Día de la Tierra

Earth Day (aka “Día de la Tierra”) is the 22nd of April. All of the Environmental PCVs were required to organize some activity for community awareness. I decided to show a viewing of part of the movie “Earth” (the new Disney movie that came out for last year’s Earth day) and prepared a small talk about the significance of Día de la Tierra for the students of the middle and high schools, but also wanted to have some sort of hands on activity. Taking the lead from the Peruvians, we decided to have a parade in honor of Día de la Tierra – a generalization of course but Peruvians LOVE their parades and have plenty experience with organizing them!

It went smoothly, all the students from the two schools participated with signs they had made, and then lined up in the plaza for some animated speeches by the teachers. Knowing that I had prepared a speech and knowing that my voice does not carry (anyone who knows me understands that my “loud, speaking voice” is appropriate for everyone else’s quieter “inside voice”), they decide that I should speak from the loudspeaker microphone on top of the Municipality building in front of all the students lined up in the plaza. A little unexpected and intimidating, given that I had expected a mellow little presentation inside before watching the video…but you have to go with the flow in Peace Corps, right?

Afterwards, we all entered the Municipality building to view the first 30 minutes of the movie. The kids really enjoyed it – when I got up to cut it short as the high school principal had recommended, everyone was very disappointed that we weren’t going to watch the full video, but more for the next occasion

Hasta luego,
Lauren



Middle school students and teachers participating in the community parade for Earth Day.

The view of me presenting from top of the Municipality building in the Plaza.

The high school students, with their beautiful signs, listening to my speech.

The middle school students, also with their signs, sitting in the other side of the Plaza to listen to my speech.