Friday was the last day of school.
(First with a brief stop at Celeste's apartment while en route to the school. We helped her move a few things out before catching a plane just hours later for the first part of her trip back to the US...classic Disney songs played in the background as we bustled around, thanks Catey for bringing those beloved childhood memories back).
Upon walking into the school and receiving a warm welcome from the teachers, we were able to see one of the teachers facilitating play with a student using one of the cause and effect toys that was donated. Talk about being overcome with honor while witnessing the impact these materials generously donated by so many people across the nation in support of our trip. Thank you again to everyone who donated; your gift has a true influence in the lives of these children. We quickly assessed our agenda for the day and took on our next task of modifying a seating system for a student who regularly uses a wheelchair. The teachers had expressed their goal to have this student sit at the same level as her peers during play time; a fundamental goal to increase participation in daily activities. A piece of foam, three lanyards, a few knots, and a little bit of geometry later we MacGyvered a chair that supported the student in maintaining good posture for her current impairments and most importantly allowed the student to sit at the level of her peers.
The next item was checking to make sure all the donated materials were outfitted with batteries and left in running order. We then created a home exercise program (HEP) for another student with cerebral palsy that would facilitate trunk stabilization, head control, and eventually reaching for items. After handing the HEP off to the teachers to give to his parents, we took the students out to the park right across the street to play. How perfect to have a park across the street from the school! Realizing our time at the school was coming to a close, we started to say our goodbyes and were pleasantly surprised when the teachers all gathered around for a small thank you ceremony in gratitude of our two weeks at the school, complete with beautiful paintings for each of us handmade by students at the school. I wish I had it all on video, because I'm pretty sure it would have shown how much everyone gained from the experience. After many heart felt goodbyes with the students and teachers, we took one last picture in front of the school and walked home for lunch. The magnitude and spectrum of emotions that were felt and shown today definitely moved each of one us in a unique way.
Following lunch was an impromptu tour guided by Lucho, to a church nestled on the hillside that provided a vista point and open view of the city. A few pictures and a history lesson later we were on to our next stop; a cemetery. You're probably wondering why a cemetery would warrant a visit during a volunteer trip, however cemeteries in Latin America are quite different than what we see in the states. Instead of flat tombstones and acres of freshly cut grass, cemeteries here are built up (keeping in mind that space can be limited), are fairly ornate and in this case a beautiful cathedral and museum surrounded the site. In addition, some grave stones are encased in glass allowing cherished items to be placed inside. Lucho then dropped us off at Qoricancha, which is another site that displays ancient Incan ruins. Lucho has been so gracious during our stay, making sure that we fully experience the cusquenan culture (elaborate stories during dinner included). We toured around and then found a spot on the stair case outside to watch the sunset.
Next was dinner at Los Toldos (again...we couldn't get enough of their oven roasted chicken!). Salsa lessons and a concert (best described as tribal/worldly/fusion...and quite amazing) with some local musicians consumed the rest of the night.
More weekend adventures are soon to follow.
Hasta Luego,
Corrin
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