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Coming out of the campo after their unique yet similar experiences, all of the Youth Corps members had many stories to share. As they talked about their adventures with one another, the depth and importance of their time visiting the CARE projects was obvious. Every story they told showed how much they had learned to appreciate CARE's work, and also how they had developed a new respect for the lives and communities that were so different from anything they had ever experienced.
The night made stars out of Taylor Stern and Berenice Hernandez after they were interviewed on the most popular Cajamarca news program.
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Taylor Stern talks about the CARE Youth Corps experience with a Cajamarca TV news anchor. All photos by Scott Gribble © CARE 2001.
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With the occasional nervous giggle, the girls gave an endearing and informative presentation of the Youth Corps' mission in Peru. Berenice explained the importance of youth and our ability to forge a future for a world in touch with itself as a global community. Taylor talked about how the Peruvian "campo" taught her to understand and respect the tightly knit, hardworking communities of the area, communities that, in many ways, have things we lack in the United States.
We also got the chance to learn a little about the history of Cajamarca on a guided tour. Our first stop on the tour was the famous "Ventanillas de Cajamarca."
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"Las ventanillas de Cajamarca."
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Although there are many ruins around the region, this Pre-Incan specimen is striking. The ventanillas, or windows, are cut into volcanic rock and are presumed to have been used as resting grounds for the remains Cajamarca's dead around 1200 AD. Our guide spoke about the religious beliefs of the Cajamarca culture as understood through the writings of Spanish priests, and some of us doubted the accuracy of our modern interpretations. The Youth Corps girls talked a lot about the importance of realizing biases when analyzing history.
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A local artist's interpretation of the execution of the last Inca king.
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The most interesting part of the tour was getting the opportunity to see the "Rescate del Inca." This one room building -- the only Inca ruin in Cajamarca -- was where the Spanish imprisoned and killed the last Inca king. In many ways, this event represented the final conquest of the Spanish over the indigenous heart of Peru.
Our last night in Cajamarca was spent at a lovely restaurant with all the CARE staff that we had grown so close with during the last week. Standing in a circle, we tossed around a ball of string from person to person, creating a magnificent web that served to represent the beauty and connection that we found in Cajamarca.
When tossed the ball of string, each person spoke about his or her experiences during the week. Tears flowed as the girls spoke about their favorite times in Cajamarca. Many of the Youth Corps members talked about the incredible communities into which they had been received.
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Youth Corps students listen attentively on their tour of historic Cajamarca.
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In this last goodbye, the Youth Corps seemed to speak much less about how the trip made them appreciate what they have at home, and more about how their time in the "campo" allowed them to appreciate what their communities are missing in the States. They had nothing but admiration for CARE's work; work that affected change at the local level, work that helped people to help themselves, work that served as a tremendous source of pride for the incredible people that are the "campesinos."