First Day in Piura

So it's hot here. But cold in the morning...until about 9ish and then gets hot. And then it's super cold again at night. After we arrived, we ate- eggs, fruit, instant coffee, and bacon.  It was excellent. Then, we got to sleep. Much needed after the 24 hour journey. 

After we woke up, we want to walk downtown which is tiny. It reminded me of a smaller version of Mendoza, Argentina but my mom said she thought it was more like Cochabamba, Bolivia. We ate some chicken and rice and a coke for 10 soles- 4 ish $.

After coming back to parish, we went to a girl's boarding school. It's called at orphanage but its not really. Families who live in the selva, or the rainforest/ jungle area of Peru, send their girls to this school for a better life. They pay 10 soles (ish) per month for their students to go to school and be fed and cared for. The girl's home is for girls ages 12-18 and is run by Peruvian nuns. There are 52 girls and 4 madres, nuns. 

I was impressed. With few resources and little financial support, las madres do indeed feed, educate, and care for these girls. The interesting thing about this girl's home, however, is that girls have no education until age 12, when they start school. And from age 12 to 18, they learn to cook, clean, sew, dance, and sing. We weren't there long enough to see if they are learning to read, write, do math, etc. as well. Talking to the girls at the boarding school, most seemed to have aspirations to become either wives or nuns when they grow up. 

Ledy and Lizbeth. 

 

Hopefully we can go back next week and learn more about how the school part of the girl's home works.  

After, we went to mass with the whole parish community. Going to mass is a requirement for anyone staying at Parroquia Santisimo Sacramento.  

There were sooo many people there.  Then, we ate. Chicken and rice ( and some veggie powder from whole foods we had brought from home). 

We also found out that we are not going to the school, Madre del buen consejo, to start work right away. The priest, who is head of parish and community here, thinks it is important that we "acculturate" first. This means we will be building houses or delivering food or something along those lines.  Hopefully we get to go to school soon!