists, we traveled 2.5 hours north of Lima to a small farming village in a mountainous area.

We brought all of the necessary supplies with us and set up shop at the local primary school. The dental campaign was mostly for the children of the community, although we did serve some of the parents as well. My job was to complete a survey for every patient. I asked the patients questions about how and when they brush their teeth, what kind of foods they eat, and their knowledge of dental hygiene. This was a difficult job at first because I didn’t know all of the words on the survey, and it was hard to understand the young kids who didn’t speak very clearly. But after a bit of practice, I really enjoyed the work.

Presentation on dental care

After the survey, the patients went into one of the classrooms and saw a dentist to get their teeth cleaned and have cavities removed if necessary.  Sadly, many of the kids had untreated cavities, partly due to lack of education about dental care and partly because they water they drink apparently worsens the condition.

The kids then attended a presentation about dental care, learning the basics of how to care for their teeth. After the presentation, we gave them all a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste and showed them how to brush properly.

This day was a great way to learn more about public health and interact with people from the community. I was impressed by how organized the medical campaign was, and by how all the Rotarians and dentists dedicated their whole Sunday to the project. I could immediately see the impact that the dental care had on the children, and hopefully our work will continue to impact the community in the future. The Rotary Club did not just provide free dental care; they provided useful education that can be used to prevent dental problems in the future.

Brushing teeth

Rotaract Club Andes del Peru

Encuentro Rotaractiano Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador y Chile–ERBOPECH! My first Rotaract* conference was absolutely awesome.  Eight members of my Rotaract club, along with 200 others from all over South America, traveled to Arequipa, Peru for the four-day conference. This weekend was something like a turning point in my Peruvian experience; it made me realize how lucky I am to be connected to Rotary and got me very excited for the rest of my year here. I loved meeting people from all over, and I now have a better grasp of how extensive the Rotary network is.

We stayed in a lovely “resort” in a small town outside of Arequipa, complete with llamas and alpacas in the courtyard. We visited the Canon del Colca, which is apparently deeper than the Grand Canyon (which I still haven’t visited…oops), saw some condors, and went to the hot springs. We went to the town square to meet the mayor, and then had a giant dance party as the high school band played for us. We circled up, all 200 of us, and danced around for quite a while.  It was seriously THE MOST FUN I have had in a long time. Who doesn’t love dancing around in circles with a bunch of people you just met from all over the world?

The Cusco booth at the International Fair

One of the main focuses of the conference was cultural exchange. Though most people came from Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile, there were also some from Mexico, Argentina, Germany, and the US.  We had a talent show night, and members from each country dressed up in traditional clothing and performed traditional dances, songs, etc. It was wonderful. I was there with 3 other Becarios (scholars) from the US; for a while we contemplated getting up onstage and performing a line dance, but ultimately we decided not to.  The dancers from the jungle were just too good. When the talent show finished, we of course had another giant dance party onstage. Poco a poco I am learning to dance salsa, but I’ve still got a long ways to go!

We also had an International Fair, and everyone set up booths to display typical foods, drink, and clothing from their country.  A huge tradition within Rotary and Rotaract is trading pins, so of course each Rotaract club brought their own. I spent a few hours eating sweets, trying drinks, and trading pins with everyone. I’m going to have to get a lot more pins if I want to keep up with all the other Rotaractianos who have vests full of them (note the guy in the picture).

Another focus of Rotaract, aside from cultural exchange, is participating in service.  On the last day, we visited a small village near where we were staying, and put on a party for the children there. We spent the morning dancing and singing and playing games. Barney, that “lovable” purple dinosaur, even showed up!  At the end of the day, we gave stuffed animals and treats to all of the kids.  I think Barney was actually having a better time than the children (again, note the picture).

Barney and the kids

While an INCREDIBLE experience, the weekend was also utterly exhausting; I again had to practice patience as we followed “Peruvian time,” which meant we were at least two hours behind the written schedule. Most nights we didn’t eat dinner until 11:00. The last night we ate dinner at midnight, followed by the closing ceremonies, which ended at 2:00am. Then we started the dance party, which lasted until 7:00am. Needless to say, I spend the next week recovering from a severe lack of sleep. But now that I have friends all over South America, I can’t wait to do some more traveling to visit them.

*Rotaract is Rotary for people between the ages of 18 and 30.

Peruvian potatoes

When I arrived in Peru, my host family told me that Peru has over 400 types of potatoes. I was pretty impressed. Then, in Arequipa, someone told me Peru actually has over 600 variates. I spoke as a guest at a Rotary Club in Lima the other night, and the president informed me that there are actually over 2,000 types. According to Wikipedia, there are over 3,000. The number just keeps getting bigger.

I may never know how many different types of potatoes exist in Peru. But I do know that there are a lot, and they taste much better than the baked potatoes we have in the US that only taste good after they’ve been loaded with bacon, cheese and sour cream. And if I ever need to express how very Peruvian someone is acting, I can simply say: “You’re are as Peruvian as a potato!”

If you have been reading my blog, you are probably wondering why I haven’t posted anything about my studies, which is one of the main reasons I am here. The truth is I have been waiting to figure out exactly what classes I will take this semester. Though it is past mid November, I only finalized my schedule yesterday. Here are the classes I am officially taking:

San Marcos Logo

Epidemiology

History of Public Health

Leadership in Public Health

Bioethics

This MPH program is totally and completely different from what I expected.  On the first day of class (which finally happened month later than originally planned), the professor did not show up, so my classmates and I went out to drink Pisco Sours instead. It was a good way to meet everyone.  There are only eleven students in the program, all of whom are at least seven years older than me. Most are doctors, though there are a few nurses and one veterinarian. There is a 60 year old doctor in the program who uses a Hotwheels notebook to take notes in. I am the only anthropologist (and foreign student) in the class so at least I have an interesting perspective to contribute.

Celebrating a classmate's birthday with cake and Inka Cola

We have class Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00-9:00 in the evening. I arrive at 6:15, and am always the first person there. We tend to start class around 6:30 but some students do not show up until 7:00 or 8:00. On at least three occasions, the professor did not come to class, so I have learned to be patient and adjust to the schedule as necessary.

I have enjoyed all of my classes and have learned a lot about public health and Spanish. Several of my classmates have invited me to go to work with them so I can see how different types of health systems work in Peru. It’s certainly a great experience!

Oh yes, one more thing. I still haven’t actually paid for the classes, because I can’t get the administrators to tell me what I need to do. I have called them so many times that they recognize my voice at “hola.” Hopefully I can pay before classes end this semester so I can receive my grades.

Halloween is celebrated by some people in Peru; grocery stores put out Halloween candy (though most of it is different than what we have in the States…mostly sugary candy and NOT chocolate), and decorate the candy isle with spider webs, witches and bats and other “spooky” things.  On Halloween night you can hear a few children shouting “HAL-oween!” instead of “trick or treat” as they go door to door asking for candy.

Women of R.C. San Martiniano

In Peru, October 31st is also Dia de la Cancion Criolla, which is all about celebrating Criolla music–a fusion of Andean, Spanish and African flavors.  My Rotary Club, San Martiniano, had a fiesta to celebrate the day. We drank pisco sours, sweet wine, danced to Criolla music and listened to a mini-concert put on my one of our members. It was a lot of fun. These Peruvians really know how to dance!