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GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2004

The reason why Peru's Challenge has been able to achieve so much so quickly, and still have the same momentum as when we started, is all due to the great volunteers that join our program.

Selvy and Jane would like to personally thank all of the volunteers that have joined Peru's Challenge for what ever time they could spare. Your enthusiasm, ideas and constant assistance is the reason why Peru's Challenge is so successful in helping the children and their families in Peru.

Read on for details on all the amazing work that was completed by Peru's Challenge volunteers since October 2003.

December

This month has been busier than most for Peru's Challenge and our volunteers.

We have:

finished building hot water showers and washbasins,
covered one of the outside school walls with a gigantic and

colourful map of the world,

visited over 600 children in three communities near Cuzco with Papa Noel (Santa Claus) , and
the volunteers have enjoyed some great tours.

Read the December newsletter.

November

We spent the month cleaning up the school and fixing up anything that was broken or needed painting. We also re-painted the front of the school, put in a cement path and a new entrance.

This month, we also worked very closely with the mothers and conducted many house visits. We received a visit from a Spanish doctor who provided her time and medicines for free. Most of our children have problems with parasites on their skin and in their stomaches, have constant headaches due to poor nutrition and hygiene, and have cavities in their teeth.

The kids also put on a production of 'Little Red Riding Hood' for two large tour groups from Australia. The kids had been practicing for two months and had all the costumes made by the volunteers. Thanks Jill.

October

In October we finished building the toilets. This was a real milestone as the majority of the family houses in Larapa do not have running water let alone a toilet. All our kids have been taught how to use the toilets properly.

We also celebrated our one-year anniversary of the volunteer travel program. It was amazing to look back and see what has been completed in only one year.

An incredible achievement by all our volunteers.

September

Iris, a social worker, helped us to finalise family reports to start our sponsorship program.

August & July

Volunteers developed extra curricular classes; art & craft, sport, music, dance and English for the kids and additional sewing, pottery and weaving classes for the mothers.

With a group of 18 from America, we started building toilets. They stayed for five days and worked so hard digging trenches and holes for the septic tanks.

May & June

The volunteers worked hard to renovate the kindergarten classrooms and toilets. We had some real artists in the group who painted some great educational images and turned the inside of the toilets into a heavenly garden.

We took the volunteers on a well earned break to the colourful festival of Paucartambo, three hours north east of Cuzco - a special event that is a must for any volunteers coming in June.

April

This month saw a visit from Ernie Dingo (a famous Australian) and his television travel program - The Great Outdoors. Ernie was a volunteer for five days. We put him to work, but he also got to enjoy the sites.

The showed aired in Australia during September 2004 and we received over 400 inquiries for volunteer placements. See what The Great Outdoors covered.

Thanks to Ernie and The Great Outdoors.

January - March

We only had a few volunteers during this time but they are well remembered by the kids and the mothers. They did an incredible job of starting summer school classes in English, sport and art & craft.

Em and Kath from Australia were given the great honour of being asked to be god parents to Renaldo. They attended the function at the Picol school and sent the grandmother into tears when they presented the family with a framed photo of Renaldo. Such a simple gift which meant so much to them - the families first and only photo.