Peruvian Perspectives

PERU | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [164] | View Smaller Image

I took this photo as we were leaving her house. I noticed a smile had crept onto her face once she realized all of her belongings were safe and drying (in the correct location) beside her house. I felt a sense of relief. I walked back after taking this photograph and showed her the image on the screen, she swatted playfully at my face with a big grin. Ironically, I saw more of myself by watching her look at the photograph in awe than I would ever see by looking at my reflection in a mirror.

This woman is the definition of determination and resilience. She lives alone in a mud house with little to no food. Her children no longer take care of her, they have all moved to the city to find jobs and provide for their children. She is disabled and has very minimal use of her left hand. We visited her and brought her some food and offered to help wash herself and her clothing and bed linen. Initially she refused our help, out of sheer pride and weariness of five very pale strangers suddenly entering her home. After reassuring her through our translator’s broken Quechua that we were not going to steal her clothes, we washed them in the river and laid them on the grass to dry beside her house. I took this photo as she was coming around the corner to check up on us and ensure that we were placing her wet belongings in the correct spot for optimal sunlight - even though there was a language barrier all of us still respected the fact that she knew best.

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Meet Francesca. We delivered food and collected firewood for her. She lives in a one-room house, the kitchen is outside and her roof leaks when it rains. When we returned with firewood she was proudly sweeping the dirt floor of her kitchen. She seemed so wonderfully happy and delighted that we had come; I was taken aback by her joviality. When we pulled out a bag of candy and offered it to her, her face lit up like a child’s. She was so shocked by our sudden offering of sweets she staggered over to her chicken’s nest and offered us two eggs insisting we take them in return for the candy. I held back my tears with everything I had and declined her offer. I stood in front of Francesca in disbelief, never had I felt so humbled and so honoured to give someone candy.

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Peruvian Perspectives

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