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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006 NEWSLETTER

In January and February the volunteers:

Ran summer school for 100 children
Started construction of new toilets and a games area
Finished renovating another classroom
Developed a comprehensive nutrition plan
Travelled to the Amazon Jungle, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Learnt how to make cheese at the local dairy
Celebrated Carnivale with Santosa and her family

From 14 students to nearly 100 during Summer School.

To have nearly 100 kids turn up to Summer School was such a boost for Peru's Challenge and the community. It allowed us to meet with the Department of Education in Cuzco and push them to provide more teachers. We have gone from the Department providing two teachers last year for 14 children to four teachers this year for 94 children.

It is unheard of to have the Department providing four teachers to one rural school and it is all because of the volunteers' commitment to Summer School and the number of students who attended.

Peru's Challenge will pay for two additional teachers to ensure than each Grade is separated. Grade 5/6 will be joined with only 10 children in total, while kindergarten will have two classes with 20 students in each.

I understand at times the volunteers thought it was just a baby-sitting service but it is so much more than that. Not only have we got more teachers and a stronger commitment from the Department of Education, we also helped the kids catch up on lessons that they missed to ensure they could register for the next Grade and gave them an enjoyable couple of months.

It also allows the parents to keep working in the fields, going to the markets and generally being able to continue to work. The majority of Summer School programs around Cuzco are not free, therefore most parents cannot pay for their children to attend and so cannot work as they have to look after their children. Pumamarca was a step ahead this year as they were able to continue to work and sell their products while their children attended our free Summer School.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out with Summer School this year. We now have a great start to the year with the community realising the dedication of Peru's Challenge and the support of the Department of Education.

A particular mention must go to Brad, a returning volunteer from the USA, who literally ran the whole School and developed all the lesson programs in Sport, Art, English and catch-up classes. Thanks Brad and to your Mum for coming to visit and also lending a hand.

Fixing "The Dunny" as a short-term solution.

The most urgent project for the beginning of the year was to provide functional toilets for the Pumamarca School.

Even though the rainy season is in full swing, the volunteers still managed to start construction on four flushing toilets complete with wash-basins and drainage to a septic tank.

They all worked together as a team to mix cement, lay bricks and pipes, construct the roof and dig trenches and pits for the drainage and septic tank.

Meanwhile as a short-term solution, the volunteers also did some interior decorating and renovation of the current drop-pit "Dunny" so that they kids had somewhere to go. Although I am not sure how many used it as we still have little kids going where ever they please.

None of the kids have ever used or sat on a flushing toilet before. They do not even know how to wipe themselves properly or understand the need to wash their hands afterwards.

As part of our health and hygiene program we will be teaching the kids where and how to go to the toilet.

Three classrooms down, four to go.

Because of the great turn-out at Summer School, we did not have enough classrooms ready to fit all of the students. They have been taking classes outside.

Thanks to the volunteers, we have now finished renovating another classroom at Pumamarca.

We now have three classrooms ready for the students with another two on the way.

The volunteers got very dirty but it did not stop them from working hard to clean up, plaster, sand, paint and organise chairs and tables for the room to ensure that it was finished as soon as possible.

Through the year we will construct an additional two more classrooms to ensure that each Grade has their own space. The community President has predicted a rise to 140 students in 2007.

Healthy kids learn more.

Peru's Challenge volunteers have been focusing on increasing the general health of the children at Pumamarca. We have started regular face washing and teeth cleaning with all the students every day.

The volunteers also saw the need to build a games and play area for the kids to encourage an active life. We started with a balancing beam, basket-ball ring, see-saws and swings.

Thanks also to the volunteers that developed a very comprehensive Nutrition Plan.

The Plan outlines the history and current issues of malnutrition within the Pumamarca community. It then goes into detailing a variety of menus for the community and school to follow, what ingredients are necessary, how and when can they be purchased and a basic budget to follow.

It also includes a plan for a vegetable garden or green-house so that in future the community can provide all foods, rather than be dependent on Peru's Challenge to purchase them.

Jungle creatures, Inca ruins and a new Inca King.

As an additional tour some of our volunteers organised a trip to the Amazon Jungle.

Some decided to go north to Iquitos to see how the Jungle tribes live and observe the art of the Jungle medicine.

Others went to Manu, east of Cuzco to see how many animals they could spot. They ended up hunting for Anacondas, fishing for piranhas, saw monkeys, macaws, amazing butterflies and even tarantulars.

The Amazon Jungle is an easy trip from Cuzco and there are many choices of which part to see. It just depends on your budget and how much time you have. Peru's Challenge can easily organise your trip for you or you can choose from many tours available from Cuzco.

The volunteers also enjoyed the two-day tour to the Sacred Valley where they visited numerous Inca ruins and shopped at the famous Pisaq markets.

Shaun was the luckiest volunteer of all in being crowned the next Inca King and having his four "wives" sit by his side.

You make the cheese, I'll bring the wine.

Within the Pumamarca community is a dairy producing yogurt and cheese which is then sold down in the Cuzco markets each week.

Peru is renowned for it quality cheeses and often wins international awards in Europe and America.

Our volunteers decided to visit the dairy and were taught how to make fresh cheese.

They came up with the very smart idea of taking their own wine which they sipped from classy plastic shot glasses, between nibbles of Pumamarca's finest queso (cheese).

Carnivale in South America.

Every February South America celebrates Carnivale with Peru having their own way to celebrate - lots of water and foam spray.

The volunteers all acted like kids and brought powerful water guns and foam spray cans to the Pumamarca School and played with the real kids.

Santosa, our volunteer house "mum" invited the volunteers to lunch at her home. Together they joined in the local celebrations with lots of dancing.

Another Peruvian tradition is to dance around a tree that is placed in the middle of the road. It has all types of presents tied to the branches.

The dancers take turns in chopping down the tree. When it finally falls, everyone runs to collect the presents.

Mily, our tours and admin coordinator, is also a professional dancer. She travelled to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca to compete in a traditional dance competition. Congratulations Mily for how well you did.

Thanks to the January and February volunteers.

With our Social Worker having to take urgent medical leave for two months and Selvy and I away on leave, I just want to thank all of your for your patience and dedication to the project.

You all worked very hard and managed to get a great deal of work done within the Pumamarca community.

The Director mentioned to me that he was so impressed and grateful for the work completed and the Summer School classes.

Thank you to each of you for joining our program: Susannah, Margaret, Julie, Tony, Danielle, Sandra, Juanita, Susan, Will, Teresa, Tricia, John, Mary, Dean, April, Jolanta and Malena.