A New Campaign for PyE Ayacucho

Last week the mental health team of Paz y Esperanza began a new campaign or project here in Ayacucho. It is much needed. We will be going to local elementary schools and working with the 1st-6th graders on parts of the body and working to prevent the violence and abuse of children.
The first school we will be working at is Virgen del Carmen in Pilacucho which is down further in the valley. The kids here go on to study at the secondary school known as San Ramon de Ayacucho.
Last week we worked with the 5th graders. They were pretty cool and glad that we came. We worked first on parts of the body and the fact that we, as human beings do not have a price, meaning we cannot be bought and sold, and that our bodies our ours, and unique. Next, the students in groups, made life size drawings of the body and labeled the parts by tracing one of their group mates. None of them want to label the private parts of the opposite sex. They kept pushing the marker back and forth saying ¨You do it, no you!¨
Some of them even meticuolusly labeled the internal organs even though we did not ask them too. After that, when Milagros was asking questions she asked ¨Is there a part of your body no one should ever touch?¨ One kid shouted out REALLY fast ¨Your intestine!¨ Milagros replied ¨A good response, but I was thinking more about on the outside of your body, which we studied today.¨
A good start to a much needed campaign. The work part of all this is coming up with age and developmentally approipriate activities. The kids are fun to be around and like the fact that we bring cheese sandwiches and papaya puree for a snack.