Life in Lamud

Time moves slowly here, very slowly.  While I think I would be stir crazy staying here for much longer than a month, the pace is a welcome break - to think, to observe and to rest.  Since I last posted, we have visited Chachapoyas, worked in the fields, made friends with the town, gone on over-ambitious hikes, showered in difficult-to-breath-in water, and started to make this town feel like home.  I have peeled potatoes in preparation for the thursday feria, milled some type of grass to add with water to the garden, and played sunday volleyball against some expert peruvians.  We spent the day today with a man Raul who buys aracacha and beets from the mother's club; we visited some of the plots that have been planted and I enjoyed listening to the group discuss their problems and practical details.  We have conducted a few interviews, and learned about the history and present of the mothers club through small interactions every day, and have begun to identify opportunities and areas where we could lend support.  Saturday was my first Peruvian party, with people from Spain, France, Poland, and who knows where.

What has most captured my attention so far is the issue of immigration.  It seems that just about everyone here has family in Lima, or at least some other major city.  The distribution of age within Lamud lacks balance, with an older generation and many young children but an absent middle age/young group.  I wonder if children are interested in agriculture now, or if most youth dream of fleeing Lamud for the possibilities of the big city.  I really have difficulty imagining that life is better for most in Lima, as the miles after miles of shacks completely covering dangerous mountain sides on the outskirts of the city are an overwhelming sight.  When people leave Lamud, what do they expect to find in Lima?  And I wonder how often their expectations are met.  Lamud is a beautiful town; the people live in incredible natural beauty, have a rich culture and religion, and a strong sense of solidarity.  I wonder what Lamud will look like twenty years from now.  What does development and growth entail for the town?  Maybe it will stay exactly as it is, but most likely not.  Is development inevitable?  It is necessary?  I don't know whether the people would be better off with more industry and a larger economy, or if development at the expense of community and the environment would ruin Lamud.  Lamud is a wonderful place, but yes, many people struggle to meet their basic needs and live in very basic, sometimes dangerous conditions.  Sitting in my home's living room with Pablo and Pedro around the tiny TV that plays two channels, I witness first hand the influence of Western media and the appeal it exerts on two ten year old boys in isolated Lamud.  Places like this offer exciting opportunity though, a chance to build and strengthen the local economies and infrastructure while preserving the elements that make the place unique.  Can we maintain the sense of tranquility while improving education, job opportunities, and technology?  I don't know the answer, and following the typical path of development, it is probably no.  So I hope that Lamud chooses to tread down a new, undiscovered route and that years from now, I can return to bask in the rainy sunshine of a simple Sunday afternoon by the town dairy and play volleyball with a diverse group of individuals gathered to share a bit of their day.