A Cusquenan Fairytale by Josephine Gardiner
Every weekend I work as a fairy at children’s parties in my home town Sydney. Girls dressed as princesses, fairy bread, balloons, music and piles of presents are the usual surroundings I associate with playing with children. My passion for working with children was my motivation for coming to Peru. In volunteering to work in a third world country, I had conjured up images of empty classes, children in threadbare clothes, much crying and very little opportunity for education.
When I arrived at Punamarca I was astounded by the standard and beauty of the school which the organisation had developed over the past five years. Colourful murals dance across the walls, flowers blossom everywhere, the classrooms have desks, chairs and whiteboards and more importantly there are sounds of laughter from the Peruvian children all day. I was further impressed when greeted and introduced in English by the children. It was a complete contrast to my stereotypical expectations.
Over the past two months, I have enjoyed participating in their English lessons with my focus on emotions, parts of the body and household objects. However, I soon realised that a bored child’s attention span is a universal dilemma. So I decided to bring my skills as a fairy to the children of Punamarca. Memorable moments include making balloon animals, face painting and making wands in craft. The joy of the children naturally led to a sense of satisfaction but also sadness at the inequity in the world: that these events were such a rare treat for these children when for children in developed countries it is a mere expectation at any birthday party.
I was fortunate enough to visit Kiowatta, another developing local community in which the organisation is making early progress on another school. Closer to my preconceived images of Peru, there was a single classroom with children aimlessly walking about against a mountainous backdrop. It was a stark contrast to Punamarca and it was only then that I fully realised the full picture of the efforts of Peru’s Challenge: how the beginning must have been, how far they have come and succeeded.
During my time at Punamarca I have come to a greater understanding about the life of a child. Although these children did not wear fairy wings, stuff their faces with cake or knock down a piñata, they were still just as excited, enthusiastic and smiley as any of the kids at a fairy party. Even better, they were truly appreciative. Every recess and every lesson seemed like another party but with the same guests attending and the same level of excitement. Importantly, I learned that elaborate decorations, music and cake are not pre-requisites for the happiness of a child. Rather, simple affection with close attention and genuine interest in them and their education are what counts and may act as a seed for a magical transformation in that child’s life.
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