How it all began - My way to Pamuri
In August 2018 I embarked on the first great journey of my life. All I had planned was that I would spend three weeks with my friend Katja and her son Enno in Colombia. After traveling through some places in Colombia, I decided to travel to Ecuador and finally to Peru.
After a few months of travel, in December, I traveled to Lima, Peru, where I stayed with Carolina, whom I did not know but who welcomed me with open arms. Carolina told me about her aunt Ana, her cousin Santi, and the Mukmu NGO that they had in Huancavelica. I met them both and we exchanged ideas about my work with children and young people in Germany and their vision of Mukmu in Pamuri (the area of Huancavelica where the NGO is located). Ana and Santi asked me if I could imagine doing the first workshops with children and young people in Pamuri. I was excited, but I was also a little afraid of this great task. I had no previous experience of working abroad and in a foreign culture, but the fact that Ana and Santi welcomed me so warmly and trusted me and my abilities encouraged me to embark on the Mukmu adventure.
That’s how I came to Pamuri, to find Mukmu, wonderful people and also to find myself.
After a few months of travel, in December, I traveled to Lima, Peru, where I stayed with Carolina, whom I did not know but who welcomed me with open arms. Carolina told me about her aunt Ana, her cousin Santi, and the Mukmu NGO that they had in Huancavelica. I met them both and we exchanged ideas about my work with children and young people in Germany and their vision of Mukmu in Pamuri (the area of Huancavelica where the NGO is located). Ana and Santi asked me if I could imagine doing the first workshops with children and young people in Pamuri. I was excited, but I was also a little afraid of this great task. I had no previous experience of working abroad and in a foreign culture, but the fact that Ana and Santi welcomed me so warmly and trusted me and my abilities encouraged me to embark on the Mukmu adventure.
That’s how I came to Pamuri, to find Mukmu, wonderful people and also to find myself.
The beginning of my Mukmu work
Before starting my work with Mukmu, Santi wanted to familiarize me with the Huancavelica region, so we spent three days together at the Lodge, where I met members of the area. They welcomed me warmly and openly, so it was easy for me to decide to stay. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture of the region, meet the people, get in touch with them and have experiences with the children in the nature workshops.
An activity in nature
At Christmas I traveled alone to Pamuri, where I spent the first few days at the Lodge. There I met Eder’s family (a member of the Lodge team), who made me feel welcome and accepted from the first moment. I spent a lot of time with his two children, Silvia and Ederson, with whom I began to develop some activities. I was very excited to see that they immediately engaged with my ideas and immersed themselves in the nature of Pamuri with me.
After a few days I met Norka, a local teacher who was interested in supporting my project, so in the following days we went from house to house to tell the families in the area that we wanted to do nature workshops with the children. , to which many families responded enthusiastically.
After a few days I met Norka, a local teacher who was interested in supporting my project, so in the following days we went from house to house to tell the families in the area that we wanted to do nature workshops with the children. , to which many families responded enthusiastically.
The beginning of the workshops
With the workshops in nature, he sought to get to know the children better and accompany them to explore nature in a playful way, thus they would get to know it with another approach and get to know themselves. All this in order to achieve Mukmu’s goal: discover the hidden talents in ourselves and their importance to help improve the world.
Many children and also some parents came to our first workshop, for which we were super happy. With some games we met and created a great mandala with materials from nature.
Many children and also some parents came to our first workshop, for which we were super happy. With some games we met and created a great mandala with materials from nature.
A mandala of nature
Deep contact with nature
From January 31 to February 28 we carry out summer vacation activities, from Monday to Thursday, from 3 pm to 5 pm for activities in nature and from 5 pm to 6 pm to play soccer. The structure was as follows:
1. Open start
2. Welcome and round of feelings
3. The quiet space
4. Activity
5. Reflection
6. The End
In the workshops we did activities such as: painting stones, discovering nature, making colors from natural materials, painting and making a rainbow with natural materials, discovering and studying the senses in nature, working and making reflections in a personalized diary, carving and much more.
The children showed great interest in the activities. After a few days they came with their own ideas, wishes and discoveries, which I found wonderful, because that was my goal, to help the children to implement their own ideas and follow their own interests. In this way, they can discover their talents and use them for themselves and for the communities.
One day the children came to me and told me that they had found toads, so we declared the week “Toad Week” and dedicated ourselves to exploring their development and life with creative methods. Among the activities we carried out, we also collected garbage, we planted a small vegetable garden, we organized a football championship, we went hiking and celebrated Easter together.
The children showed great interest in the activities. After a few days they came with their own ideas, wishes and discoveries, which I found wonderful, because that was my goal, to help the children to implement their own ideas and follow their own interests. In this way, they can discover their talents and use them for themselves and for the communities.
One day the children came to me and told me that they had found toads, so we declared the week “Toad Week” and dedicated ourselves to exploring their development and life with creative methods. Among the activities we carried out, we also collected garbage, we planted a small vegetable garden, we organized a football championship, we went hiking and celebrated Easter together.
Later I met Irene, the kindergarten teacher, to whom I told her about my work and she liked it a lot, so we decided to do a forest day a week as part of the children’s educational activities. While carrying out the activities, it was very nice to see the children interact with nature and use it to learn.
I had the opportunity to attend an event organized by the Association for the Defense and Development of the Andean Communities of Peru (ADECAP), where the German NGO “Welthaus Bielefeld” was represented with 2 volunteers who carried out projects in the communities, and thus was created a first network.
In addition to my work with the children, I met more families and explored the communities, who welcomed me warmly from the beginning. Of course, first I had to familiarize myself with other customs and cultural habits, but the people made it easy for me, they took me everywhere and let me participate in their daily life and customs.
I had the opportunity to attend an event organized by the Association for the Defense and Development of the Andean Communities of Peru (ADECAP), where the German NGO “Welthaus Bielefeld” was represented with 2 volunteers who carried out projects in the communities, and thus was created a first network.
In addition to my work with the children, I met more families and explored the communities, who welcomed me warmly from the beginning. Of course, first I had to familiarize myself with other customs and cultural habits, but the people made it easy for me, they took me everywhere and let me participate in their daily life and customs.
Toad week
I also had the opportunity to visit the school, the carnival and they even allowed me to attend a baptism. I was very touched by the warmth and openness of the people.
Outdoor childhood education
In Germany I founded an NGO Mukmu to be able to continue supporting Mukmu in Peru and to be able to carry out similar projects. I am infinitely grateful that so many people in Peru continue with the work of Mukmu and that they allow me to be part of them.
In April 2020, I wanted to go back to Pamuri for half a year, which unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow me to do, but I am happy that Mukmu has been able to continue to support the region and is slowly able to plan and implement more projects with people. I will finally return to Pamuri this April, and I am very excited to meet everyone there again and plan new projects.
I hope that members of Pamuri and the surrounding area, as well as people all over the world, will be inspired by Mukmu and can turn to nature, discover its talents and resources, and use them to treat themselves and the world well. During my time in Pamuri, I also had direct access to nature, myself, my fellow human beings and the world. Time brought me closer to my own culture, but it also helped me to think outside the box, to discover the comfortable situation in which I find myself, but also to take small steps, with a little fear, but a lot of courage and confidence to start and to use my own skills.
My heart goes out to Pamuri and Mukmu, but no matter where you are, whether in Pamuri, Peru, Germany, on your own doorstep, in your own heart or anywhere else you must take action and help. I would like to end this article with the words of Meister Eckhart (1260-1328): “And suddenly you know: it’s time to start something new and trust in the magic of the beginning.”
In April 2020, I wanted to go back to Pamuri for half a year, which unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow me to do, but I am happy that Mukmu has been able to continue to support the region and is slowly able to plan and implement more projects with people. I will finally return to Pamuri this April, and I am very excited to meet everyone there again and plan new projects.
I hope that members of Pamuri and the surrounding area, as well as people all over the world, will be inspired by Mukmu and can turn to nature, discover its talents and resources, and use them to treat themselves and the world well. During my time in Pamuri, I also had direct access to nature, myself, my fellow human beings and the world. Time brought me closer to my own culture, but it also helped me to think outside the box, to discover the comfortable situation in which I find myself, but also to take small steps, with a little fear, but a lot of courage and confidence to start and to use my own skills.
My heart goes out to Pamuri and Mukmu, but no matter where you are, whether in Pamuri, Peru, Germany, on your own doorstep, in your own heart or anywhere else you must take action and help. I would like to end this article with the words of Meister Eckhart (1260-1328): “And suddenly you know: it’s time to start something new and trust in the magic of the beginning.”
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