Bat Mitzvah goes the extra mile — actually 2,000 miles — for project

Six-year-old camper Romina displays an art project she had been working on with Peninah Benjamin. When it came time for her mitzvah project, Peninah Benjamin, daughter of Louisa and Mark Benjamin of Largo, chose something especially meaningful to her — helping children cope with diabetes — and went to Ecuador to do it.

As she and her family were exploring possibilities, they happened to come across a website for AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad), a youth organization recognized as a leader in the development and delivery of diabetes education, advocacy and youth empowerment.

Peninah has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 8 years old.

“She’s interested in a lot of things, and we had actually tried to steer her away from diabetes, but she kept going back to AYUDA,” her mother said.

“I liked AYUDA because their goal is to empower young people living with diabetes to take the best care of themselves as they can and to teach them how to do that,” Peninah said.

Meaning “help” in Spanish, AYUDA’s mission is global, but since its founding in 1996 it’s initial focus has been Latin America. The youth-for-youth organization utilizes volunteers from high school age to adult healthcare professionals to help develop diabetes awareness, advocacy and youth education around the globe.

After exploring the website, Peninah called the director, explained what she wanted to do and asked if it was possible for her to come assist at the camp. The director agreed she could be useful despite her youth, a kind of “mini mentor” since Peninah herself is diabetic. Not all the volunteers are.

The director set up Peninah with a pen pal, an Ecuadorian girl, Maria, a year younger, who also has diabetes and goes to the camp. They corresponded for the year — Maria in English, Peninah in Spanish, thanks to a year of Spanish in seventh grade.

“Admittedly, broken English, and broken Spanish,” Louisa laughed.Peninah had plenty of opportunity to practice her Spanish with the 50 children at the camp, most of whom only spoke Spanish.

Peninah volunteering, actually meant AYUDA got four volunteers: Peninah, her brother Samuel (one year younger), and her parents. “I wasn’t going to let a 12-and-a-half year old go by herself,” her mom said.

Peninah’s 13th birthday was actually celebrated at AYUDA’s Camp Amigo in Quito, Ecuador, where she volunteered July 31 – Aug. 4.

“I learned about many kids and families with diabetes around the world that have not had the same opportunity as me, and I wanted to help them,” she said. The camp’s goal is to teach children and teenagers how to manage their diabetes and take care of themselves.

“I shared everything I knew with them,” Peninah said. “I wanted to teach them everything I have learned and make them aware that even though they have diabetes, they can do anything they want to do.” She also spent time with the younger campers doing art projects and explaining her daily routine of managing her diabetes.

The camp is free for diabetic children who attend, funded by the efforts of volunteers.

For her part, Peninah sold bracelets imprinted with AYUDA’s motto to her friends and family, as well as sent out letters to family and friends asking for donations. She raised a total of $6,800 for the camp and to provide insulin and other supplies to needy diabetic children.

“Volunteering at Camp Amigo changed the way I look at things and what I take for granted every day,” Peninah said. “We never worry about air conditioning or keeping insulin in a cool place. Eight years ago, you had to leave Ecuador to buy insulin because it was not sold in the country.”

To Peninah, the Torah portion, Terumah, which she read at her Feb. 5 Bat Mitzvah at Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg, and her mitzvah project were connected.

“(In Terumah), when the entire community comes together, it is stronger than any individual,” she said. “AYUDA’s motto is Juntos Somos Mas Fuertes — together we are stronger). That was so true at the camp in Quito. A lot of the children said they never felt so happy and so much support before.”