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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE January 1, 2008
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| December 5, 2007 |
Lima, Peru – From Barren Desert to Thriving City – the Miracle of Villa el Salvador |
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| The slum city of Villa el Salvador whose existence is remarkable considering just thirty years ago it was a barren desert |
When Peace Boat stopped off at the port of Callao, Peru, a group of participants had the opportunity to experience the living miracle of Villa el Salvador, a slum which lies just south of Lima. Established in 1971 by the Peruvian military to accommodate the influx of people from rural areas to Lima, it has grown into a metropolis of more than 400,000 people. The community is characterized by the way in which its inhabitants have come together with a collective volunteer spirit to improve the living conditions of everybody living there. |
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The deputy mayor of Villa el Salvador presents Peace Boat staff member Takahashi Masaki with a plaque celebrating the relationship between the city and Peace Boat |
Participants began their program with a visit to City Hall where participants watched a video about the development of the city which was built on the sweat of people steeped in poverty. ‘Through everyone’s co-operation, everyone’s well-being is improving,’ said one official. Participants were then accompanied by Jose Luis Quisepe Prado, the president of youth organization Casa Alternitiva Joven (CAJ, or Alternative Youth House) to the city’s cemetery which overlooks the endless rows of houses on the hillside. According to Mr Prado, ‘People were forced to be involved in the development of the city because they needed it so badly.’ |
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| The cemetery where heroine Maria Elena Moyano is buried which looks over the sprawling grids that make up Villa el Salvador |
By 1984, Villa el Salvador had become a functioning city with councils and budgets. However, it has seen dark times, and during the late 80s, Sendero Luminoso, a Peruvian guerrilla group based themselves there and tried to convince the people to participate in acts of violence against the corrupt government. Despite Peru’s many social problems, such as discrimination, which were directly affecting the population of Villa el Salvador, the people were adamant about finding peaceful solutions. Eventually, the armed forces repressed Sendero Luminoso but not before the group brutally murdered leading women’s and human rights campaigner, Maria Elena Moyano, who was deputy mayor of the district, for defending peace and social justice in the community. |
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A lucky little girl at the kindergarten participants visited. Because Peru is a patriarchal society, oftentimes sons are considered more important and are given priority for education |
The group then moved on to CAJ where members of the youth organization met with participants to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the relationship between Peace Boat and CAJ. Here female representatives from the Federation of Popular Women in Villa el Salvador (FEPOMUVES) spoke about issues currently affecting women. FEPOMUVES are helping women to overcome illiteracy and teach them life skills in order to empower them. The women keep Maria Elena Moyano in mind and live her dream of creating a more equal society. ‘Although she was destroyed, her ideas live on. We have her in our hearts and we are continuing her work,’ said one of the panel members. Other problems they are attempting to tackle are unemployment, domestic violence and teen pregnancy. |
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| Elementary school children enjoy school despite the fact they have very few resources and no play equipment |
Visiting a kindergarten and elementary school in one of the poorest parts of the slum, the participants gained firsthand experience of the education available to children. Both schools face the same problem of having too few material and human resources. One teacher commented that ‘Because of poverty, we will never be able to have enough materials, but we should never abandon education.’ Although kindergarten is free, elementary school is only subsidized by the Ministry of Education, which means that the poorest children are excluded from school. |
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At DESCO, participants learnt about how the organization works to improve living conditions for the inhabitants of Villa el Salvador |
Participants then moved onto the community theater, Arena y Esteras, where participants were treated to traditional performances such as dances and songs that have been passed along generations living at the slum. Because most of the people inhabiting Villa el Salvador migrated from poor rural areas, they make an effort to keep their unique customs and traditions alive. Moreover, because the children experience such things as poverty and domestic violence, the theater acts as a sanctuary where they can forget the harsh reality in which they live and dream of a better life. |
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At DESCO, participants learnt about how the organization works to improve living conditions for the inhabitants of Villa el Salvador |
The following day, participants visited DESCO (Center for Development Study and Promotion) which is involved with urban planning. For the past 20 years, the organization has been promoting community town planning in the area and has become expert at adapting existing houses to new needs and conditions, such as when families become larger. Through their work, DESCO staff are also able to create jobs through the planning and construction of new buildings. |
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Participants worked with political artist Jorge Miyuagi to create a colorful representation of the special relationship between Peace Boat and Villa el Salvador |
Finally, Peace Boat participants joined forces with renowned Peruvian political artist and former Peace Boat guest educator Jorge Miyuagi to paint murals on the bare walls of a local elementary school. Symbols of peace such as a dove were mixed with images like Japan’s Mount Fuji and Villa el Salvador’s ubiquitous motortaxi. Soon the wall was transformed into a colorful and fantastical reinforcement of the relationship between Peace Boat and Villa el Salvador. Although participants tolerated two days of no running water, they were in awe of the strength displayed by residents of Villa el Salvador who experience such hardships on a daily basis. Their experience at Villa el Salvador acted as a reminder of the vast inequality that exists in the world.
For more information on Villa el Salvador, please visit the following links (Spanish only)
Villa el Salvador – www.munives.gob.pe/index2.htm
Arena y Esteras – www.arenayesteras.org
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