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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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| April 11, 2005 |
Callao, Peru – Visiting an NGO in Villa El Salvador |
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| One area of Villa El Salvador |
On April 9th, Peace Boat’s 48th voyage arrived at its first port of call in South America, Callao, Peru. During the week prior to arrival, Peruvian guest educators shared information with participants about many topics relating to Peru, including Incan history, modern Peruvian history, the plight of Japanese immigrants to Peru, and the activities of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to improve the lives of residents of Peru. As the activities of the people of Villa El Salvador, one of the outlying municipalities of Lima, were the focus of several of the onboard lectures, many participants were eager to take advantage of the chance to see these activities first hand. |
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| Casa Alternativa Joven is a place for young people to meet and develop beneficial programs for Villa El Salvador. |
One group spent a day with a group of young people from Casa Alternativa Joven (Alternative Youth House), an NGO in Villa El Salvador dedicated to creating a space where young people can meet and develop beneficial programs for the area. The group works in three areas: education, industrial incentives and creation of employment, and communication and community participation. |
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| Villa El Salvador’s mayor, Mr. Jaime Zea, welcomes Peace Boat participants. |
The day began early in the morning at the port of Callao, with Peace Boat participants joined by a representative from Casa Alternativa Joven, who accompanied them on the forty-five minute trip to Villa El Salvador. Passing through the different areas of Lima into Villa El Salvador, participants listened intently as he explained the history of the municipality and how it has grown over the past thirty-five years into an active city of 400,000 people.
Upon arrival at the site where Villa El Salvador’s city hall is being rebuilt (the previous city hall was destroyed in a terrorist attack several years ago), the group was joined by members of Casa Alternativa Joven and greeted by Mr. Jaime Zea, the current mayor of Villa El Salvador, who thanked them for their visit. “We know that Peace Boat is making great efforts to go around the world and see the difference between people’s living conditions in the world. This helps to make people aware of these differences. This is a very important initiative; it is a good chance to see what we in Villa El Salvador have and what we don’t have ... It is very important for you to be here and visit other places in the world. Perhaps tomorrow when you are politicians or business leaders, you will remember this and understand the importance of cooperation and understanding. This is why Villa El Salvador warmly welcomes you.” |
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| Participants visit the fields of Establo Ecologico La Ponderosa. |
In 1971, the area that is now Villa El Salvador was nothing but a desert. Today, however, Villa El Salvador has a successful agricultural area that provides much of the fresh food necessary for the population. Participants had the opportunity to visit and speak with the owner of Establo Ecologico La Ponderosa (Ponderosa Ecological Establishment) about how she and her family have turned one area of the desert into a successful dairy farm. Using water from the local water treatment plant, La Ponderosa is able to not only raise cattle, but also provide food for the cattle, their family, and visitors to the establishment’s restaurant. In addition to talking with employees of La Ponderosa, participants had the opportunity to visit the fields and sample white corn grown on the premises. |
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| Woodworking is a vital part of the Villa El Salvador economy. |
One of the people of Villa El Salvador’s greatest accomplishments is the construction and maintenance of an incredibly active industrial district, which is home to more than 10,000 small and medium-sized businesses. The vast majority are family-owned businesses that serve the needs of the local community, as well as those of surrounding areas, including Lima. As 60% of the industrial district is dedicated to woodworking businesses, the tour was joined by the President of Villa El Salvador’s woodworking unit, who explained more about the area and took participants to several furniture workshops and showrooms. The young owner of a small children’s furniture shop was fiercely proud of what he and his family have accomplished over the past few years. “I tell young people who come in that having a business is the safest way to build a future for yourself and your family.” |
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| Participants sample white corn grown in Villa El Salvador. |
In the afternoon, tour participants enjoyed a delicious lunch of Peruvian cuisine with members of Casa Alternativa Joven and had the opportunity to discuss these young people’s lives in Villa El Salvador. All of them expressed pride in their city and the things that have been accomplished in the time they have been living in Villa El Salvador. Many of them came to the area as young children and have seen the area grow around them over the past ten to fifteen years. “We’ve done all of these things through solidarity,” one young woman explained. “The solidarity of our community is the most important thing.”
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| Members of Arena y Esteras present and original play about the history of Villa El Salvador. |
As a special end to a long and productive day, participants were treated to a performance by members of another youth-oriented NGO, Arena y Esteras. This group aims to “create socially and ethically conscious art (for) the promotion of identity and human rights, (aiming to) build a community where everyone can live with dignity, respect, and have social responsibility.” The Arena y Esteras facility is located in one of Villa El Salvador’s residential districts and provides children of the area with a place in which they can pursue their creativity through music, dance, theatre, and art. Peace Boat participants enjoyed performances of traditional dance and music, as well as an original play depicting the history of Villa El Salvador. |
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Ishiki Natsue, a 24 year old tour participant who was born in Lima, Peru and lived there for the first nine years of her life was impressed by the work Casa Alternativa Joven is undertaking. “I think it is a really good idea what they are doing, trying to give the youth something to do, such as cultural activities and job training so they don’t have to rely on other methods to support themselves and keep them sustained, like drugs or stealing. I think, though, they are still lacking one fundamental point, which is a lack of available jobs. If there are no jobs or a demand for cultural activities, training can only do so much. However, I think it is good that there is a youth group addressing these problems and working to improve the situation of youth. For example, counseling lectures and workshops are all conducted by the youth for the youth, because it is the easiest way to understand their problems and work through them together. I think that is a very great thing.”
*for further information about the development of Villa El Salvador, please see Peace Boat’s 48th voyage reports on Miguel Azcueta and Global University Unit Three.
For more information on Villa El Salvador, please see the following links (Spanish only):
Villa El Salvador – http://www.munives.gob.pe/index2.htm
Arena y Esteras – http://www.arenayesteras.org |
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