Last night we took a late night combi to Cajabamba and woke up early this morning to observe a “charla” or education session in the local school by two current volunteers. Cajabamba is a beautiful mid-sized town in the mountains where a current volunteer works. It has several existing NGOs, schools, a health post and hospital, as well as multiple schools. After observing a charla, we planned our own about the importance of gender equality and delivered it to a high school class. We tried doing skits and engaging the students in our lesson, but it was somewhat disastrous trying to explain sex and gender roles in a large classroom with our limited Spanish abilities in a short period of time. Luckily, we were quickly able to recognize how to adapt and salvage the lesson.

Later, we conducted a mini community-diagnostic of Cajabamba by interviewing local citizens, organizations, and students. It was interesting talking to the locals about issues currently facing their town, and imagining what kinds of projects may be effective in combating these issues. Mining is prevalent in the Cajamarca region, and although some of the mining is sanctioned and legal, illegal mining is also common and presents various problems for the surrounding communities. Not only does mining present environmental consequences, but also labor issues. Children as young as 12 are employed by these mines and work for up to 15 days at a time in harsh conditions.

Virginia, the volunteer who works in Cajabamba, lives with a host family who has a huge farm which we were able to explore during the afternoon. We walked down to the farm and were able to see sheep, cows, pigs, and other animals. The animals weren’t afraid of us, and we were able to pet baby cows that were wondering lazily around the open fields with a picturesque mountain scene behind them.