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WEEK of April 30, 2007 |
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A Simple Day of Service by Roxanne Zazzaro For many BFS students, the first Sunday of spring break may have allowed time for sleeping in or attending religious services with their families. For the 17 students and the four adults who spent their break in Peru, that Sunday was a simple day of service. As the sun rose over the Andes in the Urubamba Valley, this group of weary travelers began the day with a trip to a village of Chichubamba for a service project. Not knowing what to expect, especially with such an early wake-up call, the group had some reservations about the project they were about to undertake. Their guide was rather vague, telling them only that they were going “to paint a school.” Soon the grumbling and trepidation ceased when the BFS group was warmly greeted by the students, faculty and parents of the Winayninchis School. A Pre-K through Grade 6 school, Winayninchis was founded by the village church, which acquired two school buildings from the government after it had ceased an educational program in Chichumbamba. Its mission is educating all the village children and providing them with a strong bilingual education; the school also works with students who have learning disabilities.
The BFS group toured both campuses and observed the deterioration of the buildings. They learned that there are plans to build a new structure at one of the sites, so that the entire school can be located in one place. Our tour company, Lima Tours, donated white boards and the paint to the school, in the name of BFS, with some of their commission money. As the BFS group helped to paint one of the buildings, the parents were working at both campus sites, either painting or beginning to build the new structure. However, it wasn’t the simple act of painting that endeared this service project to the 17 students from BFS. It was the community, especially the children. Besides the heartfelt greeting of their young voices, the Peruvian students performed several native dances for the BFS group. “What touched me the most,” shared sophomore Chelsea, “was when we were watching them dance a traditional dance from Peru. They had prepared it well, and they were wearing beautiful costumes, as if our coming were a mass celebration. It was moving, and the music was simple, but beautiful at the same time. At the end of the dance, the music started up again. The children automatically invited us to dance, and we danced with them, together as a group. Seeing their joy made me happiest of all.” In addition to painting the school, our BFS students spent a great deal of time with the Winayninchis children, playing soccer, riding bikes and getting to know each other. Laura, a sophomore, presented the school with a soccer ball, which got a great deal of playing time on this Sunday. Sophomore Ellie was chosen to address the gathering, expressing our feelings and thanking the young students for their welcome. She said, “I speak for myself and for the rest of my peers when I say that we give this to you from the bottom of our hearts.” Ellie further stated, “This is a very good opportunity for us to see how good we have it and to give back to your wonderful community. I know that we all feel so grateful to you for welcoming us here and allowing us to see how you live and how we can do our best to help you in whatever you may need. We give you our blessings and many thanks and hope that you remember us as we will remember you. “ Parent Howard Fishman shared his feelings about the day spent in the Urubamba Valley: “It was a privilege and an eye-opening experience for me to accompany the Upper School on its trip to Peru. Aside from giving me the opportunity to fulfill one of my life-long dreams, to visit Macchu-Picchu, the trip gave me a firsthand look at how the BFS community puts its commitment to community service in action wherever it goes.” Howard described the service project as an “incredibly moving experience” as the group saw how much the visit to the school and the assistance of the students meant to the local community. He continued, “Our students were touched by the children’s gratitude. As Ellie put it in her speech—in fluent Spanish, no less—it really made the BFS students realize how fortunate they are and how much a little good will can go a long way elsewhere in the world.” Howard didn’t know what to expect from the service project and from the trip, but did find the experience moving and memorable. “I would urge any parent to consider joining some of the upcoming trips in the years ahead,” he added.
The BFS students hope to continue helping this school and are in the process of planning other service projects that would benefit Winayninchis. Explained sophomore Jackson, “It was inspiring to see what these students are up against and yet they continue to want to go to school. If I have a chance to help them and to go back and help more, then I want to do it!” Added Ellie, “I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to help them because it is the least I can do after all of their hospitality. They demonstrated how you could be happy with very little and that you should always work with what you have. This is a lesson that will always stay with me.” Roxanne Zazzaro is Head of the Upper School |
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