Situated in Cerrito de la Virgen, a small town roughly a 30 minute walk from central Huanchaco, a new project – The Skate Ramp - has been put in place, with the help of Otra Cosa Network Volunteers with the aim of inspiring the local children of the community. The Skate Ramp was set up in 2010 by two volunteers - Johannes from Germany and Oliver from England – as part of the Un Lugar Surf School project. Un Lugar’s owner Juan Carlos agreed to have the Ramp built on a piece of land he owns in Cerrito, and with his co-operation the project was started. Johannes and Oliver personally raised the money needed to buy the materials needed to construct the ramp by running a blog and asking for donations in Europe. Once the money was raised these two (with a bit of help from other volunteers) set about constructing the Skate Ramp which was completed six weeks later. The Skate Ramp is used in the afternoon by children who live in Cerrito de la Virgen.
Cerrito de la Virgen is very different from what you will see if you stay just within Huanchaco. It was initially established by the Peruvian government as a town for those who had lost their homes and livelihoods due to the El Nino weather pattern which strikes The Americas once every three to seven years.
About 12 years ago this event had severe consequences for the population and infrastructure of Northern Peru. There were heavy rains inland in the mountainous regions of La Libertad which produced obstructions in the upper part of the Rivers. On this occasion the rivers flooded. The case of “la quebrada del León Dormido”, (The Ravine of the Sleeping Lion), the ravine that leads to the town of Huanchaco was one of the most critical.
The population there had worked in small farms and quarries, but the water washed away their homes and livelihoods. The Office of Civil Defence provided tents and food for the population but then had to relocate them. One of the places chosen was Las Pampas of La Virgen Cerrito. After a few weeks however support was cut off and the population were left to their fate.
Many of these people, considering that the place a desert location lacking in vital services - it was without water, sewage facilities and electricity - abandoned the idea of setting up homes there and left. Others sold their possessions and yet others took advantage of the circumstances and walled off two or three plots. This has resulted in the area being a mixture of families. There are environmental victims from the time, alongside new residents who have been acquiring land and who come from many different places. You can find there today people from the Peruvian mountains, the valley regions and the jungle. There are foreigners who own plots of land without living there alongside Peruvian people from different social statuses.
Having faced such hardship it is hoped that the efforts of various local groups, along with the community themselves, can improve the lives of those in Cerrito de la Virgen. Mike, a current volunteer at Cerrito feels that “the introduction of the skate ramp has served as a catalyst for community cohesion”. He continues, “The introduction of an activity for the community to develop around very quickly provided a reason for the children of the community to come together and play. This in turn led to parents of the children coming along and now local mothers can often be found teaching the younger children how to make bracelets and other items, while some of the older children are already developing into great skaters”. The community does work together in regards to improving their town, and are currently trying to find a solution to the lack of access to water, however The Skate Ramp would not have been possible without the external input of Otra Cosa Network Volunteers. Nevertheless, in a very short space of time it has become an important part of the community, which has taken an active interest in the benefits of maintaining the project. In an area where there is very little to do the ramp has provided the opportunity to form new friendships and meet new people. Working at the Ramp provides a great opportunity to become more aware of what life is like in a real Peruvian town, away from the tourists.
The aim within this community is clear. A local man explains, “The poor live here permanently. They survive in difficult conditions. They think about how, one day, they can convert this human settlement of the last century into a town worth living in today.”
- Find out more about how you can volunteer at the Un Lugar Skate ramp project.
- Learn more about all of volunteer opportunities in Peru with Otra Cosa Network
