Clinical Cultural Immersion: The Peru Experience

Student Narratives - 15 March 2006 - Chelsea Whitmore

      This past Friday we had a unique experience at the clinic. Cecelia the midwife provides six prenatal classes with the pregnant women in the community.  Because Cecelia was conducting the last of the six classes when we arrived, she shared the information contained in each class with us.  During the six weeks that Cecelia works with the pregnant women, she not only provides useful knowledge about exercise and preparation for birth, but also presents pregnancy and birthing as a positive experience.  In some cases, having another child may be viewed as an economic burden, and delivery perceived as “nothing but a painful experience”.  Therefore, Cecelia’s classes are valuable when helping the mothers find strength within themselves, bond with their child, and have a more positive view of themselves as women. 

       On Saturday, Father Alex provided us with the opportunity to tour the historical Santa Catalina Monastery.  Inside the walls of this Monastery, we were given insight into the daily life of a nun, from the past to the present.  For example, we were told that during a certain time period, a woman's destiny was determined by her order of birth.  If a woman was the second born, she had no choice but to enter into the life of a nun.  From the time she was 12 years old, the woman would spend the rest of her life confined within the monastery walls.  We were overwhelmed by the idea that the nuns spent their entire lives in solitude.  On the other hand, it was enlightening to learn that this was a position of honor that women strived to attain. 

        After mass on Sunday morning, Father Alex treated all of us to lunch at a restaurant that served typical Arequipan food.  We sampled a variety of traditional dishes, including native beans, and several of the over 100 types of potatoes found in Peru.  Cuy, otherwise known as Guinea Pig, is a favorite meat among locals in Arequipa because of its taste and availability.  Members of our group thought it was a great opportunity to experience this aspect of Arequipan culture. 

        Today, Tuesday March 14th, we had an early morning expedition to the surrounding areas.  We began by observing how the local population sought employment for the day.  Father Alex explained to us that men, women, and children walked from all over the city and its outskirts to gather at this designated area every day in hopes of finding work.  He also explained that only one half to two thirds of the people will find work.  This was a very humbling experience for us because it is outside of our realm to imagine living life day to day with such uncertainty.  For us, the constant insecurity of not knowing whether you will have work for the day would cause intense personal and family stress.  We admire and commend the local population for their determination in overcoming the obstacles they face.

Photos

A view inside the monastery

Dome of the church inside the monastery

Ascending stairway to lookout over monastery

Erin, Lauren, Chelsea and Laura experiencing Cuy (guinea pig)

The alpacas on their last day at the clinic (Jenna, Chelsea, Blair, Laura, Allison)

A view of the front of Father Alex's church

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Please check the website each Monday and Wednesday for newly posted written and pictorial accounts of the students' experiences.