Closing my Projects in Huallanca

This past month I have been working on closing the projects that I have worked so hard on during these past few years. I am trying to finish up my projects as far as all the work on my end goes while still leave them open to the community for continuation. Sustainability is a tricky thing! Thankfully I will be getting a replacement volunteer (a lovely young lady named Alicia!) who will hopefully continue on with my two main 

projects :-)

1. My sexual health project

2. Working in the library and running the after school program

Last week, my site mate and I held our final event for our Sexual Health Project, a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day with our youth health promoters that we have been working with for the past 2 years and with our community counterparts from the local health center and school. We started out in typical Peruvian fashion with an awkward silent pasa calle (street march) while holding banners and handmade signs about teen pregnancy prevention.  We then put on some activities in the main plaza which included a dance, talks and tips about teen pregnancy prevention, and handing out fliers on correct condom use.

Starting the street march

Street march

Street march

We had some awesome t-shirts made for the event that had a little condom on the back saying "Use me!"

Performing their dance to an awesome teen pregnancy prevention song called "Piensa bien" (think smart)

  Oh and a demonstration on correct condom use. The plan was to have our youth health promoters do the condom demonstration but they got scared to do it in front of a crowd so Tyler and I ended up doing it of course.

Our demonstration on correct condom use

As for my library and after school program, I have still been working hard with that. I love the kids and families so much at the school, they are all so humble and wonderful and working with them will be the part of my work that I miss the most. I had some extra grant money for the project and the parents and teachers decided that they wanted to put in a mini grass soccer field in a small free space that they have at the school. The parents worked hard in clearing out the area and we paid someone to make soccer goal posts out of some extra metal tubes that they had at the school. Unfortunately, they won´t be able to plant the grass until rainy season because it´s so dry right now, but I look forward to seeing the field when I return to Huallanca in a few years. As for the library and the after school program, the teachers have the keys to the library and will continue to use it and hopefully take good care of it. The new volunteer will hopefully work there and continue with the after school program.

The parents working hard to level the soccer field. 

Reading during the after school program.

Playing bingo during the after school program. The kids always start in their seats and by the end of them game they are all about two inches from my face. 

We haven´t had water for a while so to wash our hands we have had to use dirty river water placed in these "Tippy taps". 

My work in Huallanca has been so challenging but so rewarding and while it´s hard for me to let go, I know that it´s time. I will walk away from Huallanca knowing that I put my all into it and really made the most of these two years. And despite how hard I worked and tried to make a difference, I got so much more out of this experience than I could have ever given