Writing from the Houston airport, waiting for my flight home, I find myself missing everyone in Peru very much, not to mention the weather--once I get back to Downingtown, which will have a high of just 47 degrees today, a drastic change from the shorts-worthy weather in Lima!
Spring has arrived in Lima, and though the mornings are still pretty gray, the clouds usually give way to gorgeous afternoon sun. This past week, we took some of the residents out to two of the little parks that are scattered throughout San Borja (this incorporation of green space reminds me a lot of the urban design class I took senior spring—perhaps I’ll expand on that in a future blog post). Not everyone went—some have conditions that make it more challenging, like a catheter or psychiatric illness, and we are rather restricted in terms of personnel. On Tuesday, another Vida Digna staff member was there to help with the men, but on Wednesday, it was just Elizabeth and me.
Those who did come out were quite happy with the sunshine, change of scenery, and most importantly, the respect from passersby on the street. Elizabeth bought some candy and cupcakes both times, and two of the gentlemen offered a candy to a little girl who had been watching us for a while with her mother. Later, as our group filed back to the nursing home—the sidewalks are only wide enough for one wheelchair, so we looked like quite the procession—other locals stopped to let us pass, greeting everyone with a “Buenas tardes,” just like anyone else coming down the street. The interaction lasted just a couple seconds, and perhaps those pedestrians didn’t even think much of it. But I sensed from the beaming smiles on the residents’ faces that after years of living in extreme poverty and being virtually invisible to the rest of society, that simple gesture meant a lot.
On Thursday, I went around to say goodbye to all of the residents, since that night I would be leaving for a weekend trip to Oxapampa. They all wished me well on my trip and were glad to hear that I'll be back in December...and I too am very excited to see them again!
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