Pisco Sin Fronteras

Pisco Sin Fronteras is a volunteer organization that was created after 2 other organizations who had origially came to Pisco to help after the earthquake in 2007. They help out in the community to build houses, toilets, schools, or whatever project needs help with. People from all over the world come to work with this organization to help out.

We start each morning off with breakfast and a meeting about which projects are available to work on. You choose which one you want to work on, and head out for the day. Usually, if your working for a family, they cook you lunch, which is pretty good, then come back for dinner at PSF.

My first job was to build three classrooms, including walls and a roof for a new school in a poor neighborhood. When we got there, there was only estera walls (made out of bamboo sheets). Inside, we messured off the size to make 3 classrooms and started digging into sand to put up posts. We had to wet the sand to keep it from falling back into the hole we just dug. It was extremely hot, and sweety work. We walked around the neighborhood to collect larger rocks to fill in the holes after we set in the posts. Some of the wood we had was donated which helped in the cost of this project. After setting in the posts, we attached smaller poles horizontally to connect the posts together. 3 across at different levels. Two are to attach the estera walls and a higher one for the ceiling. Building this school is nothing you would ever do in the States, the supplies they had to work with was mind blowing to me. I had to ask what they were talking about because i couldnt imagine using a bamboo sheet as a wall.

Anyway, we got a lot done that morning, in time for the woman who is going to live and teach in the school, to come get us for lunch. We walked a few blocks down the road to her house, which she shared with about 4 other families. Had a delicous lunch, rested in the shade, and took a nice break before heading back out into the sun and heat. Within the one day, we had all the posts, and beams up ready to attach the walls and roof the next day. It was quite impressive how much work we were able to do so quickly.

The next day, Ashley came with me to this project. We started to attached the walls and add a plastic tarp roof. A plastic tarf for a roof. crazy. It had some holes in it and i asked about rain. Well, apparently it doesnt rain here and if it does, it is only sprinkles that last a short time. So no worries about a few holes. The tarps were also donated, so we have to use the supplies we have. You would think it would get really hot inside too, under black tarp, but it isnt so bad. Its shade and that is so much better than being out in the sun.

We had 2 really hard days of work at PSF and finally it was saturday. Ashley´s last day before catching a bus up to Lima to fly home that night back to MN. We had planned to get a tuctuc (small motorcycle taxi) into town to the Plaza de Armas, walk around the market and take it easy before she had to go back. But guess again. Everyone in the house was woken up with the news that there had been a huge 8.8 earthquake in Chile and that there was a Tsunami on the way. So we all had to pack a small bag, and abandon our house and head inland more. They actaully sent us to the same school i had worked on for the past 2 days. It was a bit crazy that morning, as i had to quickly say goodbye to Ashley as i got into a taxi with the people i was sharing a room with to head to the school. Thankfully, another peruvian girl had to go to Lima that day anyway, and Ashley was able to go with her. I knew she would be safe and Lima is higher ground so they shouldnt have a problem. I felt terrible having to leave her, and worried about her all day.

The rest of the volunteers arrived at the school in a huge delivery truck with people just standing in the back end of it. It was funny to see the truck coming down the road with heads sticking out on the top. We all just waited around in the shade for a few hours until we were told, that the same lady who cooked me lunch for the past two days, had invited everyone over for some fruit salad. There were about 60 of us. Back at her house, we sat around in the shade in some comfortable chairs and had a delicous fruit salad. She also offered to make lunch for everyone. We said no, but she wouldnt hear it. She made another amazing meal, and we all piched in a few soles to pay for it. She wouldnt accept the money, so we told her to put it towards supplies for the school. She was very touched by that. Around 4 we heard we were in the clear and that only a foot high Tsunami had hit the beach. And there was nothing else to worry about. So we jumped onto a bus and headed back to our house. We decided to have people on the roof to watch the beach just incase something did happen. So we had a little party on the roof. I saw a beautiful sunset from there and you can look around at all the half built/half destroyed buildings. Such a crazy view.

So on this trip, i have surrvived a flooding and avalanches and now earthquakes and tsunami. Almost makes me want to come home where i think it is safe.

My next days of volunteering have been to update a powerpoint presentation to send out to people and companies to inform them what PSF is all about and to ask for donations. I hope to send that presentation out for anyone who is interested in helping those families who dont have a home. I also started working on a mural at another school. The last 3 days, i have been at this school where we finished one wall that has a train, boat, and little girl holding balloons as they are all floating in the sky. The next 2 walls are side by side going to be a jungle scene. We started yeterday drawing different animals on the wall and starting to paint a few with the colors we had availble. I drew the head of an elephant, a tucan, a cheeta, and helped with the hippos mouth. I really liked the tucan and started to paint the beak all different colors. Already, it looks great and will be amazing to see finished.

PSF is a great organization working hard everyday to find new people who need homes or have projects they need finished and either dont have enough money for supplies or labor. We provide the free labor, and help with donations for supplies.

Last night we had a silent auction after dinner. People donated things they didnt want anymore and we walked around bidding on the different objects. We kept a few great objects for the end to be properly auctioned off. It was crazy how much people were spending for random objects. The few i remember that went for the most were ínto the wild´book. A CD of all the different lanuages, an official number 1 vulunteer certificate, and a backpack with waterpoouch in the back. As backpackers, who dont generally have that much money to spare. We raised over $1000 soles last night. It was truely amazing and a fun night to be apart of.

People come here for a few days and end up staying for weeks to months. It such a good environment and you feel so good at the end of the day after a hards days work helping someone who needs it. The families are so grateful and love to try to communicate and tell their stories, usually while enjoying their amazing lunch.