The Inextinguishable Power of Women

Each year, the month of May is somewhat of an anniversary celebration for me. Although it seems like yesterday, in May, 2001 I naively flew off across the ocean to an alternative clinic in Germany looking for answers, hope and healing, for my undiagnosable medical condition.

Weighing in at 89 pounds on a 5-foot-6-inch frame, I was a walking skeleton and apparently looked like the only thing I was about to cross, was death’s door. My daughter had even given me permission to die. That truly shocked me.

The dire nature of my situation was confirmed by the team of medical doctors who at one point could only suggest, “perhaps you should pray.” They were very clear that I’d have to alter my lifestyle dramatically and they emphatically told me I would never be able to travel again. The harsh reality hit home when I stood, almost naked, in front of their full-length mirror, wondering where my body had gone. After three and a half weeks, I flew back across the ocean, arriving home not much better than when I’d left. The complexity of my condition remained a mystery. Physically I looked frightening, but I knew that I’d have to rally from deep within me, my inextinguishable determination to live. I feel blessed to be here and to have been able to share my experiences in my book “Confessions of a Middle-Aged Hippie.”

An Incredible Invitation

So in 2012, when I was invited to join World Neighbors on a physically challenging trip to visit the forgotten people in the poorest regions of Peru, I admit, I was very hesitant. Then I realized I was being offered an opportunity to test my physical resilience, almost eleven years to the day after literally being unable to even walk up a short flight of stairs. The only answer was yes. Always my philosophy: Say Yes to Life.

The trip demanded more of me than I thought I was capable of. Cold nights in high altitudes without heat or hot water. Hours of driving on what I came to call ‘non-roads’. Soon the luxuries we take for granted in North America were a longed for distant memory. I slept in layers of clothes and developed a new gratitude for all I was blessed with, including fleece pants and a jacket which became my comfort. I could write extensively about the challenges, but they soon took a back seat to the real story.

The story of the poorest people of Peru, who although ‘poor’ by our lifestyle standards, have an incredible richness of spirit, with sincere love and commitment to community. I discovered that World Neighbors uses a methodology that is somewhat unique. They work with the community to understand their specific needs. They don’t give handouts or decide what is best for the people. In Peru, they work with a savings and credit model and each person must match the credit offered…50/50. No exceptions. Even a very small initial credit can foster confidence and as the recipient thrives and pays back the credit or loan, they soon apply for larger credits to expand and enrich their lives.

The Power of  Women

One of the things that struck me was how the women of even the smallest communities, find a personal sense of empowerment. In a society that would be considered patriarchal by nature, we found women with equal status and often men declared that their wives were equal decision makers in all aspects of their lives. Gender equity, which we might take for granted, is one of World Neighbors focuses in all 45 countries they work in.

Often they go to the end of the road, where no-one else offers help. It reminded me of being metaphorically at the end of the road and how the smallest glimmer of hope kept me going in my most critical of times. World Neighbors offers hope to what I’d call the lost people of Peru. Their work is done in the forgotten communities, where they form community committees, working with them for eight to twelve years, supporting and educating until the community is self-sufficient. Long term solutions, not short-term fixes.

Women and Opportunity

An absolute stand out for me, was Candelerea, a humble, yet brave woman, who was uncomfortable about having her picture taken, as she had not dressed up for the occasion. Yes, women are women everywhere!

She was one of the original ten on her community committee, the only woman. I saw her light up like her name, when she proudly told us that she was currently on her fifth loan and with this help, had been able to send two of her children to university (previously unheard of), one studying to be a teacher and the other an accountant.

She explained why the World Neighbors system works. “It requires the participant to match the loan, it keeps the recipient motivated and interested to the make the effort to repay the loan. And their contribution then helps the community as well.”

The Impact of Poverty

Economist Esther Duflo of M.I.T., who studies poverty, found that often anti-poverty programmes “go beyond the direct impact of the resources they provide.” It is the injection of optimism that dramatically improves both the mental and physical health of recipients. Her studies confirmed that it is an absence of hope, that contributes to keeping people trapped in their poverty.

This was very clear to me in Peru. Many of the people had fled their homes during the 1990’s rebel uprising. They felt a hopelessness on returning to virtually nothing. As World Neighbors offered hope and built trust, communities soon began to thrive again.  This was true from the smallest of communities of 19 families, to the largest of 1200. As I discovered from my own personal experience, hope is a powerful fuel, which drives the human spirit.

Hope is a powerful tool that drives the human spirit, something I found alive in the women of Peru. #women #hopeClick To Tweet

Co-operation and Community

The theme continued to be communities built on co-operation, not competition. I remembered hearing author-speaker Gregg Braden, talk about 400 peer-reviewed scientific studies that explored what level of competition created the maximum results. The findings: Zero. Said Braden, “Darwinian evolution doesn’t work. Although “survival of the fittest” has always been accepted as the standard for biological behavior, we are more inclined toward peace than war, more wired for co-operative existence and mutual aid than competition.”

Humans are more inclined toward peace than war, more wired for co-operative existence and mutual aid than competition. #humanity #peace #cooperationClick To Tweet

And this is what I saw in all the villages we visited. Everyone had the chance to flourish, with opportunities for each and every person. We met women doing a wide variety of work. From raising guinea pigs (the Peruvian national delicacy) and using the manure to enrich their crops, to women expressing their artistic souls, using their talents weaving exquisite blankets and sweaters.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit of Women

Another absolute light for me was Maximina, a smiling cherubic 44-year-old mother of 5, (ages 5 to 26), whose entrepreneurial spirit shone. After she put aside her initial fear of having never managed money, she was one of the first eight in her community to receive a credit. She hid hers at first, afraid she wouldn’t be able to pay it back.

With the reassurance and support from the World Neighbors team (all local Peruvian people) she gained the confidence to build a small empire for herself.  Starting with 500 soles (about $192), she bought a small cow. Next she supported her son’s schooling.  The third credit helped expand her home. And the fourth allowed her to finally buy the loom to begin weaving her colourful blankets. People come from miles around to buy. She was sold out on the day we visited.

As Maximina expanded her business, she continued to realize her dreams. She reminded me of the “every woman”. Hoping for a better life for her family and keen on traveling and learning more about building her business. She’d already learned about medicines for animals and now sells them in her small store.

In her words, “I am now capable of managing anything. Before World Neighbors I never thought I could have a position of authority in my community. Now, I was president of the community.” She has a deep desire to travel to other areas to learn about other women’s work and to encourage them. Several days before we visited she took on a student, apprenticing a younger niece in sweater making. I joked with her that she was really “maximizing” on her name. She laughed proudly at being recognized for all her accomplishments.

Resilient Women

This for me, is the real joy I witnessed in Peru. The journey was challenging and tested my resilience. These people must rely on their resilience every single day. They are people who have little, yet appreciate everything. The children often eagerly walk up to two hours each way to school. These women have the same dreams and hopes that all women have. To be better. To see their children have more than they do. Their hearts are with their communities. They support and encourage each other. What World Neighbors offers is hope and support. They understand the people they are helping because they are the people.

A piece in the N.Y. Times, “The Campaign Against Women”, caught my eye and I read it with interest.  The piece talks about women’s rights being attacked by the Republicans on Capital Hill. It made me realize that the heart and soul of women does not lie in politics or legislation. My trip to Peru confirmed for me that real power comes from within. It is born of spirit.

We are entering a time in our own history, where the feminine energy is rising. As it is born of spirit, its power will not be extinguished. #women #feminineClick To Tweet.

Life’s Synchronicities

And as so often happens when I’m writing, something shows up that aligns perfectly. This Gaping Void by Hugh MacLeod had me smiling.

Subject line:  Rock n’ Roll. The message succinctly says it all.

“One of the great tragedies of life, and you’ll find it deeply embedded in every major world religion and mythology is to know that the power, the life spirit, is within you, and yet you choose to ignore it.

Call it rock n’ roll. Call it the voice of God. (Or) Call it anything else.

Only you as an individual can decide to awaken it.

It’s a decision only you can make.

And thank goodness for that….”

Thank you to World Neighbors and the people of Peru for their inextinguishable spirits. Words cannot really express my gratitude. It was truly an extraordinary celebration.

I invite you all to experience and share your inextinguishable power. It is always there. Sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone to be reminded of how alive we really are. Rock n’ roll.