Chevere

I think I experienced another Peace Corps High this weekend.  I thought nothing would top the look on the parents’ faces, but I was quickly proven wrong at Camp VALOR.  Let me start at the beginning.  When I showed up at the school to pick up the boys an hour late (cars are hard to find sometimes), they were more than ready to get on the road.  We made the 2.5+ hour trek to La Union, where the camp was taking place, with minimal talking.  I knew the boys because they are in one of my classes at the school, and they knew me, but we were far from friends.  It made for a pretty awkward trip, but nothing too terrible.  We walked into the center and practically stumbled into the huge Olympic size pool in front of us.  Immediately, they both gasped and asked me how deep it was.  I could tell they were nervous- about the pool and about the days ahead.  Assuring them that everything would be fine, we got them registered and settled into their separate rooms.  The look on their faces when they found out they could not room together was priceless.  I’ve never seen teenage boys look so worried.

They day came to a start a couple hours later after all of the campers and their Volunteers had arrived.  From that point on, I hardly saw my boys.  They were too busy going to chats, discussing things with their group leaders, and participating in the camp activities to worry about me.  Throughout the camp they learned tons of things from the effects of alcoholism, to sexual health, to preparing for college and their future, to how to become a respectable young man.  Of course, there was time for fun, too.  We managed to squeeze in a dodge ball tournament, potato sack races, tug of war, pool time, water balloon fights, relay races, a watermelon eating contest, a bonfire with s’mores (“just like in the movies!” as one of my kids said), and even a full-fledged soccer tournament.  Between the games and the lessons, they also had time to get to know and make friends with other boys their age from all over Piura and Tumbes.  To say the least, we kept those boys busy!

I wasn’t sure how much my kids were getting out of it until the last night, when we did an activity together.  Each Volunteer and his or her kids planned out an activity that the boys learned over the weekend to take back and share in their sites.  During our planning, I asked the boys what they thought was the most important part, and with no hesitation they both said, “Everything!”  They mentioned how cool, how chevere, how bacan everything was.  I joked and said, “Surely there was something you didn’t like?”  Their response?  No way, Jose!  They were both so impressed with the entire camp!  I then proceeded to ask them what they wanted to take back to El Arenal and share with their friends, and again their response was “Everything!”  Eventually we narrowed it down to college preparation, and the boys have planned to teach a class on how to find different colleges and tech schools, apply for scholarships, and prepare themselves for the future.  They want to teach it in school within the next couple of weeks.  The gumption they had while talking about their plans made me so proud of them.  In that instant, I knew that they had gotten something out of this camp.  And in that instant, you couldn’t have wiped the smile off of my face.  Peace Corps High.

Since I was so proud of them and wanted to let them know it, I decided to treat them to Pizza Hut before we headed back to El Arenal.  My kids and I, accompanied by other Volunteers and their kids, overtook the mall in Piura and basically took charge of Pizza Hut.  My kids had never been to a real mall before, and were floored when I said they could shop around for an hour or so.  The smiles on their faces will be ingrained in my mind forever.  Peace Corps High.

If nothing else, those kids were given the opportunity to leave El Arenal and see what else is out there, meet people from different places, and shown that they do have the means to make something of their lives.  They were shown that, although admirable professions, they don’t have to become field workers or taxi drivers.  They can go to college.  They can become doctors, engineers, teachers, or accountants.  They can become loving fathers.  They can avoid alcohol abuse and everything that comes with it.  They can create whatever life they want for themselves.  They can be whoever they want.

The ride back to site was much different than the ride to the camp.  Instead of awkward silence, laughter filled the space between us.  Instead of talking about the weather, we talked about their futures and what they had to do to realize their dreams.  And instead of running from me as soon as we got back to El Arenal, they both stopped to give me hugs before we headed in our opposite directions.  Peace Corps High.

All in all, Camp VALOR was a huge success.  Thank you to everyone who donated or was thinking of us this weekend.  The positive change in those boys’ lives would not have been possible without you.

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

                     -- Apple Inc.