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They have a story to tell.
And this story is of a life-changing experience they took part in while volunteering at Casa Mantay, a safe haven for Peruvian girls and families impacted by sexual abuse and rape.
"There (was) so much love between those of us who went and the people we interacted with there," said Colin Peters, a junior in sociology. "None of us will ever forget the time we spent there, and neither will they."
Swain and the Peters brothers, along with five other friends and family members, traveled to Casa Mantay in Cusco, Peru, in July 2007 and provided improved nursery equipment and repairs to the shelter during a one-week period. Upon returning to the U.S., the students launched the Mantay America Foundation, a group dedicated to fundraising for Casa Mantay. The foundation is currently selling lime-green rubber bracelets imprinted with the word "Mantay."
Mantay means "motherhood" in Peru's Quechua language.
All proceeds from the bracelets will be donated to the shelter. Swain said the money is needed, especially because the shelter currently houses 15 teenage girls and 18 children and operates on a budget of only $1,000 per month.
The girls who live there run a small shop and create and sell hand-made crafts at the shelter while the owners and operators, a husband and wife pair, actively lobby for women's rights and legal reform.
An estimated 25,000 women are victims of rape in Peru annually, and the majority of the victims are under 14 years old, according to the International Women's Rights Action Watch Web site.
Until April 1997, a law in Peru allowed rapists to escape criminal prosecution if they married their victims. According to the Web site, the law contributed to pressure on the victim to marry her abuser by families who treated rape as a family disgrace. Many men, especially in rural and poor areas, also took advantage of the law to avoid punishment for rape.
"Despite these horrifying realities, the people at Mantay are taking a proactive and intelligent approach to solving the problem," said Swain, a junior in international studies.
The owners put their efforts into breaking the cycle of violence and allowing the girls and their children to live in a safe environment where they are provided with an education and the tools necessary to become working citizens and loving parents, he said.
Realizing the problems associated with gender violence in Peru served as a lesson to remember forever, the volunteer team said.
"When you talk to these 'girls' - who are not girls really anymore - you can't ignore the expressions they have and the obvious inner struggles they undergo, especially when (they) are with their children," Zachary Peters said. "It was very difficult to look into their eyes while remembering (their) abuse, which was usually from family members for most of their lives."
Zachary Peters said he will be partnering with a friend and presenting a slide show at his high school to allow students to see the faces of the mothers and realize how young they are. He will also be selling the bracelets at the Columbus Academy.
Aside from raising money and supporting the girls at Casa Mantay, both Swain and the Peters brothers want to make sure people know how important their cause is. They have made a YouTube video with the hope that they will inspire others to help out in Peru and elsewhere.
"It goes beyond money, to raising awareness and educating people here in the States," Colin Peters said. "Maybe we can inspire another student to go to a country and do service work. It sounds very idealistic, like something Bono would say, but experiences like this one build a sense of humanity in you."
Each Mantay bracelet is $3. Proceeds from selling just one are enough to shelter and feed one mother and child for an entire day, Swain said.
To purchase a bracelet or get involved in the Mantay America Foundation, e-mail MantayAmerica@gmail.com.
Uchechi Amadi can be reached at amadi-ihebuzor.1@osu.edu.
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