The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ust when Heather Grant Ithoughl her heart couldn't take anymore sadness at the Peru prison day care. she was transferred to a similar scene at a local orphanage. "What an interesting place." said the Waterloo woman. who was on the tail end of her volunteer mis- sion in poverty-stricken Ayacucho. Peru. "First off. a crowd of boys greets yqu at the door. look ing for familiar faces. hoping to make a contact with new faces In minutes I had kids holding my hands and giv- ing me hugs -- quite atypi- cal for an otherwise shy cul- ture. "We did stuff like soccer. marbles and basketball. They have essentials like clothing, food, and educa- tion, but frills like soccer A woman Sifts rice on a street In the core of Ayatucho, Peru The following story is Part 3 (in three-part series. BY ANDREA BAILEY - grumble Staff -- Peru mission changes Waterloo woman's life forever balls -- the only ball was half deflated - were hard to come by. "The dorm room was a long mom with bunk beds, kind of like you see in old movies. The gathering room had a TV. and about half the kids ended up fixated there. Some kids played 'catch the water bottle' with me for almost an hour. Stones and pebbles are frequently used toys. "They had plentiful water, and I think it may "I saw the responsibilities these kids have and meet... my expectations for my own kids are not very challenging." A different world - Heather Grant volunteer CITY NEWS have been heated. However, they were all expected to wash their own clothes. apparently even the five- year-olds. I don't know the age limits. but I know some were under five and some looked about " or so. "There was a long trough-like sink outside in the play yard with several taps. There were three kids in there at one point, right in the sink because they were too small to reach. washing their clothes and hanging them up. Going by how dirty they all were. this was the only washing they got. "I was watching the kids washing their clothes at the orphanage. and I thought a few things. First of all, they looked very funny standing in the sink, heads down, bums up, scrubbing their clothes. "I saw the "sportsilrilities these kids have and meet, and realize that my expecta- tions for my own kids are not very challenging. They need help putting their toys on shelves. they are not independent laundry wash- ers. The worst part of the laundry is the constant skin problems these kids all have. When they touched me. their skin cut mine. It's beyond simple dryness. more like psoriasis or some- Some of the children had spent the first part of their lives in prison with their incarcerated mothers. But since children must leave the prison by the age of four. many then end up at an orphanage. One of the indigeno tribes of Peru, who live in the jungle. Most indigenous people are Quechua. but there re some small tribes of other people scattered around. At a boys' orphanage where Grant volunteered. the ages of the children ranged from seven to 17. Once they turn 1? and are finished high school, they are turned out of the orphanage to make it on their own. "Some get a chance at trade school; some go work in the jungle." Grant said. ode tGy especially still puts a lump in Grant's throat. "Music is as popular there as with any other group of kids, particularly the teens." she said. "One ("i,i,ijiiiji;iiih, @9914 Y! I day a kid was listening to music in English. and want- ed me to transcribe the words for him so that he could sing along more easi- ly. Ok, I wrote them down, but nothing on this earth would make me explain to the kid what it meant. Avril Lavigne is very popular there. Then the kids kept singing and forcing me to sing. It was a bad scene all around. I outright refused to sing the Celene Dion song. "The boy I talked to, who loves music and knows much of the technical ter- minology of his craft, will likely end up carrying bricks when he is an adult. "This kid knew alto from contrallo. loves to sing, has a decent voice and a face that will sell albums. He also 'Ayacucho opened its arms to me...” - Heather Grant volunteer ""--s..,. The Old Tram Station Parking Lot Regina Street at Em Street Uptown Waterloo Sale Hours Wednesday, August 24th thru l Saturday, August 27th f 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 pm. Sunday, August 28th 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm loves literature and poetry. But no one will ever know. I wish I could afford to send him to university." "When I left my family in the airport, it felt like I was tearing a piece of my heart out to walk away fram them." she said. "I had no idea that it would be the same thing when I left Ayacucho. More intense because I don't have the promise of returning in a few weeks. Grant has thought about this young boy, and what could become of him, since arriving home in mid July. In fact, she's thought about the many people she tried to help and teach dur- ing her stay, "When will be the next time I see people pushing portable stoves down the street cooking food from the highlands for passers-by? "Ayacucho opened its arms to me, I sat where they sat. I ate where they ate, and I had hot showers in a city where few did, I heard their stories. I begged of their patience while I strug- glad With their language, I left a piece of my heart there. I will relurn for it."