My colleague thought about what I said for a few minutes; and before he could respond, another Peruvian colleague of ours said, "but please, please doctor - don't make Peru look bad."
I thought about his statement a lot last night and this morning. I thought about what he meant by it. I wondered if the truth is ever a bad idea.
This morning I decided to go for a long run (I am suppose to run a 50km trail race next weekend and I am woefully out of shape). Running along the beach I came across a old man lying on the shoulder of the road. He appeared to be at least 70-years old and was barefoot and very disheveled. His clothes were dirty and torn and his feet had a thick layer of callous that comes from walking barefoot for a long period of time.
I had planned to run along the beach and then up through the neighborhoods of Miraflores, San Isidro and Magdalena back to the Formation House where I am staying. In total, I anticipated my run to take a little over 2-hours. In preparation for the heat (it is summer in Peru and Lima is enveloped in a thick, steamy curtain of clouds) I had taken 10 soles with me. I fully anticipated that this would more than meet my needs for calories and liquid replenishment.
I ran upon my friend about 40-minutes into my 2-hour odyssey. I could not just run past him. I had to do something. So I gave him my only money. I asked him (in my very broken Spanish) if there was anything else I could do for him. He said "pray for me." I told him that I would and went to continue on my run. He stopped me, grabbed my hand and said, "you are the only person who has stopped to help me - thank you."
I do not write this story to make Peru "look bad." I know that homelessness and poverty are far from unique to Peru alone. Rather, I write this story to say something that I think really motivates all of HBI's work in Peru.
We believe that we have an obligation to be continuously open to service. We believe that no one organization can serve all of the needs of a people, a community or a country. We believe in partnerships and collaboration. Our intention is never to "make Peru look bad." Rather our focus is working with marginalized and disenfranchised people and communities to effect permanent changes in health.
My mind is racing right now. I can really see a great deal of potential for partnering with organizations in Lima to help the homeless that live along the Costa Verde and other isolated pockets in the city. I can really see a great deal of opportunities for us to work with Peruvian organizations to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness and make "Peru look good."
More to come . . .
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1 comment:
Hey there. I hope that everyone is doing well.
The feeling expressed in this entry has struck me in the past as well. Not so much for the "don't make peru look bad" idea, but more the feeling of there being extensive, overbearing need.
Being a Peace Corps volunteer we are put in spots around the world where there is the most need and openness to us being there to offer a human resource. But, the amount of need surpasses our ability to help 100-fold. My biggest struggle is where to draw the line. How to maximize your effect without destroying yourself.
How do you decide to give this needing gentleman your 10 soles, not the one on the next block of your jog?
This helpless feeling makes me want to retract from offering myself at all some days, and others it gives me more power and energy to find a way to help the poor man/woman/child at each block.
It is a thought to chew full of distinct flavors.
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