OCTOBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

This month Peru's Challenge:

• received our first volunteers from Sweden,
• finished renovating the roof of the classrooms,
• helped kids learn to brush their teeth properly,
• gave a hard English test to the Yutto kids,
• assisted with emergency hospital care, and
• attended the Baptism of Michaela's kids.

Regular volunteers from Swedish company, Guide

For the last eight months, Peru's Challenge has been in contact with Guide - an IT company from Sweden.

The CEO of Guide, wants to give his employees the opportunity apply for volunteer work with Peru's Challenge while still paying them their normal monthly salary.

Every three months, Guide will send us volunteers that will stay for one, two or three months to work on our projects. Linda, was the 'first cab off the rank' and has been with us for the last two months. Through Guide, Linda donated a laptop, assisted us with our computer networking and did a lot of construction and teaching at the schools.

I would like to thank Marie, our contact a Guide, firstly for visiting us in Peru to review our projects, and secondly for organising your colleagues to come over and assist us here in Peru.

Action, action, action

Construction at the Pumamarca school is now well under way with the roof being completed before the rainy season starts.

There have also been many dirty days of loading adobe bricks and shifting them to the school which is no easy task (each brick weighs 10kg).

Volunteers have been working hand-in-hand with the local fathers making and mixing mud-pies and laying bricks to form a secure perimeter wall for the school.

A drainage ditch from the cooking and cleaning area has been dug under the wall to allow for the sinks to drain into a mud pit at the back of the school. Within the next few months a septic tank will be constructed to contain this run-off.

Pumamarca classes and hygiene up and running

The general classes at Pumamarca are going strong with record attendance of kids. The teachers really appreciate all the preparation work being done by our volunteers. Because the teachers have no access to materials or resources, our volunteers assist in preparing activities before each class.

We have also started art and sports classes for the older kids which are a huge success. Each afternoon before an art class, the volunteers will sit down and think of a great craft activity that relates to the theme of the week. Before Halloween, the volunteers helped them make pasta skeletons and spiders, ghosts from balloons and cotton wool, and great masks.

A big thank you to Brad for organising the donation of 30 kids football uniforms and boots. Every day, the kids are pleading to get suited up and kick the ball around. The kids are getting fitter each week and their ball skills are really improving. You never know, we might see them qualify for the World Cup!

Another thank you to Gail and her dentist back in Australia for donating toothbrushes to the kids of Pumamarca. They absolutely love brushing their teeth, and the volunteers have a hard time saying no when the kids each come back with toothpaste all over their mouths claiming that they haven't brushed their teeth yet!

Testing time at Yutto

The Yutto kids have now been learning English for three months so the current volunteers thought it was time to give them a basic test.

The results were not as good as we had hoped. The hardest part is that these kids rotate classes every two weeks so it is hard to keep the momentum going and ensure that the kids are studying in their spare time.

Brad one of our volunteers from America, "laid down the law" and told the students that if they did not study and practice their English then the volunteers would not return to teach them anymore. The kids responded with enthusiasm and promised to start studying. Let wait and see how the next test goes.

The Yutto kids have been putting much more effort into making masks for Halloween with the help from the volunteers and Rosie's friendship bracelets were a big success in art & craft class.

All the kids have also been taking part in a round robin football and volley ball tournament. Competition is fierce but the standard of game has really improved over the last three months thanks to our volunteers focusing on ball skills in sports class. The kids are now even learning how to play kickball.

Emergency hospital care and more

Griselda, one of our regular members of Mothers Group from Picol, had to rush her three month old baby to the regional hospital. For the last three days, Megan had been suffering from chronic pneumonia. Griselda had no money to pay for treatment or even for food. As a result Griselda stopped lactating and Megan suffered more.

As part of our emergency medical fund, Peru's Challenge ensured that Megan received adequate medical attention and treatment. We also provided food to Griselda three times a day during the 10-day hospital visit and for the next two weeks after.

Megan is now safe and happy at home and Griselda is able to feed her baby again.

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Sad news came to us from the Huandar community this month. The oldest member of the community passed away and went un-noticed for nearly a week.

The 82 year old lady lived up in the mountain high above the Huandar school. She would often walk down to see Peru's Challenge and the work we were doing.

When we organised a doctor visit, she dutifully made the trek down and waiting four hours for her appointment. Afterwards the doctor told us that she has had a displaced hip for nearly 10 years.

She has no surviving family so Peru's Challenge paid for a casket and hosted the funeral and reception afterwards.

Baptism of Michaela's kids

Michaela, the house mother for one of our volunteer houses gave myself and Selvy the honour of being the god-parents to her daughter Anna. She also asked Emma and Brad (two of our volunteers) to be the god-parents to her son Javier

We all filed in to the church and watched the two-hour ceremony, afterwards celebrating with chicken and chips back at the volunteer house. Emma, Brad and Linda took the family shopping beforehand to buy their special outfits. As part of the occasion, Emma, Brad and Linda also announced that they are going to provide for the education of Anna and Javier and English lessons all the way through to University.

Farewell to the October volunteer group

Chrissy, thank you for returning for another three months to help the mothers with counseling sessions. As you could see from your farewell, the are very sad to see you go.

The mothers also had a very soft spot for Helen, Melita and Gail. Your Christmas cards are a real hit at Mothers Group and we will make sure you are sent the first ones.

Nataly, who should be staying for one more month as I forgot to say goodbye at the farewell dinner, enjoy your time in Mexico.

Matt, thank you for all your construction work in Pumamarca. It was a sad day when the kids said goodbye.

The Pumamarca kindy kids are already missing you Bronwyn. Thank you for your dedication and preparation work.

Thanks also to Penny and Skye. It was great that you were able to fit Peru's Challenge into your travel plans around South America. The kids are really missing their wheel-barrow rides.

And to Linda and Emma who kept everyone laughing and dancing. I am sure we are going to see you both back here on graduation day.

Read our previous emails for all the great work completed by our volunteers.

For more information on our projects, click here.

Linda with some of the Yutto gang.

Local fathers fixing the roof.

Skye and Penny loading adobes.

Pumamarca kindergarten kids.

Making balloon ghosts for Halloween.

Cleaning teeth at Pumamarca.

English test at Yutto.

Stretching time at Yutto.

Old lady (left) and her friends.

Selvy, Jane, Michaela and her kids.

Chris and all her friends.

Matt saying goodbye to Pumamarca kids.

Penny, Skye and the wheelbarrow kids.