2010 Peru Immersion Trip Highlights
Women’s Global Connection made its first foray into Peru this spring, hoping to bring the organization’s expertise in female entrepreneurship, education and advocacy to another continent and culture. The team, made up of Sr. Ettling and two Incarnate Word Ph.D. candidates, Elaine Talarski and Ada Gonzalez, arrived in the capital city of Lima on May 30th. They were tasked with investigating opportunities for collaboration
with local women’s advocacy groups.
The team focused its energies on two rural Peruvian communities, Chimbote and Cambio Puente, which are located many hours from the relative prosperity of Lima. Chimbote, which once owed much of its livelihood to the fishing industry, has seen their fish stocks plummet from
overfishing by foreign commercial vessels. Cambio Puente, a rural area located twenty minutes outside of Chimbote, must contend with the “invasion” of families from the mountains seeking a better life.
As is the case in much of the developing world, the intertwined issues of poverty and unemployment were much in evidence in both Chimbote and Cambio Puente. Trash lay uncollected in the streets and children were forced to share their play areas with livestock. However, as in Africa, the team found that the people made up in warmth and generosity of spirit what they lacked in material possessions.
In addition to poverty and unemployment, Peru is also, unquestionably, a male-dominated society. This makes it doubly difficult for women to assert themselves outside of the traditional spheres of home and family. Domestic violence is dismayingly common, especially in rural areas. In recognition of this socio-economic reality, several themes were consistently emphasized to the team during their visit, including:
1) The need to develop women’s self-esteem
2) The need to focus emphasize women’s education
3) A need for leadership development programs, and;
4) A need for increased economic independence.
Departing Lima, the team spent a day on a boat tour in Chimbote with members of a leadership program sponsored by a group called Casa de la Mujer . The opportunity to get to know these local women leaders in an informal setting was enhanced by stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
Altogether, Sr. Dot and company met with more than a dozen
organizations, ultimately settling on two, the aforementioned Casa de la Mujer in Chimbote and Mujeres Gestantes Y Niños bajo de Cinco Años (Pregnant Women and Children Under 5) in Cambio Puente for further discussion and potentially, collaboration.
Casa de la Mujer has a 15-year history of working with women victimized by domestic violence, and often provides shelter for women in untenable situations.
The Mujeres Gestantes y Niños bajo Cinco Años program in Cambio Puente is a joint development with CHRISTUS Health, Medical Mission Board (U.S.) and the Bon Seceur Sisters, designed to serve the health and nutritional needs of pregnant mothers and young children.
In addition to the Christus Health intervention project, Sr. Dot and her team discovered another potential collaboration in Cambio Puente in the form of Luzmila Cabello, a local social activist. Ms. Cabello has singlehandedly begun an Early Childhood Development program serving 35 of the poorest children in the region. WGC hopes to partner with Ms. Cabello by helping educate local families on the developmental needs of children 3-5 years of age, and helping to found two more Escuelas Inicial during the next three years.
Prior to leaving Peru on June 10th, Sr. Ettling and her team conducted a two-hour strategic planning workshop for the leadership program participants of Casa de La Mujer . The workshop served to introduce the women to WGC’s methods and to cement the growing cooperation between the two organizations.
In the upcoming months, WGC will assist Casa de la Mujer in
implementing its vision for an Association of Women Entrepreneurs, as well as opening a new cross-cultural discussion site on the WGC website. Sr. Ettling will also work to see what opportunities exist to collaborate with the Christus project to include an early education element, bringing to bear WGC’s previous successes in Mongu, Zambia.
Please enjoy some picture highlights!
