By Ana Flores, Columban Lay Missionary
In June 2021, I returned to my home country Peru, and had the opportunity to be with people who were displaced and in distress, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During my visit, I had the chance to go to the Columban Fathers' place, where I encountered many people engaged in various activities. Among them were around 30 women, young people, and men involved in organic vegetable gardening. I also participated in an opening activity with children who were unable to attend their regular classes due to COVID-19 health protocols and restrictions. Representatives from organizations like UNICEF, the Department of Education of the Rimac-Lima region of Peru, and the Warmi Huasi (Women's House) Columbans Project, led by Father Edward O'Connell, also took part in the event.
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| Peruvian and Venezuelan children learning together |
Given my profession as a teacher, I was offered a teaching job at the project. However, since I have not taught for a long time and because I had prior commitments in another Columban mission area, I initially declined the offer. After almost a month, the person in charge of the Warmi Huasi project reached out to me again with the same request. This time, I decided to accept the offer for four days a week so that I could fulfill my other commitment as well.
Interacting with the children proved to be a heartwarming experience throughout those four months. We followed the distancing rules, keeping at least a meter apart and wearing masks all the time. However, it was quite challenging as we needed to come closer to each other to effectively teach reading and writing. As our connection with each other grew, the children started sharing their snacks with me, and we even had lunch together.
I began teaching children aged 4, 5, and 6 years old, which brought back memories of my teaching days. With my experience, it became somewhat easier, but I had to exercise more patience in handling children of different ages and preparing age-appropriate activities for their better learning. The challenge intensified when I was assigned to take care of third graders who were still learning to read and write. This situation required me to be less observant of the protocols as I needed to be closer to these mostly Peruvian and Venezuelan children.
My heart swelled with joy when one of the Venezuelan children articulated the word "chamo." I inquired why they called each other "chamo," and they explained that it was a term of endearment meaning friend, dude, brother, or sister. What I learned from them is that, in their situation, their nationality didn't matter; what mattered most to them was that they were friends and enjoyed each other's company. Kindness, mutual understanding, and a sense of belonging to one big family were some of the values I learned from them.
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| Ana Flores (middle) teaches children of different ages |
As we grew closer, I discovered that some of my Venezuelan students had been displaced, having traveled to Colombia and then to Peru. Others had even journeyed to Ecuador. In their stories of displacement, they recounted experiences of hunger, hopelessness, missing their family members, encountering relatives or new people who became their adopted family, and yearning for the place they once called home.
Reflecting back, their experience of displacement paralleled that of Mother Mary and Joseph, who traveled to Bethlehem. Similar to the Venezuelan families, they faced difficulties along the way. Eventually, they found a simple stable where Jesus was born, just as the Venezuelan families found humble places in different locations to seek refuge and provide sustenance for their loved ones.
Ana Flores returned to the Philippines in May 2022, after one year in Peru. She is now back in Mindanao serving at the Mother of Divine Mercy, Opol, Cagayan de Oro.
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