Have you ever wondered what daily life is like in the Amazon jungle? Many of the children living in extreme poverty call the most remote places in the world home. In South America, Compassion serves those who live in the jungles of the Amazon basin from Bolivia to Ecuador to Peru.
One of those children is 8-year-old Enán from Peru. Enán lives with his family in the small community of San Miguel. This village is surrounded by green trees and lush vegetation. It’s two hours to Moyobamba, the nearest big city of about 50,000 people, and one of the most impoverished communities in the region.
Let’s explore daily life through Enán’s eyes.
Waking Up in the Amazon Jungle
It’s 5:30 Saturday morning, and the first rays of light are shining into the home of the Alarcón family. Enán feels the warmth of the sun on his face and hears the animals rustling around outside. It’s time to start a new day.
All the families in the village wake up very early. Since there’s no electricity in their community, they must make the most of the sunlight.
Enán’s house is a typical jungle house, made of wood with a woven-palm roof. But life in the jungle means enduring sudden, heavy rainstorms, with lightning and thunder. So, the local Compassion center provided corrugated iron sheets for the family to put above their rooms as protection from leaks.
Breakfast Time
There are plentiful fruits in the area, such as plantains, papayas and mangoes that families in San Miguel include in their daily meals. Enán’s family grows their own food, and their diet is based on plantains and meat from the animals they keep ― chickens and pigs.
A classic daily breakfast for the family is bread with smoked plantains, which they cook on a wood fire in their kitchen area.
Learning About Jesus After Breakfast
Despite his young age, Enán deeply loves Jesus and the Bible. Surrounded by the beautiful vegetation and chirping birds, Enán loves learning more about God with his parents each morning.
“One of the first things we have tried to teach our children from a very early age is to always give thanks to God when we wake up. This is the best possible way to start our day,” — Edua, Enán’s father
Time for Chores
During the rest of the morning, Enán does different chores to help his parents. With his family, he tends to the vegetables and fruits they grow in their garden.
He also feeds and cares for the family’s chickens and pigs. And before he’s off to play, his parents make sure he does his homework. Even though Enán does his chores happily, he also loves running and playing with his friends.
Visiting the Compassion Center
Enán is a sponsored child at his local church’s Compassion center. Children like Enán love to go to the center because it’s the only place in the community where there are slides, seesaws, monkey bars and swings.
“My favorite place is the center,” Enán says. “There, my tutor always teaches us many good things about God and how we should behave. I also really like playing on the playground. My friends and I spend hours playing there, and we never get tired.”
At the Compassion center, children also learn about Jesus and grow in skills like math and reading. Children receive snacks and meals for their hungry bellies as well as encouragement for their hearts.
Family Fun in the River
At the end of the day, Enán and his family love going to the bank of the river, which is just a 20-minute walk from their home. Families of the community gather there to wash their clothes, clean their personal items and bathe.
Enán loves splashing and swimming with his friends and family. It’s a place where he can relax and enjoy his childhood to the fullest.
Compassion’s Program Impacts Entire Families
The Alarcón family is an example of how the Compassion program has a positive impact in children’s lives — from little things like giving them a safe place to play, to big things like learning and dreaming of a better future.
“I am very grateful to the Compassion program because it has been a huge blessing for my family. We receive a lot of financial and emotional support. Sometimes, in places like our community, many children do not have any dreams or goals for their future. However, my children are encouraged at the center to make plans for their future. They inspire them to dream to do great things.” — Edua, Enán’s father
