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The more you give, the more you receive Air Malta Staff on Voluntary Work Experience in Peru Picture shows, from left to right: Jacqueline Brincat, Bernadette Gouder Valletta, Father George Scerri, Michelle Gatt, Mr Mauricio Chirinos, Marianne Dazzi, Glorianne Mifsud, Roseanne Buttigieg, Maris Camilleri, Tony Borg, Pauline Zammit, and Father Alex Busuttil.
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group of eight current and former Air Malta employees together embarked on a three-week period of voluntary work experience in Alto Cayma, a community located on the outskirts of Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru. The group saw for itself the realities of poverty, hunger and the lack of education being experienced by local families on a daily basis – an experience that will leave its mark on the group for many years to come. Alto Cayma is home to thousands of people seeking an escape from the harsh realities of the mountains and uplands of Peru and the prospect of a better life in the city. With few resources and limited skills, such people struggle under severe economic pressures. It is hardly surprising that the elderly are often neglected and that children’s education also suffers. Peru, a land far away from home, is a country of contrasts. A thirtyminute drive from the beautiful Unesco World Heritage city of Arequipa takes you to Alto Cayma. There, reality hits hard. The stark contrast could not be greater once you have seen for yourself the hardships its people endure simply to survive. There are other impressions, including the destructive effect of heavy rainfall on the poor roads of Alto Cayma’s humble settlements, rendering them impassable to normal vehicles. Basic necessities such as electricity and water are scarce, and local people are rationed to a limited number of buckets of water each week. Families often live in small and very cramped rooms and have to make do with inadequate facilities. Some of these rooms are even sub-divided. Finding employment is also difficult, which inevitably makes exploitation an all too common fact of life. Very young children often have to be left at home while their parents are out working long hours in order to make ends meet. We form a picture of poverty from the media and via other social networks, but actually witnessing it at first hand was a very different experience. Living among the people of Alto Cayma and seeing them go through the daily hardships of survival was indeed another reality. The three weeks spent in their midst made the Air Malta group more aware than ever of Alto Cayma’s very real needs. The Maltese Missionary Society of St. Paul (M.S.S.P.), founded in Malta by Mons. de Piro, does an extraordinary job on a daily basis, and the group supplemented
its work by lending a helping hand at the Aldea Sagrada Famiglia, a residential home run by the M.S.S.P. This is a shelter for abandoned children and now also a centre for families. Accompanied by a local social worker supported by the Maltese missionaries, the Air Malta group also made a number of home visits. The nature of these varied, but often the main thing the people wanted was just the comfort of being listened to and the opportunity to talk about the daily struggles of survival. During this period the airline’s group were also involved in a programme of food preparation and distribution. 120 families in the area of Alto Cayma benefit from this initiative and food is offered to the neediest families free of charge and on a daily basis. Glorianne Mifsud, a member of the Air Malta group, later spoke of the extraordinary experience: “The people of Alto Cayma are extremely grateful and appreciative. The moment you meet them they literally manage to make you forget the long trip you made to reach them. Reaching out to them is the least we can do. We travelled with the intention to give unconditionally, but at the end they were the ones who rewarded us the most. They have a tiny room they call home and welcome you open heartedly; they have hardly any food on their tables and very limited belongings, yet they never complain, have huge faith, and give you some of the most genuine unforgettable smiles and hugs.” She added: “Don't be afraid to be generous with these people, whether by visiting and spending time amongst them, or even by donating money which is very important to keep and sustain all the hard work the missionaries carry out with these people. Sometimes it might not change their lives completely, but surely it will make it better, both for them and yourselves.” There will be various fundraising activities organised for the poor of Peru during the coming months. All proceeds will go towards the endless work being carried out by M.S.S.P. Anyone wishing to contribute to this very worthy cause should do so through the following bank account: Fondazzjoni CAM-CPI BOV Bank A/C no. 40024681135 VO/1362 St. Joseph Home, St. Joseph High Road, St. Venera SVR 1010 - Malta
Further information may be obtained from Fr Louis Mallia (+356) 9942 0876.