Capturing the lives of school children in Peru

JANIS
We’ve been talking about the kids in San Genaro for several years now. It occurred to me that our readers may not have an understanding of daily, normal life there for these children.

School has started, and I am sure everything is now moving at a normal pace during the week. Get up in the mornings, go to school, come home, do homework, eat and go to bed. But that describes the life of many children all over the world. What is it REALLY like every day? LOU
Here in Peru and specifically in the cities, the children can study en the morning or in the afternoons. In other words, there are two sessions in the schools. The children that study in the mornings must get up at 7 a.m., eat a bowl of oat cereal with some bread (or maybe bread only with butter), they must put on their school uniform and enter the classroom at 8 a.m. JANIS
That’s interesting. Two different shifts of classes. Why is that? Are there not enough teachers or classroom space? Is this true for both public and private schools? LOU
There is not much space for the number of students. And this is only for public school. JANIS
Okay, once a child wakes up and eats breakfast, they go to school. I see so many kids in uniforms in Peru I assume that uniforms are required for all children. Tell me about the age the children begin school and how they progress through the system.LOU
The education system in Peru has the following levels: initial or beginning (2-5 years), primary (6-12 years) and secondary (13-17 years). All of the public or private schools use uniforms and this uniform depends on each school. JANIS
I have always wondered how poor families can afford to buy uniforms for their children. I know that many times the parents send their kids to school without any supplies like pencils, colored pencils, paper, scissors, etc. And, yet, they all have a uniform. Tell me about a typical classroom. And the teachers…how do they receive their education to be able to teach?LOU
In a typical classroom, there are very old desks where the students sit y the classrooms are not full of things like an American classroom.JANIS
After school the children go back to their homes. I see groups of them in uniform on the buses and along the streets each day. I suppose they have homework to do or perhaps they have to help their families around the house. Can you tell me what happens in the typical homes in San Genaro where we work? LOU
Well, here you can’t say there is a typical house but I will tell you about classes of family life in San Genaro. The first is when a child studies in the morning in school, takes breakfast and then goes to school until about 1:30 p.m. and from there returns home to eat lunch. Then he does homework at home or comes to Common Hope so that he can have help then returns to his house. The second case is that the child goes to school without breakfast, leaves at 1:30 p.m. and from there must help his mother selling in the market. This child doesn’t have “normal life” of a child his age because he has the responsibilities of a person older. On returning to his house at 8 or 9 p.m. he must do his homework from school. JANIS
Wow, very different lives for each child. The child who attends school in the afternoon would not have the same “free time” to devote to homework or time to be with friends. Is there a particular reason a family would send a child to school in the afternoons and not in the morning?LOU
A child isn’t going to study in the morning when there is not room because the classrooms are full or because the parents have to leave to work and he must remain at home cooking and after cooking he goes to study in the afternoon.For example, I studied one year in the afternoon because there was not enough room for me in the morning and that year I couldn’t get used to beginning but I had to do it but I didn’t like it. I arrived at my house at 7 p.m. JANIS
That’s a very long day for a student! And, then I suppose you had to do your homework, etc. after you arrived home in the evening. I can imagine it would be difficult to make the adjustment.

In the United States children go to school from morning until 3-4 p.m. depending on their ages. While it may seem that American children have everything they need, we do have areas in every city in which there are poor children who would not have the proper clothes or supplies for school. Recently we were able to have another distribution of shoes through Buckner. Tell me how that event went in San Genaro?

LOU
The event was on June 5th and we had in at Common Hope. There were a total of about 220 children and there were about 35 visitors. JANIS
Wow…220 children! That’s wonderful to know they have a new pair of shoes especially since it is now winter in Peru. I have seen children with sandals during the coldest weather and often without warm clothes. I understand that Fernando Arellano was able to attend the event. This would be his first opportunity to see one of the Buckner events in action. What were his impressions? LOU
He was there the entire time of the event. He spoke with Dario (the pastor of the local church), gave a book to a Buckner employee, spoke with another worker, Eric, from Buckner, and I believe he had a good conversation with him. And finally he spoke with Annie, an American volunteer that has a great heart.JANIS
I know these events are a lot of work; but I also know that the time both you and the other Peruvians as well as the Americans have to visit and work together is invaluable. In a short time we can learn more about our differences but also become aware of the many ways in which we are similar to one another. And the greatest result is the bond that develops between Peruvians and Americans to serve the needs of poor children.Last week you had another opportunity to work with a visiting American team through Buckner. Tell me about that experience. LOU
Last week I went with an American Group to two orphanages, the first one was for teenagers who had been molested and had their babies living with them. They were there all week and the group was led by Chris Cato, a kind young man from your church, Valley Ranch Baptist Church (VRBC). He presented me to the group. Also this morning Chris played soccer with the teenagers. JANIS
I suppose it is always possible to find individuals whose lives are more difficult than the problems we face ourselves. It seems that every time I think my life is difficult or I have an insurmountable problem I find someone else who is facing cancer, loss of a family member, no job, difficulties with parents or a spouse…and then I realize my life has many blessings.

I suppose a visit to the orphanage puts your own life into perspective. I am glad you had a chance to meet Chris Cato.He and his wife, Jamie, have been very involved with the Christmas Store here and with the poverty simulations we do through VRBC to allow church members a glimpse into the life of the poor. He recently started worked with Buckner and was very excited about his first trip to Peru.
Well, we have a lot of activities ahead for the school year there. God continues to bless the work with the children there, and I am very grateful for the many people He brings our way.