Sutton students learn of Peruvian students' plight

Students in Peru perform a dance. Students of Chitapampa, Peru, share their culture with Sutton Public School Photo/Kirsten Koza
“If I saw a guinea pig in Peru, I’d hide it in my coat.”
Josh Thomerson, from the Grade 4/5 split class at Sutton Public School, has discovered one of the cultural differences between Canada and Peru, is that Peruvians eat 65 million guinea pigs each year.
Months before mudslides trapped thousands of people at Machu Picchu, Sutton Public School had made a connection with a small, impoverished Peruvian school in the Cusco region.
It’s usually students at Sutton who are considered impoverished.
York Region District School Board rates Sutton Public School as a P+ school based upon statistics such as parental income.
But, compared to the students in Peru, “we’re all really rich”, students have learned.
While Sutton is moving to a new building, the school in Chitapampa doesn’t even have a library.
In fact, they don’t have books, computers or basic sports equipment. Their community doesn’t have a medical clinic, dentist or restaurants.

Principal Steve Young is excited by the prospect of students focusing on what they have instead of what they haven’t. It’s partly why he leapt at the opportunity of partnering with the Peru school last autumn.
When students were informed they’d been recognized internationally by www.leaplocal.org in the UK, for the work they’re doing – they didn’t care.
They aren’t volunteering for recognition.
Walter Hinton, from Sutton’s social adjustment class said, “We shouldn’t ask for anything, or expect anything in return.”

http://www.leaplocal.org/locals/view/302/

However, they’re passionate to talk about their project, what they’ve learned and their future plans.
Chitapampa was the first to take a step, with the assistance of an indigenous guide from www.motherearthtours.com. They sent drawings, stories about their daily lives, and even a DVD of their favourite music band – just visualize Jack Black’s Mexican wrestler in Nacho Libre.
Sutton’s students introduced themselves with postcards and made a Canadian quilt. Dr. Bross from Jackson’s Point got involved by sending a box of dental supplies that were accompanied to the Peruvian school with a dentist from Cusco.
But the next step is more challenging.
The students in Sutton have so many varied concerns they want to address from getting them playground equipment to ideas for fundraising including corporate-partnerships instead.
Kirsten Koza is author of Lost in Moscow available at chapters.ca and at Turn the Page in Sutton. Go to kirstenkoza.com for pictures of Peru.

-- UP --