La Oroya with Colorado College

After returning from Mancora, I turned in a series of 4 long days at CENCA translating a 54 page book on ecological sanitation from English to Spanish.  If you´re interested let me know and I´ll send it to you.  You will know more than you ever thought necessary about poop.

First Day Mixers

Then, another group came, this time from Colorado College.  They came through their schools annual work study trip (I forget the actual title, but something along those lines).  They came with two main purposes, one to get to know La Oroya and the people that live there and two to aid in a study of the levels of toxins in and around the city.  Due to my preparations to go to Brazil, I was only with the group for the weekend, but it was a great experience.  I am so glad to see a world where there are more and more people who are interested in working to better the lives of others. 

Shirly leads a dynamic

Every time that I enter La Oroya (from now on, just LO), I have such a strange feeling.  It is always amazing to see this city that has been some utterly disrespected and trashed by man but then to enter the office and to meet people who are so filled with love and caring.  Every time that I am welcomed by the enormous smiles and great laughter of Esther (the director of the NGO with whom we work in La Oroya) never ceases to make me so glad to be there and it was most definetly no different when we walked in with 17 instead of just Jed and I.

Matt (our expert) sets up the sampling equipment

Our first day in LO was basically just a day to get acclimated.  No matter if you live at sea level (like me) or in the Rockies (like the CC kids) it takes a little bit to get used to the cold and complete lack of air up there.  This also gave us a great opportunity just to be with our hosts.  We played games, did little dynamics and really laid the foundations for real relationships that were going to be formed during the time there.

2 kids from La Oroya take samples

On saturday, we did our study.  3 groups were sent out throughout LO and the surrounding areas to take samples of water and soil.  One of the faculty of CC that was with the group is a world leading lead expert and was conducting a small experiment on the contamination in the region.  My group took various samples from a special center for children with elivated lead levels, the source of LO's water, a playground, a soccer field, a clothes washing center, and a few others.  As the peliminary results have come back, the levels were most definetly above what they should be and will require further study to really see what is going on and then how those toxins are entering and affecting human bodies.  But during our day of sampling, it was a great time for gringos and peruvians alike to come together to enjoy the process and look for a brighter future for us all.

Some of the Doe Run company housing

On sunday, we took a day to go to the Rock Forrest near the city of Cerro de Pasco in the state of Junin.  It was a great day to see the amazing rock formations, see the various shapes that had come out of them (ranging from a praying bear to a turtle to snoopy).  Our guide was a local who was very proud of his land and his culture.  He showed us the aincent rock paintings that were in caves and explained how the men of that period had killed llamas.  Then we ran across a herd of llamas and realized that if they are that hard to take picures of, then they must have been really hard to kill.

Early the next morning, I had to return to Lima to prepare for my next trip, but I am so thankful for my time with the CC people and I know that the rest of their time in Peru was fruitful.  I hope that as they left they had strong connections with this wonderful country and city and will seek justice in whatever means they can.