La Policia de la Familia

It's Thursday already and so much has happened this week its hard to know where to start. So at the beginning is always best. Monday morning and Kway (another new volunteer) from USA, via Vietnam, and I were given our induction and an introduction to our various placements. She to an orphanange and me to La Policia de la Familia, more of which shortly, and Colibri. Our induction was done by Elena, who is the volunteer co-ordinator here. Like everyone else I have met here she is absolutely brilliant and can't do enough to help.

My Spanish classes began at 2 pm on Monday and will continue for 2 hours a day for 2 weeks. My teacher is called Claudia and comes from Uruguay, which means I have now had a Mexican, an Argentinian and a Urquayan attempting to get me to learn Spanish. I am the only student in the class, which is nice. Claudia is very patient with me but has been bad today by given me homework to do. She is a brilliant teacher, its just a shame that I am not as good a student as she is a teacher. Have to be nice about her as she will be reading this blog soon.

My first placement was on Tuesday morning and quite frankly is almost beyond words. Its called La Policia de la Familia (Family Police, for want of any better translation). There does not seem to be a Social Work type of department, so the police are left with a lot of duties which I think are done by Social Workers elsewhere, but I dont really know enough about it to comment.

It consists of two small rooms above Santiago Police Station, in Cusco, which are as grim and disgusting as anything you can imagine. To have adults living in them would be a crime but to subject children to these conditions is atrocious. There is supposed to be a room for boys and a room for girls but most of the time they seem to be all mixed in together. The rooms are very small and have bunk beds and some single beds provided, but some times not enough beds for all the children who end up here, so they have to share. Bedding is minimal. One of the rooms has a large window with no windowpane. God knows how anyone can sleep in there. There is a shower in one room which does not work but constantly leaks, so that the children have to clean up about 6 inches of dirty water every day to stop the smell from over-powering everybody. It is just appalling. There is a filthy kitchen with a 2 ring gas cooker which should have been thrown out a long time ago. For food they seem to rely on charity, as police don't see it as part of their job to feed them. I might say more about this place another time. I have to be take care not to say too much I guess.

There are so many good people that I've met I'm sure the State will soon catch up with them and get round to putting these things right. Well we can but hope. Just about the only good thing about all this is that Maximo Nivel have done so much for the children at Policia de le Familia. They have been providing volunteers for some time and have put in a working toilet and shower. I got so upset today that I paid for a new cooker, only 50 soles but it will make a little difference.

Anyway to this hell hole the police bring any children from off the streets who may or may not have committed a criminal offence. Some times they are just abandoned children or some how no longer in touch with their parents, or runaways. They are kept here until the police can re-unite them with parents or till a court decides what to do with them, usually an orphanage or if they are lucky good foster parents. They can be here for a day or a month or more, and are all ages.

When I arrived there at 8.30 Tuesday morning a wee boy aged 10 called Fernando was in his bare feet in a few inches of water cleaning out the dirty water from the broken shower room. He is a sweet little boy who has had very,very bad things done to him and who now behaves in challenging ways himself. One orphanage has refused to have him but whats worse refused to his face. I played some games him and the other children, and they just love a little attention.

In all this squalor they are looked after by Gabriella and Jenny. I have not yet met Jenny but if she is anything as good as Gabriella she will be wonderful. Gabriella is just so loving and caring about these children it brings tears to ones eyes. I think it is very hard for her sometimes to have to cope with it all. There were 2 teenage girls and a 10 year old girl there on Tuesday along with the 2 boys. Gabriella put on some music and had these girls up dancing with her to cheer them up and help thing about better times coming. Gabriella is a brilliant dancer ( Brad would love her) and she had these girls laughing and smiling and if only for a few minutes they could forget what was happening to their lives. I will never forget those few minutes, just awesome.

Then we had a visit from two priests. They seemed like very nice boys, but then they started to do what all priests seem to have to do. Quite frankly I found it somewhat repellent behaviour. They conducted a service (mass I assume, but no takers for holy communion) which lasted best part of an hour. As an old man said "its the heart of a heartless world and the sigh of the oppressed etc". Apologies for not getting that right if I didnt. But I never thought I would have to come to Peru to see it all come together. If only the priests had brought a plumber or paid for one instead of taking advantage of these poor children who are so vulnerable anyway. Enough about religion. At least for now.

This posting is rambling now and I've hardly begun. Not told you about taking Ferando out today with Gabriella and Rowena who is another lovely person I've had the pleasure of meeting. We took him to a park and on way out we met a llamma. Unfortunately the llamma chased Gabriella and Rowena into the loos and Fernando out the gate. The llamma followed right out the gate and onto Ave del Sol. We took a taxi and made our escape. Went to an ice cream cafe and Ferando listened to my mp3 player which just happened to be on Bob singing Step it out and Go. The wee fellow loved it and just wanted it repeated. I'm sure NJ and CA will appreciate the wierd way things work out. Who would have thought that 40 or more years after you brought Bob back from Edinburgh on that old reel to reel tape I would be playing it all again on some thing called an mp3 player for a wee boy in Cusco. Amazing.

Lots more to tell you about but no time meantime. Maybe at week end will have time to tell you about Colibri, which is equally inspiring but in a different way. So many people to tell you about too. Just not enough time. I'm just so glad that there are good people like those who run Maximo Nivel in the world and that I've had the good fortune to get to know them. I hope I can be of some help, and I hope I've not said too much here. Till next time xxx