We drove 2 hours north from central Lima …. and were still not at the outskirts of this sprawling city. This capital now has almost 10 million people (Chicago is 8.3 million), but 50 years ago had less than 2 million. Rural poverty and, in the 1980s and 90s, a brutal conflict brought millions to the capital, causing rapid population growth that urban planning didn’t come close to managing. Vast areas were populated by illegal land seizures, and only years later did basic utilities like water and electricity arrive. Much of this growth occurred on the desert hills surrounding Lima, where shacks are built after carving into the steep inclines of rock and dirt.
It was to one such district of Lima, Puente Piedra, that we went to on Friday. It is older than many shantytowns, having been settled long enough ago that today it has water and electricity. We were welcomed by an Anglican priest, Padre Benjamin, who gave us the opportunity to do some earthmoving so that the parish church can expand. We discovered a small part of what it takes to carve away at the hill in order to erect a building. After lunch Padre Benjamin took us to meet Uvaldo, one of the first residents in the area, who farmed the flat land below the parish church and would tell us the local history. He still has a small “chacra” (field) that he farms.
On the road we could the hills covered with houses, where we were headed.A nurse who works for the church welcomed us as we climbed up the hill.Padre Benjamin had Lane help bring another wheelbarrow. Behind Lane you get a better view of the houses built into the hills.In the back is the church’s worship space, and the orange building has a kitchen and meeting room.The background shows the sprawl of buildings extending over the distant hills.Padre Benjamin shows where we need to carve into the mountain, making space for a future building.Rachel and Alex pull down the loose dirt, but we soon discover that rocks underneath will require more than shovels.Other students work on top, loosening rocks and dirt.The rocks and dirt were shoveled into wheelbarrows …… which were wheeled around to the other side of the orange building ….… and used for landfill in this space, for a future construction that will replace the temporary orange building.John and Katie go to work on the rocks with a digging bar and pick ax.So that students would work on the slope without sliding down, Maria anchored them with a rope around a post at the top.Despite the hard work, students enjoyed the experience tremendously.Maddie, Rachel and Alex apply first aid to a broken pick ax.The rocks trembled when Rachel swung her mighty sledge hammer.Padre Benjamin explains to Maria some of the plans for further building.It looked so fun, this little boy wanted to help.At quitting time for lunch, Brad shows how we purposely left some work for the spring SST’ers.Lunch of chicken and rice was well appreciated.After lunch some students walked up the hill.The mighty women of Peru Fall 2016 SST.Note the contrast between the untouched right side and the left side being populated.The view from the top of the hill, showing a small part of the massive urban sprawl that exists on 3 sides of Lima.Uvaldo takes us for a walk around his “chacra.”Doug translated while Uvaldo told the history of how a former vineyard became a city.Emily likes the refreshments Uvaldo’s family served us.Uvaldo, Padre Benjamin, and Uvaldo’s wife.
