The Reason

When President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in the 1960s, he intended for the organization to have three principle goals. These were:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their needs through technical assistance.
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people served.
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. 

With this in mind, I’m hoping that in some small way, this blog is going to address the third goal. By sharing my personal stories with all of you and by occasionally discussing Peruvian culture and history, maybe all of you will get a general idea as to what “Peru” truly is.

The problem with this idea is its own generality. Even though I’m going to spend 27 months here, I cannot begin to give you an accurate picture of the richness of Peruvian life and culture. I can only give you a small glimpse inward, at best. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can prove to be detrimental if my observations are interpreted to be applicable to all of Peru.

Chimamanda Adichie summarizes this idea perfectly in her TED Talk “The Danger of One Single Story” (watch it here). As she reflects on the stereotypes she’s encountered in not only others, but herself as well, Adichie concludes that people tend to truncate the cultural aspects of diverse groups of people by forming a single story to describe them. They create an image, often times a negative one, as a means of judging people and places. In her own words (albeit in paraphrase), the danger of this single story is not something to be overlooked: 

“The danger of a single story is that it shows people as one thing over and over…and that is what they become. By continuously labeling and referring to others as ‘poor’ or ‘backward,’ they begin to accept these terms for themselves. In this way, the single story robs people of their identity. So, the problem with stereotypes isn’t that they are untrue, but that they’re incomplete. Stereotypes make one story the only story and deprive an individual of his or her dignity.”

So what is the single story that we generally have of Peru? Well, if you’re like me, I knew precious little of Peru (and, truth be told, still do) before I came here. Thinking of Peru made me think of three things: Machu Picchu, llamas, and poverty. While all three of these things are indeed part of Peruvian culture, they only compose a small part of the multi-faceted diversity that is present throughout the whole country. While I can’t yet speak first-handedly about any Incan ruins or llamas, I can begin to speak about Peru’s economic situation. As I’ve lived in Chaclacayo and traveled to other nearby towns and cities I’ve started to get acquainted with the realities and myths of Peruvian poverty. Believe me, they’re far more complex than what we typically think.

To understand the current economic situation of Peru, you first have to know a bit of history. During the 1980s there was a catastrophic economic crisis that resulted in a cumulated inflation rate of 2,168,482%. This was devastating to the Peruvian population. As my host father describes it, you had to be a millionaire just to buy bread. Hunger, starvation, and frustration led to the birth of terrorist groups like Shining Path, a group that is still alive and operates today in northern Peru. Between the years of 1985-1990, this group caused over 70,00 deaths within the 29 million Peruvian population. 1990-2000 saw the reign of the president Alberto Fujimori. If you ask a Peruvian today what they think about Fujimori, you’re going to get a very mixed response. Some absolutely hate his time and office and criticize him for his scandals and corruption with the media. Others praise him and claim his use of economic shock saved the Peruvian economy and finally reduced the rampant inflation. Whatever the truth may be, starting from 2000 onward Peru has been overall characterized by decreased inflation and, for the most part, increased decentralization and free trade agreements. The result? In the last ten years Peru has had one of the fastest growing economies of the world. From 2001-2012, the inflation rate was just 2.5%. Exportation has increased eight-fold, although most of these exports have been traditional exports (ie: natural resources) rather than nontraditional (ie: tourism). Compared to the rampant poverty that was seen in the 1980s, today only 30% of the Peruvian population is classified as poor. This percentage is continuing to slowly drop since 43% of government project funds go directly to social projects. Thus, Peru’s overall trajectory is still going steadily upward.

So what the hell am I doing here?

I mean, Peru’s not only getting better, it’s getting much better and FAST. Dropping the inflation rate from 2,168,482% to 2.5% in just thirty years? That’s amazing. So why is there a need for the Peace Corps if things are getting so much better? Why am I going to be spending the next 2+ years of my life here if they’re doing so well on their own?

The answer is, Peru can do everything on its own. This is a viable, strong country that has amazing resiliency and pride. However, when President Alejandro Toledo invited the Peace Corps to return to Peru during his 2001-2006 term in office, there was a reason. To illustrate, these are some basic facts and figures taken from recent surveys in Peru:

•      Minimum wage in Peru is 750 soles per month (approximately $278)
• Poverty is defined as receiving 259 soles (approximately $85) or less per month.
• In 2010, the total poverty rate in urban areas was 31.3% while in rural areas it was 54.2%
• In 2010, the total extreme poverty rate in urban areas was 9.8% while in rural areas it was 23.3%
• In 2010, 14.9% of the urban population reported disparity in their access to electricity while in rural areas it was 40.4%
• In 2010, 26.8% of the urban population reported disparity in their access to hygienic services while in rural areas it was 56%
• 54% of the country’s districts have prevalent poverty
• Narcotrafficking is a still a large issue in Peru, although it is mostly confined to the northern jungle regions. Peru is now the #1 producer of coca in the world.
• Terrorist groups, such as Shining Path, are still in operation, although they are not as prevalent as before and are mostly affiliated with narcotrafficking organizations.
• As of May 2012, there are 171 social conflicts in Peru, most of which are related to mining. As of this moment, all of the public high school teachers have been on strike for several weeks. Thus, all public high schools are shut down and no students have been going to school. In addition, as of early September all of the doctors that work in MINSA, the major health provider and policy maker in Peru, have been on strike. As a result, people’s access to any public medical care is extremely limited.
• On August 25, 2011, the government issued as statement that outlined their goals for the 2011-2016 goals. No goals pertained to environmental care or increasing environmental awareness.

So what can be concluded from these stats and figures? In my opinion, it means that, like every country, Peru has areas in which it can improve.

So what can I do?

Well, when thinking on a large scale, pretty much nothing. Yes, I will be focusing on rural health and working directly with the communities and populations listed in the stats above. I will likely be focusing on mothers and maternal health, encouraging the use of breastfeeding, teaching classes on healthy complementary feeing, and demonstrating the importance of early childhood stimulation. I will likely be working on improving water sanitation by teaching safe animal husbandry practices and hand-washing classes in schools, building public latrines, and constructing improved kitchens. I will likely be targeting adolescents by conducting self-esteem workshops, facilitating sex education classes in middle and high schools, and promoting awareness about HIV, AIDs, and STDs to youth. Will these projects have a big bang-like effect and cause Peruvian’s poverty rate to be dramatically affected? Absolutely not.

But then again, that’s not the point.

“The effects of your service in the Peace Corps is like a tree whose shade you never get to sit under.” This is a common phrase that many of our trainers like to quote as we begin our sessions. It means that the consequences of my short time here are long term and, with any luck, sustainable. I will likely not see the hard-earned results of my time here and truly understand its final impact on the community. And that’s ok. In the mean time, I get to share myself and teach others about my own unique and diverse background. In the process, maybe I’ll change the “single story” they have of Americans. I get to learn more about this wonderful country and share my knowledge with you. Maybe that will alter how you see South America and how you regard Peru. And who knows. Maybe, just maybe, that improved kitchen that I’ll build will allow a mother to use less fuel to cook, meaning she can afford to start using some extra wood to boil water regularly for her kids. The kids get healthier, cleaner water and don’t suffer from diarrhea. Their nutrition improves, and they become stronger, healthier and can focus more time on their studies. Or, maybe that sex ed. class I’ll teach will allow a handful of girls to understand how to practice safe sex. They make healthier choices, their esteem increases and they decide to use their savings to go to college.

Will I see any of that during my time here in Peru? No. But is still worth it? Is it worth dedicating two years of my life to the possibility that I may make a small change in just one or two people and bump those stats up by an infinitesimal percent?

Absolutely.