Visiting Peru

I had an unique opportunity to visit Peru for a week in the beginning of July. I was there with my two daughters to get to know the slums of the capital of Peru, Lima. Our main purpose was to get to know the work that Plan international does there. We had a film crew there too and they made a TV-program to Finnish TV of our visit. All interested and able to see Finnish TV look Plan ilta lapselle -program in November to find out more.

Slums in Lima look very awful. As you can see it's desert and nothing grows without planting and watering. As you can guess it's also very dusty. Houses are made of rustic materials and they look like falling down any minute. So before hand I thought that it must be miserable to live there but I was so wrong!

We spent some time especially with children and they concured my heart! They knew how to enjoy the life as it comes, they were interested in other people and always willing to help. It was something I've never experienced in Finland where we all are too busy thinking of our own life forgetting everyone else around us. People were optimistic and parents were doing their best to provid a better life to their children. Those awful looking dumbs were actually rather homy inside.

There was now sign of misery, hopelessness or apathy in those slums. I used to get angry with people who are living selfish life not thinking of people in need and not willing to help anyone else. Now I just bity them because I saw how much they miss in that way of life. No money or richness can replace the riches people experience living in need of each other! I definetaly got much than I can never give to those people...