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DECEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER

Letter from the President

A month of celebrations, welcomes and goodbyes.

For our last month in 2007, Peru's Challenge celebrated a successful year with the closing of the school until March 2008.

With all the excitement and organisation of celebrating Christmas with nearly 500 children in three communities, we still found time to do a great deal of work.

The Pumamarca School is looking fantastic and functioning well. It is ready for a big 2008.

More than 60 parents turned up for the end of year parents meeting to discuss plans for the school for next year - a huge increase from just four parents the year before.

We said a teary goodbye to our wonderful Volunteer Manager and friend, Ginny and excitedly welcomed Mark, her replacement.

Next year will be a big year for Peru's Challenge with all of our volunteer placements already full until August 2008. It's time to focus our efforts on developing strong Marketing and Sponsorship strategies to increase outside support from schools, travel agencies and specific businesses, while continuing to promote our exceptional volunteer travel program.

A visit from 22 students from St. George's School, Canada and four UniBreak students from Antipodeans Abroad, Australia has already got us well on the way to achieving our goals for next year.

For more information on how you can help promote Peru's Challenge, please send me an email - jane@peruschallenge.com

Jane Gavel

Art class this month meant Christmas activities and lots of them!

The kids were always enthusiastic about what they were doing, a lot of the time no help was needed at all (except when it came to cleaning up).

We'd bring along a bag of materials and the children would create wonderful pieces of art.

We showed one class how to make streamers, which they were then able to take to decorate their homes. Seeing their eyes light up when they unfolded creations was a great feeling.

Other classes made mobiles with stars, stockings, candy canes and Christmas trees while the kindergarten children made and decorated bon-bons with little treats inside each one.

All were then used to decorate the school Christmas tree and to brighten up the school.

Heaps of fun was had by both students and volunteers. All that we know is, that the kids will be expecting great things in the next months' art classes!
Written by Kathryn & Romany from Australia.

Christmas time at Pumamarca

The small community of Pumamarca came alive during the week of Christmas celebrations that Peru's Challenge organised for the school.

There were a lot of trips to the shops by the volunteers, especially El Molino, to find all the goodies for the celebrations.

For the kids, each child got a toy truck or a doll and a gift bag filled with pens, pencils, lollies, balloons, stickers and, of course, the obligatory clip-on Koala from Australia.

No Christmas celebration in Peru could be complete without Panatone and Chocolate Caliente, so during each party the kids and parents got their fill of this Christmas food. Some of the slices of Panatone were almost as big as the kids – and they certainly enjoyed them!

Of course Papa Noel was a giant hit with everyone. After pretending to ride in on a motor bike, Papa Noel (played by Pedro) arrived at the Pumamarca School to the loud chanting of the kids.

He sat centre stage and handed out the presents and hugs to all the kids.

Unfortunately some of the little ones didn't quite know what to make of him, and shied away. They did of course come close enough to receive a present, just like any other kid would do!

After opening their presents with much glee, the kids got their fill of Panatone and Chocolate Caliente. Then it was good buy to Santa and off home to play with their new toys.

Christmas in Pumamarca was definitely a time for celebration. For a community with so little, it was a great experience to bring a lot a laugher and some small presents for everyone to share and enjoy. I am sure the boys will be playing with their trucks in the mud for months to come!
Written by Anna from Australia.

A great Christmas thanks to generous supporters

Before leaving Adelaide, my team at work organised a Christmas party for the whole office. We decided that we would ask for donations. We raised AUD$250 and I also received another AUD$100 from my step-dad before leaving Australia.

After discussions with Jane and Ginny we decided that I could use some of the money to buy Christmas presents for children at the school in Huandar.

Peru’s Challenge worked with the community in Huandar to build a school for the kindergarten and year one kids a few years ago and is currently building a water reservoir.

I went shopping with the help of some of the other volunteers; Lynne, Laura, Hope and Anna. The Peru's Challenge social worker suggested we buy a doll for the girls and a truck for the boys. We also bought some lollies and lollipops.

In the girls bags we put some hairclips and hair-ties. In the boys bags we also included a matchbox car. We then decided to add a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste in the bags (they’ll need it after the lollies!).

On Friday 21 December Selvy drove us to the school in Huandar, which is about one and half hours away from Cusco. The school has about 40 students, however about 100 kids turned up. We had thought that may happen so we had prepared about 120 bags of presents.

Papa Noel also turned up for the occasion. The kids got some hot chocolate and Panetone. Then Papa Noel handed out the presents. The children appeared to be enjoying the party and their presents. The children, and the parents who were at the party, were then invited one by one into one of the classrooms where they were also given some clothes.

After the party we played a game of soccer, Peru's Challenge against the older kids at the party. We all had a great time, probably as much as the kids did.
Written by Fabiana from Australia.

I would like to personally thank Adrianna, her husband and her two kids who came up to celebrate Christmas with the Pumamarca kids.

Adrianna is a local guide for Peregrine Adventures. When she came up to visit the school with one of her groups she expressed an interest in helping Peru's Challenge to purchase Christmas presents for all of the kids.

She wanted her sons to be involved and to understand that there are kids just like them living in extreme poverty and that they often don't get to celebrate Christmas or receive gifts.

Adrianna and her family provide the big toy trucks and dolls and even wrapped each present. The Pumamarca kids were so excited.

I would also like to thank Anna Brown and the Victoria School for sending over gift packages and donating some funds to buy hot chocolate and Panetone for the Huandar kids.

Also thanks to Jenna Campbell and family for donating funds for Christmas presents, hot chocolate and Panetone for the Ccotohuincho kids.

Christmas hampers and kisses for Santa

Each Christmas, the mothers of the Talleres Group (adult workshop classes) receive a hamper. This year it was our job to pack them up - 54 in total.

The hampers were all packed full of goodies including everything needed for a perfect Christmas lunch - a fresh 3kg chicken, rice, sugar, pasta, milk, sweets and chocolate, a large Panetone and lots of other goodies for the house.

All was packed neatly by our volunteers into a plastic tub (which can be used later as a clothes washing tub) and then covered with plastic and tied with ribbon.

Each hamper ended up weighing about 20kg, and the mothers certainly had a hard time carrying them home at the end of the party but they weren't complaining!

The hampers were handed out by Papa Noel (aka John) at the Talleres Christmas party. But before they received their hamper, they had to give Papa Noel a big kiss and hug.

Not all the ladies were too keen on kissing Papa Noel's prickly whiskers, so the Peru's Challenge social worker bravely stepped up giving him plenty of hugs and kisses.

Papa Noel was so happy that he jumped up to his feet and did a little dance. This caused the room to erupt in laughter, while also making Papa Noel's 16 year old daughter Romany, very embarrassed.

Thank you to all those people who helped organise and pack these hampers.
Written by Lynne from Australia.

School group of 27 to build Kindergarten classrooms

December was not just all Christmas celebrations. A great deal of work was also completed by our volunteers and with the help from 22 students from St. George's School in Vancouver, Canada.

The group of boys, along with two teachers and two parents who were also doctors arrived to the Pumamarca School on Friday the 28th of December.

They are here to build the new Kindergarten building as we are going to have more than 40 students registered in 2008.

They were put straight to work on Friday carrying mud bricks - which is no easy task - those things are heavy - and they have already made great progress on the building.

Although this wasn't part of the overall plan, the doctors performed hundreds of general check-ups and discovered that many of the people of Pumamarca and nearby communities needed medical attention.

Fortunately, the Canadian group has brought lots of medicines with them - donated by pharmaceutical companies in Canada - so now there are a lot of scripts to be filled to help get everyone healthy again.

This afternoon, the Canadian group is off to the Sacred Valley to start their trek to Lares, finishing with a visit to Machu Picchu. They are going to do it tough - carrying everything themselves and doing all of their own cooking so we wish them Good Luck!

While they are away, the fathers of the community will put up the roof trusses of the Kindergarten building before the boys return to finish up.

These boys, and their accompanying teachers and parents are doing a great job, and everyone in the Pumamarca School and community are very grateful for their help!
Written by Amanda from Australia.

Next month, we will feature the completed project and all the great work the St. George's group accomplished during the visit to Pumamarca.

More construction work at Pumamarca

We had a great time helping out with the project work combined with plenty of wonderful tours and relaxing times.

This month was obviously built on the previous months' volunteers efforts.
It is very satisfying to think of our contributions becoming another link in Peru's Challenge construction objectives being reached.

Those who contributed to the construction related activities this month achieved:
The cleaning out of the under-construction Talleres building of stored materials, furniture and tools. These items were relocated to a storage area which was erected behind the kitchen.

The toilet block is now fully functional with the painting finished, doors and locks fitted and cisterns and seats in place.

Mud bricks created another raised garden around the pine tree outside the kindergarten classrooms.

Copious amounts of course gravel were spread by wheelbarrow to cover muddy areas along the vehicle access into the school yard, around the kindergarten seating area, up to the new garden, around the new toilet block through to the new storage area and also at the student entrance of the school.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our month with Peru's Challenge.
Written by John from Australia.

End of year excursion to Machu Picchu

The Pumamarca School kids were extremely lucky this year as 60 of them from Grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 were given the chance to visit Machu Picchu for the day.

The day started with a 4.30am pick-up from the Pumamarca community and the kids did not return back until 11.30pm that night - a long day.

The weather was perfect and the visit went off without a hitch with all of the teachers, including five parents, making sure that no-one was left behind.

The Director hired a local guide to tell the kids about the history and cultural significance of Machu Picchu. They had all done a lot of studying and homework before the visit to make sure they new as much as possible.

Everyone wanted a picture in front of the famous Huayna Picchu so they could treasure the memory. One-by-one they lined up while prof. Ely patiently took each photo - all 60 of them!

Here is what Hilda from Grade 5 said about the visit:
"Machu Picchu was amazing. It was so big. I want to go back and visit next year."

And here is what Edgar, the Director of the school said:
"How lucky are the Pumamarca students to be able to visit the most important archaeological site in Peru. Most Peruvian adults have never seen Machu Picchu and probably won't ever have the chance to. We are so appreciative of the support given to us by Peru's Challenge to make this visit happen. How lucky these kids are."

The problem we have now is where do we take them next year? They now have pretty high expectations!

Towels from the Frölunda Indians, Sweden

I am Pedro from Sweden and I have been a volunteer at Peru's Challenge since October.

One of my best memories from the school was when we decided to give each kid their own towel as a step in the hygiene program.

During the discussion in our volunteer meeting I came to think of the ice hockey team in Gothenburg, Sweden - the Frölunda Indians, and how they place a towel on each seat when they play a home game.

I sent them an email explaining about Peru's Challenge and about the school and the need for towels. They replied that they would love to send us some.

After a few weeks, a box with 400 towels arrived. We put up hooks in the school for the kids to hang their towels on and they were so happy with their gift from Frölunda.

It was so strange to see Frölunda towels hanging there in the classrooms of Pumamarca but also very fun.

This is not my only memory from the past three months. I have a lot of memories but they are not just memories, they are experiences that I just never will forget

I will never forget the dogs, pigs and the cows in the streets around Larapa.

I will never forget the look on the face of the 21 year old mother of two when we installed new beds and mattresses and helped her to clean up her house and garden.

I will never forget building the mud brick house for "The Senora" and eating the lunch she prepared for us.

I will never forget the girls in grade four who always giggled and hid their faces in their hands when I walked in the classroom.

And I will never forget Sebastian's tearstained eyes when he was hugging Cathy (a volunteer who will be his sponsor) goodbye at our farewell at the school.

I will never forget being Papa Noel and hugging and wishing 120 kids a "Feliz Navidad" and I will never forget all my fellow volunteers who I met during my time in Peru's Challenge.

It has truly been an experience of a lifetime and I will return to Cusco to visit Pumamarca again.
Written by Peter "Pedro" from Sweden.

Big results from the new vege garden

The Peru's Challenge volunteers have worked on the vegie garden from its conception in November to its completion in early December.

Firstly, the community parents ploughed the area with their bulls and planted bean and potato seeds.

We then fenced off a smaller area and planted celery, parsley, radishes, carrots, onion, beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, capsicum, tomatoes, strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber and various herbs, with some going into the greenhouse.

It is now the end of December and the potatoes, beans, cauliflower and radishes are already starting to sprout.

The sense of satisfaction that we feel at the sight of these sprouts comes from the knowledge that the children of Pumamarca School will now receive at least one healthy hot meal per day.

The mothers of the Pumamarca community will work on a roster system, coming into the school each day to cook lunch using the schools home grown vegetables.

Thank you to everyone who participated in helping to make this vegie garden happen.
Written by Bill from Australia.

Oh no, not the dentist!

More than 70% of the Pumarmarca kids have some type of dental infection or dental hygiene problem. We even have a 20-month old baby whose teeth are completely rotten. It is not that they have a lot of sugar in their diet. It is just that they are severely malnourished and are full of parasites.

Throughout the last couple of months, Peru's Challenge has been working with the local dental post down in Cuzco to organise consultations for all kids attending the Pumamarca School.

Peru's Challenge organised to pay for transport to and from the dental clinic down in Cuzco for each Grade and for any treatments that were needed.

The last group finished their treatments just in time for the Christmas celebrations. Ginny was talking with one of the little Grade One kids to get him excited for Papa Noel's visit to the school the next day and said to him "Do you know who is coming to the school to visit tomorrow? He wears a big suit."

The little kid looked up at Ginny in horror and wailed "Oh no, not the dentist." Thank goodness it's Papa Noel visiting tomorrow. Enough of the dentist for one year!

Project for Life

For the last couple of months, Peru's Challenge has been working with previous volunteers to test our newly created 'Project for Life' program.

'Project for Life' allows previous volunteers and their friends and family who have developed a connection with a certain child within the Pumamarca community to sponsor their life development, focusing on medical attention, food, household needs and education.

Our social worker provides the sponsor a family file document that explains the family history, current economic situation, the urgent specific needs of the child and family, the child's dreams and wishes for the future and an overview of how they can be achieved.

There are three levels of financial support that can be given of which 100% goes directly towards the child's development.

This month, we focus Sebastian and his sponsor amiga from Australia, Cathy.

All of our previous volunteers who worked in Pumamarca will recognise Sebastian straight away. He is an amazing kid, who is intelligent, personable and, despite the terrible conditions in which he survives, can still put a big smile on your face. Some of our volunteers even think he could become the President of Peru.

Sebastian lives at home with two of his bothers, the rest have all moved away from home. He elderly parents are both alcoholics leaving Sebastian and his brothers to literally fend for themselves.

He is extremely malnourished, full or parasites and regularly comes down with chronic pneumonia.

This year, he finishes Grade 6 at Pumamarca School and wants to go to a good secondary school down in Cuzco. But his parents don't want him to go as then he won't have time to work the fields, look after the bulls, or in short - do all of their work.

Via our 'Project for Life' program, Cathy his sponsor amiga is paying for Sebastian's daily transport, uniform, books and materials so he can attend a good secondary school in Cuzco. She has also bought beds for Sebastian and his two brothers so they can get a good night's sleep. Previously Sebastian had to share the bed shown in the photo on the right with is two drunk parents while his two other brothers shared another bed.

Cathy will also assist with food packages for the kids along with regular medical treatments.

If you are interested in knowing more about our new 'Project for Life' sponsorship program, please send an email to sponsorship@peruschallenge.com

Peru's Challenge Ball - Build a Community

Last month we touched on the Peru's Challenge Build a Community Ball. This idea stemmed from Laura, Tim and Sandy during their November volunteer month. Already a lot of planning has gone into this event, and we even have Jules Lund from Channel 9, confirmed as the MC.

The Ball will be held around early July in Sydney, Australia - exact date and location to be confirmed later. The aim is to firstly get previous volunteers and their friends and family together and to also raise funds for Peru's Challenge and the community of Pumamarca.

The night will be semi-formal with a touch of Peruvian style - including music, entertainment, food and prizes. The big event of the night will be where attendees can watch a community grow with the help of donations. People can donate funds on the night to see classrooms erected, cows purchased and water running!

We are asking for help right now. Think about how you support Peru's Challenge in making this event a success or how your friends or contacts can by providing things free-of-charge - venue, catering, alcohol, entertainment, prizes, AV equipment, printing, etc. The more support we receive for the event, the less we have to spend, resulting in more money for the Pumamarca community.

Send me an email if you have any ideas - jane@peruschallenge.com.

Time to say goodbye

Ginny, after two years as Volunteer Manager (well really two and a half), it is time to say goodbye to you.

As I said in my goodbye speech, you have been an integral part of the development of Peru's Challenge and you have grown the volunteer program into something that is talked about fondly by volunteers all over the world.

You have made a connection with every single volunteer you have met and have never once lost your patience or incredible insight.

You constantly listened to volunteer's views when they were frustrated but always promoted your views from experience and those of Peru's Challenge so an understanding was always reached.

We have not been looking forward to this day and I know you have received it with mixed emotions, but it's now your time to move back to Australia with Felix and start a life together there.

Escúchame - you told the Talleres mums that you will come back and visit and you know they will hold you to it. I am sure they are going to ask me every week "When is Ginny coming back?"

And another thing, (we are not going to let you forget) you also told the teachers that you were going to come back with your kids so they could attend Pumamarca School and you know how forceful they are - they would swim over to Australia to get you if they could!

We won't say good luck as you are the type of person that has created your own life by taking excellent risks and luck has nothing to do with it - well maybe just a little.

I know that we will see you again in Australia and Peru and Selvy and I look forward to catching up down the road.

Goodbye to the volunteers leaving in December

Than you Anna for volunteering with us for four weeks. Your help with organising all of the Christmas presents was grately appreciated.

Thanks Julie and Adam for helping out for a couple of weeks during your travels. Thanks also for your help with the wide-brimmed hats for next year. Sorry I don't have a photo of you Adam.

Laura, thanks for volunteering for a month. Your energy and positive personality was great to have around.

Thanks Lisa for spending two weeks with us - sorry I don't have a photo of you either! Thanks for all your help with our marketing plan.

Thanks Alana and Anania, thanks for coming as part of the Antipodeans Abroad UniBreak program. It's a shame you left before saying goodbye - let me know when you can fix us up for the Machu Picchu cancellations.

Amanda and Rohan, thanks also for joining us from Antips. I appreciate all of the effort you both put into the program and I wish you could have both stayed for longer.

Fab, thanks for helping us for four weeks. Your Spanish was great and we appreciate all of your help up at the school.

A big thanks to John and Kathryn for coming to volunteer as a family with Romany. Thanks for all of your advice and encouragement throughout the program.

Thanks Romany for coming to volunteer with your family. You did extremely well considering how embarrassing your Dad was as Santa Claus!

Thanks Hope for helping us out for a month at Pumamarca. You were a great help with all of our work.

Thanks Cathy for devoting three months of your time to come and volunteer with us. All of your help across the whole program was really appreciated. A big thanks also for your work with Sebastian - he now has a future.