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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE January 5, 2006
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| November 8, 2005 |
Lima, Peru – A Story of Strength – The people of Villa Maria and Villa El Salvador. |
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| A young resident of Villa Maria |
Over 60 Peace Boat participants had the chance to witness a story of strength in Peru in early November 2005. They visited Lima’s poorest municipalities – Villa Maria and Villa El Salvador – and met with high-spirited residents who have overcome incredible odds to build communities of solidarity and hope. |
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| Juan Tokeshi prepares Peace Boat participants for their excursion to Villa El Salvador and Villa Maria. |
Before arriving in Peru, participants attended a series of onboard lectures by Peruvian architect and urban town planner, Juan Tokeshi. He detailed the development of Villa Maria and Villa El Salvador, and the work of his non-government organization called the Centro de Estudios y Promocion del Desarrollo (DESCO), which promotes community town planning, and helps build parks and various other infrastructures to improve residential areas. |
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| These steps, designed and funded by DESCO, make movement on the steep terrain safe and convenient |
Brief history of Villa Maria and Villa El Salvador
An influx of people from rural areas of Peru to the capital, Lima, in the 1960s and 70s sparked a housing crisis. In response to this, the Peruvian Government granted thousands of homeless families tiny plots of land near Lima during the 1970s, which became Villa El Salvador and Villa Maria.
However this land was unforgiving in nature – steep, barren and desert-like, with no basic utilities – including access to water. Residents were extremely poor, yet managed to work together to form communities, which now, 30 years on, sustain over 600 000 people. Though residents have overcome huge obstacles to exist in such harsh conditions, problems still prevail. These include access to water, which is delivered by truck to residents for a fee in 100-liter containers; lack of employment opportunities; low income and a spiraling population.
Peace Boat participants first visited the DESCO office, in the middle of Villa El Salvador, where they learnt about the various projects coordinated by the NGO. DESCO supports activities that promote urban development in the poorest suburbs of Lima, such as the construction of public parks, playgrounds and stairways. Professionals and students who specialize in urban development and architecture are key members of the NGO. Civil education and assistance for other NGOs are further joint objectives of DESCO. |
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| Proud locals, who together with help from DESCO, built a community park |
DESCO representative Miguel Almeyda explained that local families were involved in every step of the development process, which gives them a sense of pride in their collective work. “There is a feeling among the people here [in Villa El Salvador and Villa Maria] that you have to help your neighbor in order to help yourself – you cannot rely on the government,” he said. |
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| A computer illustration shows the intended playground that a contribution from Peace Boat will help to fund. (Photo: Juan Tokeshi). |
Participants then took a walking tour around Villa Maria, to witness parks and infrastructures that have been supported by DESCO in the past. They were also able to visit the site where a new park and children’s playground will be constructed using in part funds raised onboard Peace Boat’s 48th and 51st voyages before arrival in Peru. |
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| Talented actor Ana Sofia Toguchi, from Arena y Esteras entertains Peace Boat participants. |
Through a fundraising Halloween party and through the production and sale of handmade Japanese/Spanish pocket phrasebooks onboard during October and November, participants raised USD 2000 to contribute to this worthy project.
Peace Boat participants were able to meet another non-profit organization in Villa El Salvador; a theatre group called Arena y Esteras. This community organization helps children and youth to develop self-esteem through performance, music, dance, and art.
Members of Arena y Esteras treated Peace Boat participants to an impressive traditional theatre performance of dance and music, and in return received traditional Japanese story telling performance by their new friends.
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| Participants experience the types of activities that the children of Arena y Esteras practice. |
Teacher at the center, Miguel Angel Nve Soza, said the centre was crucial for the development of children in Villa El Salvador. “They often see the ugly side of life, such as poverty and domestic violence, so they need a place like this. We want to encourage people who spend their time here to explore and think about their identities,” he said.
Many participants stayed the night at the Arena y Esteras workspace, before enjoying workshops and a performance in a range of activities, including juggling, stilts and traditional mask making. As participants said goodbye to new friends and prepared to leave Lima, one passenger commented that the experience of meeting people from Villa Maria and Villa El Salvador - the poorest areas of Lima – would remain rich in her heart. |
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| A father and daughter from Villa El Salvador wave goodbye to new friends. |
Juan Tokeshi said he hoped that Peace Boat participants would remember that even though they came from starkly different backgrounds to the locals of Villa El Salvador and Villa Maria, they were the same in their hearts. “We realize that the outside world is different, but inside we all share the same feelings, and we have to realize this. When we open our hearts we can see that we are all united in the human sense”, he said.
For further information: (Spanish only)
Arena y Esteras: www.arenayesteras.org
Centro de Estudios y Promocion del Desarrollo (DESCO): Oficina del Programa Urbano de desco: Sector 2, Grupo Residencial 5, Mz. G, Lote 10 – Villa El Salvador, Peru |
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