When physiotherapist Cesar moved to Curahuasi in April to work at Oye LENA, he left his girlfriend Lorena Lazo behind in Cusco. It soon became clear that this back and forth commute was not an easy one, so Lorena went looking for a job as a dentist in Curahuasi. Unfortunately, she returned from her search empty-handed. During a visit to Oye LENA it immediately clicked with Stefanie and it quickly became clear that Lorena, in addition to her degree in orthodontics, has many other talents. She is very good with children, she has a sister, Ximena, with Down’s syndrome and experience with children with disabilities, art is her passion, she is very committed to nature, she even has her own mini-company of ecological (plastic-free) products and strives together with Cesar in Cusco for the implementation of bicycle paths and wants, like the whole team, to make the world a little better. A few weeks later she became part of our team and now gives creative art lessons to all target groups (preschool, elementary school & children with disabilities). An asset to the team!
Lorena, how did you end up at Oye LENA?
I realized that routine gets boring to me quickly. I have many skills and would like to be able to use them all. Here I get the chance to further discover myself and my life path. When I knew the mission of Oye LENA I was immediately sold. The theme of inclusion and the way education is approached really appeals to me. It shows that learning and development can be both meaningful and FUN. The care for the environment and the people and the beautiful place where we can work every day. Being part of this project is a dream come true for me. I also believe that any child or adult who gets the chance to be here will experience it that way.
What does it mean to you to work at Oye LENA?
It is nice to know that here we are guiding children on their path to adulthood. Adults with a beautiful life mission who believe in their dreams. People who know that the most important thing in life is to be happy. My wish is that I can teach them to have fun and have empathy for all living beings. That they may experience much love in their lives and decide for themselves who they want to be.
What do you find most difficult about the job?
From time to time it’s complicated trying to get the kids together to do an activity, especially in the playground when we do sports, but I know that it’s part of growing up being curious and wanting to do many things, that this way they are also learning, and they are happy when they do it.
What is your favorite time of your working day?
I love the hours I do art with the older kids, it’s nice to see how children have so much creativity and can express it in different ways, like on paper, cardboard or plasticine. Exploring with different materials, they know they can create incredible things. That healthy competition they generate for wanting to get something unique is beautiful to appreciate, you learn a lot from that.
Oye LENA 