Home Volunteer Projects Package Peru About Us News Apply Now Donate Contact Us Q & As

APRIL 2008 NEWSLETTER

Letter from the President

All systems go at Pumamarca.

Arriving back to Peru in mid-April from Australia, Selvy and I realised we had a lot to catch up on.

Walking into the school the first day we were back and seeing all the work the March and April volunteers had achieved while we were away was incredible. The school looks fantastic and there are a lot of new faces registered from kindergarten through to Grade 6.

Of the 150 students now registered at the Pumamarca School (an increase from 13 when we started at the school two years ago), 40 of those are in kindergarten. With such strong numbers of students starting with us, the school has the potential to grow to more than 300 students within the next couple of years.

The first thing Selvy and I did was to meet with the Pumamarca Parents Association about this year's plans for the school. What we were so happy about was that their plans mirrored exactly to those of Peru's Challenge - proving that our work here is nearly done. We are not needed anymore.

Great news kept coming as we received a visit from the Director of the Department of Education to the Pumamarca School. He was really impressed with our work and how the school is running. So much so in fact that he promised the support of an additional teacher for kindergarten.

We now have eight teachers at the school which means that each Grade has its own teacher and kindergarten has two. The Department of Education and Pumamarca School are really starting to strengthen their relationship and build the school up without our help.

To top it all off, I walked into the Talleres / mothers group afternoon class to a welcome from 178 members (up from 53 last year). Word had obviously spread over the holidays about the great work coming out of the group and the potential to gain an independent income.

Nothing like positive action to help you get back into the swing of work again.

Jane Gavel
jane@peruschallenge.com

Workshop almost complete

This month saw great progress on the finishing touches of the new Talleres (women's group) building.

Volunteers finished the internal painting of all the natural timber to complete the very lively colour scheme - yellow and blue walls and brown trim for the timber.

The volunteers then moved onto whitewashing the external walls and applying the school colours - sky blue with dark blue trimmings - to the buildings. With the painting complete, Jesus and Memo, our local building experts, moved in to install the electricity.

In the last week of the month, we had the exciting task of moving the kindergarten class into one half of the new Talleres building, a much improved and larger space for them to enjoy while their own new block is being completed.

The second half of the building will be used as a new textile workshop room for the local community to work and sell their products.

Next on the agenda is to fit out the new kindergarten centre, as it is currently just mud-bricks and a roof!

Written by Toby

Health program at the school launched

This month, Peru's Challenge commenced a health program that will monitor general growth rates and health issues of the children in the Pumamarca community.

The aim of the program is to identify children that do not have normal growth patterns or have health issues that may be improved with early detection and proper management.

All children had their height and weight measured in addition to observations of dental and skin conditions.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed new weight and height for age standards as well as Body Mass Index (BMI) standards that can be used universally. The data collected from the children will be assessed against these standards to help identify growth pattern problems.

These measurements, while basic, can provide very useful and important information regarding a child's growth and development.

All data has been stored electronically enabling continual monitoring and the development of more extensive individual health files.

Written by Pete

Kindergarten classes are in full swing

Kindie has started again in April! The little ones greet you with the biggest smiles and their sparkling eyes are just heart-capturing.

Kindie is made up of kids from 2 to 5 years of age, mostly younger sisters or brothers of the older students in Pumamarca school.

For each of the past four weeks, I enjoyed three classes with them; Art on Mondays, Sport on Wednesdays and Music on Fridays.

These kids are absolutely adorable and enjoyable to teach. I am well assisted by two very devoted local teachers who made it all possible. Thanks to Isabel and Rosalid! All they need now is a new building and hopefully this can be completed by end of June.

Written by Linda

Home visit to a premature baby

During our time in Pumamarca, the volunteers have had the opportunity to accompany Peru's Challenge's social worker on home visits to various Pumamarca families.

On one particular visit the volunteers visited the home of a lady who recently gave birth to a three-month premature baby.

Fortunately, one of the volunteers, Peter, is a nurse, and was able to use his skills to help her.

Peru's Challenge is supporting the family through supplying powdered milk for the baby as well as iron tablets, doctor visits and other medications for the mother.

Other home visits included meeting a family who recently moved to Pumamarca, and also checking in on Sebastian and his brothers, who an ex-volunteer is sponsoring through the Project for Life program.

Written by Aislinn

If you are interested in supporting a child or family within the Pumamarca community, please email sponsorship@peruschallenge.com

Machu Picchu

Hiking the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, is a major highlight for Peru’s Challenge volunteers, and none were disappointed this month.

The four-day trek was a time to challenge our physical and mental strength as well as an opportunity to bond with other volunteers – both during the toughest parts of the hike, when encouragement was needed and received, and during the easier stretches when conversation flowed.

There were numerous celebrations along the way, from a few Allen’s lollies to re-energise ourselves when we reached the highest point, 4212m.a.s.l. on the second day, to a couple of Cusquena beers and a hot shower at the end of day three, the longest.

And of course the ultimate reward – Machu Picchu itself, which we reached about 7.30am on the fourth day.

Those with enough energy left also climbed Waynapicchu for another spectacular view of the once lost city.

Not surprisingly, many of our exhausted group slept during the three-hour trip home after completing one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences any of us have ever done.

Local soccer match in Cusco

April’s volunteers were lucky enough to be in Cusco when the local football (soccer) team, Cienciano, was playing in the Copa America tournament.

Ten volunteers took the plunge and decided to find out first-hand what all the fuss over South American football was about.

To make things even more interesting, the game was against the prized Brazilian side, Flamengo.

Amongst a frenzy of impromptu merchandise and snack food purchases we sadly watched the red and white Ciencianos lose to Flamengo, 3-0.

All the stories we had heard didn’t disappoint – the experience was complete with Mexican waves, flares, drums and dedicated fans scaling barbed wire fences to wave flags. If future volunteers get a chance, we recommend going along to get caught up in the action!

New Marketing Director for Peru's Challenge

This month also saw the arrival of our new Marketing Director, Charlotte Lavender. UK born, Charlotte spent the last three years in Sydney working in communications and branding and was in London for seven years before that.

She saw this as a chance to use her skills to fundraise for Peru's Challenge as well as raise the profile of the organisation in the UK.

She’s managing all things marketing as well as Project for Life so please get in touch with any fundraising initiatives, ideas or just to welcome her.

We’re in the midst of planning a launch of Peru's Challenge in London for early 2009. This will be specifically to the travel industry and businesses with Foundations and grants.

We're looking for corporate sponsors, travel PR and press contacts, so please get in touch if you’ve any relevant contacts or ideas.

Charlotte can be contacted on marketing@peruschallenge.com

Build a community fundraising ball

On the other side of the world Tim and Laura Brown, are organising a fundraising ball in Sydney with support from other ex vols.

Planned for November, it’s the first of our annual ‘build a community’ balls.

Jules Lund from Getaway is confirmed to host the night and there are many more exciting plans in the pipeline.

As we get closer to the date we’ll let you on how to get hold of tickets and also what you can do to help in the months leading up to the night and at the ball itself.

In the meantime many thanks to all those involved in this and especially to Tim and Laura for their commitment in between job changes and weddings!

Goodbye to those volunteers leaving us in April

Cathy and Fred thanks for bringing you kids to volunteer with us. I didn't get to meet you but Mark has told me that you both did a great job with the painting.

Thanks Ally for all your help with the art classes and for helping Alisban go to kindy class.

Andy, thanks for all your hard work in organising the baseball lessons and for teaching kids who are the same age as you.

Chris, thanks for coming to experience Peru's Challenge for two months. Your help with everything up at the school was great, especially with incorporating ball games within the English classes.

Thanks Kristina for extending your time with us for another month and for all your help with developing some great English lessons and painting.

Pete and Stuart, thanks very much for all the work you did with setting up the new health program and all the work with the excel database. Peter thanks also for all your help with the premature baby case.

Andrea, it was a shame you had to cut your time with us short but thanks for all your efforts during the two months you did spend with us. I know you loved your time here.

Thanks Kate M for your help with the talleres room and sports classes and also for your advice with a parasite program for the animals living in Pumamarca.

Thanks Sara for running some great sports lessons and also your help with the talleres building.

Karinya, thanks for spending four weeks with us and helping out with classes and the talleres building. Thanks also for your offer to assist us when you get back home. We really appreciate it.

Aislinn and Toby, thanks very much for all your assistance and also for the local pharmacy contact. She is happy to support the health program at the school when she can.

Thanks to Kate C for all your help with talleres room to give away the clothes.

Kate H thanks also for your help with setting up the talleres room to give away clothes.

Thanks Linda and Alvin for spending two months with us. Thanks for all your help with kindie, sports classes and the weeding of the vege patch.

Katrina, thanks for being our power sander and for taking some great music and art classes.

Courtney, thanks for all your work at the school and we look forward to working together when you get back from your trip.

To review past newsletters - click here.