It was going to be the best of years. At least that was what I thought in January 2020. Columban Fr Ed O'Connell writes.
A woman from the communal kitchen in San Benito preparing food. Photo: Fr Ed O'Connell SSC
The Warmi Huasi (Women's House) project teams had their plans of action in place with the local municipalities to improve the lives of all children and adolescents on the northern outskirts of Lima, in the town of San Benito, district of Carabayllo, and high up in the Andes Mountains in the Province of Paucar del Sara Sara, Ayacucho, in the town of Pausa and the village of Lampa.
The children and youth were on their holidays and those in San Benito had begun their summer school activities with us. The Warmi Huasi teams were preparing for the year´s activities in the homework and reading clubs, to keep the children safe and help form them into active citizens through the children and adolescent committees.
Then came March, and before we realized the impact of what was happening, we were in quarantine, or, as I say, lockdown. Since March 16, 2020 until now, the children and adolescents have not known a normal life, locked away in their homes for more than one year and counting!
Reading club, competitions and support!
Our first response was to distribute all the books in the reading clubs to the children and adolescents in a program called “reading bags” in both Lima and Ayacucho. Volunteers, taking biosecurity measures, put a certain number of books and materials into small shopping bags and gave them out to the families in a rotation system every two weeks. In addition, other materials were communicated virtually to help the family come together to resolve puzzles that held within them messages of patience, tolerance and togetherness. Competitions were held and our psychologists were in touch with every child and adolescent, offering support, and listening to the parents.
Many parents who work in the informal sector lost their jobs and suddenly almost overnight people became much poorer and at wits end to know how to feed their children and pay their bills. Lima was the hardest hit. In the midst of this darkness came a bright light, the mothers of the homework clubs came together in their four different areas of San Benito and began communal kitchens, pooling their resources to feed their families. So, they began and were soon joined by a key local activist and friend, Hortencia, who also formed a communal kitchen for her neighbourhood.
Columban Fr Ed O’Connell greeting Jose, a primary school student, after signing a four-year plan of action for children of the Province of Paucar del Sara Sara. The plan allowed Fr O’Connell to present Jose with a strong pair of new glasses that allows him to read. Without the glasses Jose would be in homework club with his eyes just inches from the page, now he can read comfortably. Photo: Fr Ed O'Connell SSC
As the Warmi Huasi community organizer, Luz Figueroa, who herself lives in San Benito, says of these times: “Communal kitchens were very important and a fundamental response to counteract the pandemic since many families were left without jobs and many of them were being affected by this disease. More than 80% of families in the area are being fed through the communal kitchens. The main beneficiaries are the families that have the least, such as single mothers, senior citizens, children and adolescents.”
In the words of two of the communal kitchen organizers.
Dina Torres of the Sacred Heart Chapel communal kitchen says, "The communal kitchen is a very important support for many families, especially to feed children and the elderly." Whilst Sonia Canaza from the Cipreces communal kitchen says, “The communal kitchen helps me a lot, to feed my family and also my neighbours. In this way, we help children to have at least one plate of food a day, as many fathers and mothers were left without work and have no way to feed their children. What would it have been like if we had not opened our communal kitchen? What would have been our situation at this time?”
With donations received, we were able to make a massive difference.
Without the support from outside, the communal kitchens would not have been able to keep going. As I have contacts through the Columban world and through our magazines I thought of a solidarity scheme called SOLFAM (Solidarity between Families) from other parts of the Columban world to families living precarious lives in Peru. With the donations received, we were able to make a massive difference to the meals that were served. Instead of stodgy food, they were able to buy vegetables and fruit for the week and fish or chicken at least three days a week.
As Luz points out, “Also, the type of food provided by the communal kitchens, vegetables and salads three times a week, is balanced, improving the health of all beneficiaries. In addition, it is important to highlight the great support that different people offered voluntarily, and the program of the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion is of vital help for the continuity of the communal kitchens. The social cases which each communal kitchen serve are so important, as they are people with disabilities, older adults, and single mothers as well as people who get sick from COVID-19. These families do not pay and are constantly monitored until their improvement."
The women have discovered a new dimension to their lives
I think the most significant change has been in the women themselves. Luz remarks, “This work of all the women together is done for the common good. It is of vital importance for the entire community and is their response to the difficult situation that affects us all over the world, due to the pandemic."
Luz underlines that the women have discovered a new dimension to their lives, as they say, themselves. Rosanita, from Cruz Del Norte communal kitchen, says, "As a good leader, I have to look out for the wellbeing of my community, putting a lot of effort into it and together moving forward as the united family that we are." Sonia says, “Also, as brave women that we are, we always face solving any difficulty introduced into our community." Dina says, “It is also a way of serving others. It keeps me active rather than stressing myself out by staying home."
May the Risen Lord be near to us all. Love and blessings.
Columban Fr Ed O’Connell lives and works in Peru.
Listen to "It was going to be the best of years"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - July 2021
