AUGUST NEWSLETTER
 Highlights for the month include:
- Starting a new project with the Yutto Community
- Organising a class program for the kindergarten kids
- Roxanita being accepted into the San Martin school
- Visiting one of the poorest communities in all of Peru
- Construction on the Picol workshop
- Hand massages with the mothers and the start of councelling sessions
- Free visit from Clinica Panamericana
- Starting the new House Challenge program
- Selvy's birthday
- Giving to the Earth ceremony and a rafting trip
- Welcome to new staff
Bad news out of the way first
At the end of July, the Peru's Challenge office and our private home were robbed. We lost everything in the space of 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon - including my shoes!
But it did not take us long to get back on track as you will see from reading all that went on in August.
We would like to thank all of the August volunteers for their help during this time. A big thank you also to those who offered to help in any way you could, including your light-hearted emails to keep us smiling.
Look out Yutto here we come!
This month we started our third community project at the Yutto Community, an hours drive out of Cusco.
Yutto lies in an agricultural area with its produce servicing the markets in Cusco.
The reason why we chose to help this community is that they have a very clear idea as to where they see their community heading in the future, but they need our help in achieving this.
For more information on this project, click here.
We would like to give a big thank you to Barb and Joy, volunteers from Australia. In their one month with us they managed to fit in all their tours and organise full lesson plans for the Yutto kids in English and Art.
Program planned for the kindy kids
One of the hardest things our volunteers have had to manage is controlling the kindergarten kids in the Picol community. What makes it harder is that most of our volunteers are not trained teachers and cannot speak Spanish.
Fortunately this month, we were blessed with two very experienced early childhood teachers - Lee and Zoe. They worked very hard to put together a rotational program guide and within the first week, the kids were responding well.
 The best part about this program guide is that it is so easy to follow. Any one of our volunteers can now pick it up and feel confident in taking a class with kindergarten kids, even if they cannot speak a word of Spanish.
A great deal of work went into the program and I would like to personally thank Zoe for finalising the guides and for all the effort that was put in during her last month with us.
Another highlight wsa the art and craft classes with the afternoon Club de Niños. Creative talents really showed with the masks and the collagues.
Second child to be accepted into San Martin School
Within the Picol community, we have two young girls with special needs. Luc Clara has Down's Syndrome while Roxanita has Cerebral Palsy and does not speak.
A couple of months ago, we were able to get Luc Clara accepted into San Martin which is an excellent school catering for kids with special needs.
For the past three years, Roxanita's mother had been trying to get her daughter accepted into the school but she has had no success. With our help this month, Roxanita finally received registration. She is really enjoying the classes and has already learnt clapping games and is starting to sing words.
At the end of the month, the school held a performance day where all classes dressed up in bright costumes and danced the morning away.
Peru's Challenge has made a yearly commitment to cover the registration and materials costs for both Luc Clara and Roxanita.
Visit to the Huancoto Community
 This month, the Mothers Group felt like it was time to give something back to people even less fortunate than themselves.
A group of 40 mothers with their kids and 15 volunteers jumped into a small bus and combie van to travel a couple of hours into the surrounding mountains.
Huacoto is even poorer than the Picol Community and very isolated. On arrival, we handed our gift bags to all the children in the community.
Next stop was to the picnic area of Señor de Huancar where the Picol mothers and their kids enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the sun.
Speaking Quechua during construction time
 Our volunteers find it hard enough to speak Spanish but Dennis, one of our one-month volunteers seemed to have a knack for communicating in Quechua.
Quechua is the indiginous language of the Inca people. Dennis and our worker Wilfredo seemed to talk to each other all day and not much was missed.
They used this great skill to work together constructing the much anticipated workshop for the Mothers Group.
All our volunteers assisted with the building from scratch: leveling the ground, constructing walls out of adobe bricks, cutting wood beams for the roof, laying a rock floor and much, much more.
How good are hand massages?
Thanks to the great idea from Miffy, one of our three-month volunteers, the mothers from the Picol community enjoyed an afternoon of hand massages.
 Miffy taught each of the volunteers how to massage properly with natural oils, who in turn taught each of the mothers so they can continue the classes.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the mothers take time out of their busy daily lifes to join the Mothers Group. Here they can learn new skills in the hope of becoming more independent in the future.
We also teach them ways to relax and enjoy this time together so they can feel better about themselves and forget about all their problems at home for a while.
The mothers are also very pleased to welcome Chrissy back. Chrissy volunteered for three months with us and decided to return for another three months to focus on councelling sessions with the mothers. She is doing a fantastic job and the mothers really feel they can trust her.
Thanks to Clinica Panamericana
 This month, our Social Worker organised for a free medical visit to the Picol Community. The Doctor came from the best health clinic in Cusco - Clinica Panamericana.
The Doctor gave her time to see all of the adults and kids that needed urgent attention. The main problem was stomach and head aches caused by worms and parasites. Medicines have been given out but we know this is only a short-term solution.
We have two volunteers, Karen and Liz, who are in the process of developing a safe water and sanitation program for the Picol community. More information on this great concept will be provided in the September newsletter.
House Challenge program
Previously, twice a week, our volunteers would visit a local house with our Social Worker to see how we could help that particular family. The problem was that there is so many families that need help, we felt that we really were not making any difference and only giving the families false hope. Were were never getting to revisit the family to make a difference. With this in mind, we have developed a new and very successful House Challenge program.
Every Tuesday, Selvy and a group of volunteers visit a house and talk with the family about what realistic structural and material improvements we can make to their living conditions. Every Tuesday following, the volunteers will work on this house until completed.
 Constantina's house was the first 'cab off the rank'. Her small adobe mud-brick house was full of trash, had cuys (guinea pigs) running wild, holes every where for the wind to whistle through and no bed.
Through the help of the volunteers, she and her family now have a comfortable bed to share with sheets, pillows and blankets and her cuys are all now safely locked up. The family house also has a table and chairs and plastic covering the walls to keep the wind out.
Thanks to Chrissy and other volunteers who donated some of their spare clothing for the family. Constantina was so happy that she was crying tears of joys as she hugged each of the volunteers and bounced on her new bed.
Feliz Cumpleaños Selvy 
This month, Selvy celebrated his birthday. The mothers of Picol community were so excited, they organised a surprise party for him.
After Selvy took the first bite of his cake, there was plenty more to share around the 60 guests.
The mothers also weaved him an alpaca jumper off one of their weaving machines which fits perfectly and the kids presented him with a giant hand-made card.
The afternoon was followed by a dinner at 'Fallen Angel' - a local restaurant in Cusco, which coincided with the new volunteers welcome dinner.
The Fallen Angel?
Sharman ceremony to the Earth
The August volunteers were honoured with an invitation to be part of a sharmanic ritual of giving to the Earth.
Every August, Inca Sharman's conduct a mystical ceremony where they ask the Gods of the surrounding mountains to look after the local land and its people during the next year.
Each volunteer was part of the ceremony including Barb. But it didn't stop her from being the only one to fall out of the boat during the white-water rafting trip that weekend. It was lucky you went to all that effort to get your wetsuit on Barb!
Welcome to Jaky and Milly
This month, we welcome Jaky and Milly to the Peru's Challenge team.
Jaky takes on the position of Volunteer Project Manager in Peru and Milly assists volunteers in organising their tours.
Thanks to the August volunteers
 For all the great teaching work at Yutto, Barb and Joy, your are already missed. Also for your great advice and ideas for the future of Peru's Challenge.
Gill and Sharon, thank you for your constant assistance with each project you worked on.
A big thank you to Julie for all your detailed work on the sponorship plan for Peru's Challenge.
Miffy as always helping with everything and all of your great ideas.
This month, Hanna was a great assistant in helping me get organised and re organising the office after the robbery.
Dennis and Lee for your work in the Pronoei and during construction. Thanks also for all your advice.
 Pete for all your marketing help and for assisting us with getting back on track in the office.
To my friend Zoe, thanks for the amazing program you set up with the pronoei kids.
Ginny. What can I say. You have been our longest staying volunteer and it was so sad to see you go. The work you completed with the mothers and the Health and Wellbeing Action Plan is something we will draw on every day. Lets hope we see you back here again next year.
  
Pete and her friends Volunteers enjoying dinner Hannah and Katherine
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