IN FAVOR OF THE LITTLE ONES

During our visit to the native community of Maranniato, in the Kugapacori territorial reserve, in Alto Camisea, we were asked about the situation of the first-grade children, who did not have a classroom to study. What they had, already in a pitiful state, had finally been totally undone. The community, which had wood and some calamine, asked for support to the Kirigueti mission to build a new classroom to receive the children. We agreed to the request, so we provided the missing materials, advice from Fray Wilber, and the community’s commitment to prepare the ground and contribute the work. In addition, teachers supported and coordinated the transfer of what was needed.  

We left Kirigueti, spending the night in Shivankoreni, from where we sailed at 4 am to reach Maranniato at noon. The Camisea river was calm and with abundant water after the flood of the previous day. Willy and Hector drove wonderfully, which made the trip an impressive placidity, allowing us to contemplate and recreate at dawn for the first time. We met some community members at the port and Professor Luzmila welcomed us with the masato. Women had washed blankets and spread them out on the rocks to dry.

Without wasting a moment, the work begins with a good group of commoners who form two teams of carpenters: Jesu, Ignacio, Virgilio, Daniel, Jeremias, Martin, Benjamin, Guido, Gerardo, Vilmo and Chief Nicodemo.

Before the end of the afternoon there were 5 scissors and they have marked the ground, despite the rain having started.

These have been happy days; we have been satisfied and grateful for this experience of sharing a lot of time. We have also felt the necessity of learning their language. These have been days of community work, of getting to know each other better, of living and feeling freedom, of continuing to learn, unlearn and relearn, of walking together, of entering this culture, without judgments, without presupposing anything, of accepting differences and the mystery in that God reveals to us at every moment, in every circumstance we experience and which we so often do not understand, and that is precisely because it is a mystery.

We can only say: Mission accomplished. Thank you for the gift of this shared time.

Sister Pilar Barrero

Community of Kiriguetti, Peru.

Marankiato, December 1, 2021.