Lessons Across Cultures

Holy Cross Rumson (soon-to-be) 8th graders, I know you’re on summer break right now, but I really hope you’ll read this!

Yesterday we had a big party with the kids from Colegio Sagrada Familia – the highlight being a ceremony to give the kids their new uniforms! In prior posts I’ve talked about all of the amazing fundraising my pen-pals in New Jersey did this year to support CMMB’s work in Perú. Holy Cross School in Rumson, New Jersey put on a concert to support about 100 kids with disabilities in the community of La Esperanza. (They raised $2,700! Way to go Holy Cross!)

When I assessed the best use of the funds with the Hermanas Del Buen Soccorro, the nuns who run the school, they thought that the kids could really use uniforms. My first impression was – Um, uniforms? The physical therapist in me was already 2 steps ahead, planning dimensions for all of the needed rehab. equipment for each patient – new wheelchairs and walkers, orthoses?! Pediatric therapy equipment?! But, uniforms?

However, when I took a few steps back, looking at culture-specific factors I realized how much of an impact something simple like clothing can have on a community. The Peruvian culture highly values personal appearance. Kids who attend the other “normal” schools ALL have uniforms – it’s all about pride. Colegio Sagrada Familia functions on the bare minimum of funds and cannot provide the kids with uniforms. Most of the kids, who live in a very poor neighborhood, show up wearing the same clothes – often dirty and unsuited for the climate - each day. Furthermore, if we use the funds to serve ten kids vs. 100, how is that bringing the community – complete with physical and mental disabilities - together?

In the end it all worked out; an anonymous donor from Alaska sent down wheelchair components, so we were able to outfit the kids receiving therapy in better-fitting assistive devices, while also being able to give a uniform to every child. A small local sewing factory that employs women seeking refuge from situations of abuse or violence hand-made the uniforms. Going through a smaller company caused a delay in the production, but was a great way to put the money directly into the community on the grassroot level.

Yesterday, I was able to soak in the school and community impact of the donations. Hundreds of people - students and family members – came to the auditorium for the party. I gave a speech on the mission of CMMB and some information about the students at Holy Cross Rumson and their fundraising efforts. Games followed – dancing, relay races, the mummy contest, partner games, and of course (true to Peruvian style) – more dancing. No Peruvian event is complete without food – so we served tamales and juice, handing out the uniforms at the end.

Throughout the entire event, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. It was obvious that the party was a great way to bring the families together – an important rare form of peer support in this culture for parents and siblings of kids who have disabilities. Students and their parents alike were coming up to me, sharing their stories, their gratitude and giving lots of hugs. And the kids had a blast!

I simply cannot say it enough - THANK YOU Holy Cross Rumson for your incredible commitment to supporting CMMB and children with disabilities. On a personal level, you also taught me lessons about community and culture – and the importance of attending to a community’s desires vs. my own outside assessment of what I think they need. I hope that in the future, we’ll witness a sustainable relationship based on cross-cultural awareness and support between New Jersey and La Esperanza. The kids, families and teachers from Colegio Sagrada Familia want me to pass on their “Saludos” and a big “Muchas Gracias por todo!”