It
was a lucky find stumbling across The Becky Fund blog through a series of links
and after being thoroughly inspired by the life of Becky and the work being
done in her memory I contacted Dinny and was sold. I met the group for the 2012
project in Cuzco- Alex and his wife Angela from Alaska and their kids Sophie
and Elena, plus some other first-timers like me; the Bower family from New
Mexico; Kristi, Max and their little ones Aly and Jack. And Dinny; in whom I
saw from the first day the determination and compassion for which Becky was so
admired. I was a little apprehensive on that first day; having traveled solo
through Peru for 3 weeks I knew it would be a real change of scene, but it
turned out to be one of my most rewarding experiences.
We
spent the first day rounding up goods for the trip to The Sacred Valley and
that’s when it first struck me that this was a serious operation. The vast
quantity of books and stationary we were stacking and their numbers on paper
made me instantly connect these materials to real people’s donations and I felt
a sudden sense of responsibility to those donors.
The 2
weeks that followed were a whirlwind of long winding roads at often hair-raising
heights (remember Kristi; if you don’t look it’s not really happening!)
interspersed with visits to many schools in some of the most remote and
impoverished areas I have seen, where the magic of The Becky Fund really became
apparent. Through a million memorable moments, those that stick hard in my mind
are the first sight of the children knowing our presence on the hills above
their schools. They ran like their lives depended on it; in the thin, high air
I was astounded and wanted to shout 'stop, we're not going anywhere!' Their
beautifully garish traditional clothes running over the mountains contrasted
their often harrowingly poor physical conditions. Many children wore clothes
totally inadequate for the harsh cold climate; all wore ill-fitting leather
sandals exposing cracked and infected feet. At the smaller schools we were able
to distribute what clothes we had, giving every child a piece. Most memorable
of all were the grins on their faces when they keenly accepted gifts of
notebooks and pencils handed out enthusiastically by the kids in our group. It
was heart-warming to see connections being made between the children from the
Becky Fund and the kids from the schools despite their differences; as time
passed Sophie, Elena, Aly and Jack were quick to deal out toys, stickers, hair
accessories and giggles.
Of
course there were some obligatory bust-ups. A broken down minibus on the one of
the first days spelled trouble, but riding in the back on the open topped truck
with everyone perched on boxes of pencils was a certain bonding experience.
Potentially rabid dogs and sticker riots aside, the general running of the show
was smooth, thanks largely to the unwavering kindness of our Peruvian hosts
whose input was invaluable.
One
of the most powerful reflections of the communities need for donations was the
number of unannounced guests who graced the steps of our Calca home every
evening. Each greeted Dinny like their beloved and accepted rolls of papers,
soccer balls and pencils with hearty smiles and sincere hugs. It struck me that
many of these teachers had come from far, walking for hours as they do to their
schools every day. It’s impossible to make comparisons between our own social
and professional norms and those in a less developed country, but I would be
surprised if I found British teachers rushing up Mount Snowdon for gifts for
their pupils. Their gratefulness was humbling.
At
the end of our Peruvian venture we had reached over 4000 children and 300
teachers, a great achievement. A number of schools received special assistance
by means of specifically requested items including a propane tank, cook top, a
mini-pharmacy, cooking utensils, bowls, cups, spoons, and sheets for a local
hospital.
It’s
too easy to leave such vivid sights like those children in poverty and return
to our own lives of comfort, but it’s not without a sense of guilt that I do
so. I always think and often say that if fate had chosen so I could well have
been one of those children and be in that life now, as we all could be. So
though we may not all have the opportunity to see in real life the grateful
faces of those touched by these 2 weeks of distributions, I hope this
reflection of my experience might portray the significance of these small acts
of kindness and the appreciation of the children who benefited from them. I
sincerely hope that kind donations will continue to allow The Becky Fund trips
to keep bringing smiles to the faces (and socks to the feet!) of these children
and eventually to the thousands beyond them who may one day be reached.
Katherine Allen
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