DRAFT
La Casa De Panchita
Jan 24, I had the pleasure of meeting Johana Reyes who introduced me to the project and space of “La Casa De Panchita”. This project is headed by the NGO Asociacio Grupo De Trabajo Redes which is a private NGO working to empower domestic workers. This project was initially headed by Blanca Figuerao who is the President of the Board of Directors. Blanca was the women that I was in correspondence with and set up a wonderful opportunity for me to know more about the work that goes on there.
The NGO’s primary project is “La Casa de Panchita”. The name of the space is after a fictional character named “Panchita”. The story of Panchita which is one that is understood by many young women who find them in a situation in which they have to take domestic work to survive. The story of “Panchita” is used to communicate the issues which afflict those Blanca explains in a documentary that the situation of domestic workers in Lima is a dynamic of inequality. The workers are of a particuliar past, of a particular demographic. They are mostly from the highlands, they are indigenous, they move to the cities for work and are very prone to discrimination. The most at risk are the women and the children.
La Casa de Panchita is a safe space for many of the youth and women who do not have access to resources. There is an issue of the uneven urban development in Lima and their neighborhoods are plagued by a consciousness of inferiority. It is a complex of lacking the self esteem and the lack of affirmation in the right to ask for more. La Casa de Panchita is a house of several rooms currently being rented for the interest of the people to build stronger communities. The people who need it to be a haven for them to realize their potential and stand up to the possible injustices they will face.
I asked Johanna how she particularly was interested and introduced to this project. She has studies social Psychology and found out about the project through friends in school. Currently at the time of our visit there were a number of volunteers. Funding is an issue because the space is not fully theirs yet. They do not own it. The project of having a space that is fully theirs is important because they cannot fully utilize the space as much as needed without loads of beauracracy. Telefonico is one of the communications company that assists the NGO in thier sunday projects. The pictures below were taken at a sunday workshop in the Telefonico building. Other international sponsors such as Cordaid and Tierra de hombres have contributed to helping AGTR .
The particuliar day we visited we had the pleasure to see the kids involved in one of the interactive workshops. There are three every Sunday with about 60 children of different age groups. The workshops are designed to promote awareness, skills and creativity. The were many art projects that we saw where kids got to decorate and design something so they could ring something home with them.
La Casa De Panchita
Jan 24, I had the pleasure of meeting Johana Reyes who introduced me to the project and space of “La Casa De Panchita”. This project is headed by the NGO Asociacio Grupo De Trabajo Redes which is a private NGO working to empower domestic workers. This project was initially headed by Blanca Figuerao who is the President of the Board of Directors. Blanca was the women that I was in correspondence with and set up a wonderful opportunity for me to know more about the work that goes on there.
The NGO’s primary project is “La Casa de Panchita”. The name of the space is after a fictional character named “Panchita”. The story of Panchita which is one that is understood by many young women who find them in a situation in which they have to take domestic work to survive. The story of “Panchita” is used to communicate the issues which afflict those Blanca explains in a documentary that the situation of domestic workers in Lima is a dynamic of inequality. The workers are of a particuliar past, of a particular demographic. They are mostly from the highlands, they are indigenous, they move to the cities for work and are very prone to discrimination. The most at risk are the women and the children.
La Casa de Panchita is a safe space for many of the youth and women who do not have access to resources. There is an issue of the uneven urban development in Lima and their neighborhoods are plagued by a consciousness of inferiority. It is a complex of lacking the self esteem and the lack of affirmation in the right to ask for more. La Casa de Panchita is a house of several rooms currently being rented for the interest of the people to build stronger communities. The people who need it to be a haven for them to realize their potential and stand up to the possible injustices they will face.
I asked Johanna how she particularly was interested and introduced to this project. She has studies social Psychology and found out about the project through friends in school. Currently at the time of our visit there were a number of volunteers. Funding is an issue because the space is not fully theirs yet. They do not own it. The project of having a space that is fully theirs is important because they cannot fully utilize the space as much as needed without loads of beauracracy. Telefonico is one of the communications company that assists the NGO in thier sunday projects. The pictures below were taken at a sunday workshop in the Telefonico building. Other international sponsors such as Cordaid and Tierra de hombres have contributed to helping AGTR .
The particuliar day we visited we had the pleasure to see the kids involved in one of the interactive workshops. There are three every Sunday with about 60 children of different age groups. The workshops are designed to promote awareness, skills and creativity. The were many art projects that we saw where kids got to decorate and design something so they could ring something home with them.
This was important because many of them live in homes where there is little to decorate or feel proud of. The projects give them something special that they can bring home and share with their family. The day of my visit the kids were in the Telefonico building working with volunteers to make robots that could draw. It was a fairly simple project but it´s outcome was tremendous and engaging!
Other workshops aim at helping the mothers. There are workshops that, learn basic skills like cooking as well as interactive workshops that help them learn how to speak to employers or learn their rights as domestic workers. Joana reminded us of how important this was because they wanted to empower the women to know that to ask for more was something that they were entitled to do. In many of the homes where these women and children would clean or help out at, they are barely given enough to survive but at the same time made to feel like that is enough.
The most impressive thing about this NGO was that they were able to accomplish soo much with handful of workers and volunteers that they had. There was a schedule and plenty of work for the paid staff to do, but the volunteers and interns were paid in different ways. They were given access to more resources like computers, services etc..
In addition all the workshops are evaluated by the children and women to see if there is any way to make them more efficient and helpful to them. Suggestions are taken to improve affectivness.
Other than the amazing projects and work I saw at ``La Casa de Panchita`` there was an amazing sense of solidarity, warmth and patience there. As soon as you come in I was greeted with kisses. I saw the children in the workshop playing, growing , learning and delighted…being allowed to be children. This space is a crucial part of building the lives of so many people. The rewards these people feel are immesurable . Johana would tell me how she would see children and women come into the projects and space feeling standoffish and shy and then see them blossom into self aware, affectionate strong people.
Many thanks go out to Blanca Figuereo and Johana Reyes for their warm welcoming of me into the space, of taking time to tell me what they do and how they do it. I hope to carry on the struggle of these people and share it with anyone in interested in knowing more about this organization and the amazing home you have helped build.
Other workshops aim at helping the mothers. There are workshops that, learn basic skills like cooking as well as interactive workshops that help them learn how to speak to employers or learn their rights as domestic workers. Joana reminded us of how important this was because they wanted to empower the women to know that to ask for more was something that they were entitled to do. In many of the homes where these women and children would clean or help out at, they are barely given enough to survive but at the same time made to feel like that is enough.
The most impressive thing about this NGO was that they were able to accomplish soo much with handful of workers and volunteers that they had. There was a schedule and plenty of work for the paid staff to do, but the volunteers and interns were paid in different ways. They were given access to more resources like computers, services etc..
In addition all the workshops are evaluated by the children and women to see if there is any way to make them more efficient and helpful to them. Suggestions are taken to improve affectivness.
Other than the amazing projects and work I saw at ``La Casa de Panchita`` there was an amazing sense of solidarity, warmth and patience there. As soon as you come in I was greeted with kisses. I saw the children in the workshop playing, growing , learning and delighted…being allowed to be children. This space is a crucial part of building the lives of so many people. The rewards these people feel are immesurable . Johana would tell me how she would see children and women come into the projects and space feeling standoffish and shy and then see them blossom into self aware, affectionate strong people.
Many thanks go out to Blanca Figuereo and Johana Reyes for their warm welcoming of me into the space, of taking time to tell me what they do and how they do it. I hope to carry on the struggle of these people and share it with anyone in interested in knowing more about this organization and the amazing home you have helped build.
1 comment:
Hi Neha!
Makes me happy that you have liked your visit to Peru. I hope that you return soon.
A lot of luck in your trips!
Post a Comment