JULY 2007 NEWSLETTER
Warming Pumamarca during a long cold winter
The temperatures here in the Andes have dropped to well below zero. Some communities recording -25 degrees. And they are only going to get worse.
 Children are walking around on frozen ground with no shoes, only light pants or skirts and a t-shirt. Seniors are sleeping on the ground with rags and newspaper wrapped around them.
We have many little children and seniors in hospitals dying from pneumonia. It is really sad. The hospitals are full and cannot accept more children so they are being turned away.
We are currently trying to visit each of the communities in which we work to supply blankets, shoes, socks, clothing, food, medicines.
Peru's Challenge, with the help of former and current volunteers and generous supporters, is hoping to turn the tide in the community of Pumamarca with a 'blanket drive'.
Staff and volunteers are working closely with a local social worker to purchase and implement the fair distribution of blankets and warm clothing to local families.
The families will be invited to the school in Pumamarca to collect some much needed warm supplies.
Current volunteers will help the social worker in all aspects of the 'blanket drive', from buying the blankets to issuing them to needy families.
Look out for an update on the initiative and photos in next months' newsletter. Thanks to all those that have helped support this project.
Written by Meg from Australia.
Such little people with such big smiles!
Who would have thought little pigs made out of paper and sticks could make 40 little peoples day. This was just one of rewarding experiences I was fortunate to be part of during my month spent with Pumarmarca´s kindergarten classes.
When Jane asked us the first day where we wanted to help out, I immediately knew I wanted to go into the Kindergarten room, as this is the age I teach back home in New York City.
 The Kindergarten class here consists of two rooms, one with three and four year olds, and one with five and six year olds. When all the children are present, there are about 40 in total. There are two teachers that spend the day in these classrooms.
So, when I mentioned my interest to Jane, she said she would love it and would discuss the idea with the teachers. Within a few days, I was in the Kindergarten classroom.
The minute you walk into the room, you are greeted with cheers and "hola amiga!" from all the smiling faces. One of the most loved projects we did with the children was creating pig puppets.
Children at this age love animals, love creating anything with glue and markers, and love puppets!
After finishing the puppets, the children were running around the yard flashing their puppets at everyone and making pig noises.
What a feeling it was to see how something so small (using paper and sticks to make a pig) could be so big for these children.
I knew I would want to continue coming into the Kindergarten classroom to see those smiling faces again…
Written by Laura from the USA.
Making teaching easier
 One of the biggest ongoing challanges for volunteers and staff at the school in Pumamarka is trying to ensure the lessons each volunteer teaches has some continuity from those that were taught by volunteers last month.
To help future volunteers, as well as provide some continuity to the school and its staff, a proforma was designed this month to keep track of the lessons taught during each volunteers stay.
 By each volunteer filing this sheet out after each lesson, future volunteers can see what has previously been taught and plan follow up and future lessons.
Teaching is one of the most rewarding experiences Peru's Challenge can offer volunteers and hopefully this new system will make it easier for volunteers, as well as school staff and students, to see through the transition between each monthly group of volunteers.
Digging paths and building up flower beds...
Our first day at Pumamarca and so eager was I to be part of it all, I innocently put my name up for a thing called "Construction". Sounded great and a change from the school work I am accustomed to as a teacher in Australia.
 I found myself building strategically placed paths leading to the would be new toilet block and outsides sinks. I had a pick and shovel and a lot of dirt to dig and move to another place.
Luckily enough Selvy was there (this guy is everywhere at any given time) and used his brain (mine had packed up due to altitude sickness and shortness of breath after the first barrowful) to come up with the idea of using the soil removed from the paths to construct flower beds.
The advantage being we didn’t need to move the dirt outside with our wheelbarrows. The raised flower beds however needed a border of mud bricks and these bricks, surprise, surprise, were stored on the other side of the school. Ergo the wheelbarrows again!!
 If you haven’t lifted a mud brick lately, let me tell you, these things are HEAVY and they tend to break in two if not treated with respect.
I thought I could have a break on the way back with an empty wheelbarrow but the kids of Pumamarca had a better idea and three of them really enjoyed the rides.
So I got rid of my altitude sickness and acquired a “can do” attitude which has held me in good stead during my stay in Peru.
The feeling of achievement when watching the result of our efforts can be compared to winning the America’s cup or climbing the highest mountain.
Written by Isabelle from Australia.
Kids volunteer for Peru's Challenge
"Volunteering for Peru's Challenge is fun. When you go up to Pumamarca, you can help with anything you want to, like PE [Physical Education], Art, Music, or English classes, or you can help with building projects.
Every time you do PE, you get to do different games. If you just say “fútbol” and sort them into teams, you can play a really fun game of soccer!
My favorite trip so far was the horse-back riding to see some of the Inca ruins. When you go horse-back riding, you get to go on a small horse and ride it to Tambomachay where the water comes straight out of the rock.”
Marco Naess, age 9, USA
"It's fun seeing the other volunteers because you basically live with them the whole time you stay. You go to the project a lot, you have Spanish lessons, but you also have a lot of free time and cool tours, so it's evenly balanced.
I would highly recommend going to see the ruins of Pikillacta and Tipón. In Pikillacta there is a huge area of pre-Inca ruins all over a hillside. It's amazing to see how well built and preserved the buildings are. Instead of having stones that fit into each other like the Inca buildings, the Wari used rocks and mud to hold it together and they plastered their walls.
Tipón is an amazing Inca site with still-working water canals and some cool buildings. It's a great place for a picnic and it's still being excavated.
Look out for large pottery shards with painting, but don´t take them!”
Lauritz Naess, age 12, USA
Pumamarca Medical Clinic
In 2005 and 2006, Elizabeth, a doctor from Australia, came to volunteer for a month and began the process of setting up a medical clinic in Pumamarca. She provided us with a great breakdown of what to consider, which has become our bible.
The medical clinic is a much needed resource for the community as many of them either can’t get to Cusco for medical advice or simply cannot afford it.
With women’s health issues, malnourishment and parasites just some of the health issues effecting the Pumamarca residents on a daily basis we are aiming to get this clinic completed and taking patients regularly by the end of the year with doctors from the Cusco area visiting numerous times a week.
In particular we aim to have the clinic in full working order by late September when we will be visited by five doctors from New Zealand. What an amazing opportunity this is going to be, not only will we have their knowledge but we will also be able to have them hands on in the community doing various medical examinations.
This month I have prepared a timeline outlining the work that is needed on the physical building, ensuring that the clinic is comfortable for patients as well as clean and sterile. I have also made contact with numerous charities in the hope they can offer assistance with providing medical supplies.
This is a very exciting project that will be great to see come to completion. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the foundation is there for a great clinic and a very welcome addition to the local community.
Rachael
Seeing first hand how difficult life can be
During July, current volunteers Rachel, Jo, Karine and Kaye, accompanied by Ginny the Peru's Challenge Volunteer Manager and their social worker, visited Hilda, a single mother living in Pumamarca.
Hilda and her 15 month old son had only been living in Pumamarca for one month and were struggling to make ends meet. The baby was still being breastfed and looked well nourished and well cared for despite the few resources available to Hilda.
However, the house was dirty with little visble food. The young mother explained to the social worker that she had little family support and no income.
Hilda is the second eldest of six children. Her mother died of alcholism and her father - also an alcoholic, provided little, if any, support.
Hilda went to Lima several years ago and became pregnant, only to be abandoned by the father of her child, so she returned to her home town of Pumamarca.
The volunteers decided to help Hilda and her son by providing her with provisions like milk, rice, lentils and oats, as well as a broom to help her keep the house clean.
It was encouraging to return to Pumamarca the following week and find Hilda had cleaned and organised the house and begun attending talleries workshops with her son, a very positive step to getting her life back on track.
Written by Kaye from Australia.
Where once a blue wall stood
At Pumamarca school, a bare blue wall stands
A blank canvas ready for creative hands
And so came to be our very colourful task
To design a tribute that through the years would last.
The spirit of Pumamarca we wanted to capture
To fill the children with a sense of rapture
And so was born a design of colour and fun
Reflecting many an element beneath the Peruvian sun.
A map of South America, proud and true
Above the two flags of Australia and Peru
To symbolize a passion that does not wane
Through the love and dedication of Selvy and Jane.
Volunteers continue to work hard and strive
Ensuring Peru's Challenge remains strong and alive
The flags of each volunteer country are there
A sense of pride for each person to bear.
At the centre, a photo board was made,
Ensuring that great memories never fade
Children and the community from now shall see
Their own smiling faces and the school's history
Many a volunteer with paintbrush in tow
Worked effortlessly and watched their creation grow
First one coat, then two as time did tick
Even a rickety wooden ladder seemed to do the trick.
No longer does a bare blue wall stand
Instead, an image, happy and grand
Seeing the joy on each little face
Was all that was needed to sustain the pace.
We wish Pumamarca long life and success,
On behalf of all volunteers, we confess
That this experience remains in our hearts ever true
Thank you Peru's Challenge and we love you Peru!!
Written by Jo from Australia.
Thanks to our volunteers that leave us in July...
 Kaye, thanks for all your help with lesson plans and your great sense of humour.
Thanks Isabelle for keeping everyone laughing and thanks for being so helpful with all aspects of our project.
Thanks Jo for your great work on the wall. It looks fantastic and we get lots of comments about it.
Mary, thanks for your two months with us. Let us know if you need any advice on setting up your own charity.
Thanks for spending four weeks with us Laura. Your work with the kindergarten classes was great and the kids really miss you.
 Barb, thanks for bringing your boys to volunteer with us. You help and advice is very much appreciated. Thanks also for the juggling balls idea in Talleres. They are selling like 'hot cakes'.
Jodi, thanks for your help, particularly with helping the volunteers with translation work within lessons.
Thanks Lauritz and Marco for volunteering with us for four weeks. The kids loved having you around to play sport with and help in English classes.
Karine, thanks for volunteering with us for a month. You help with professional architect plans for the school and for each project we plan to work on over the next couple of years will be so beneficial for Peru's Challenge.
 Thanks Kim for spending two months with us and for getting your parents to come and visit also. Your general enthusiasm really helped at the school.
Joel, thanks for your time with us. We are going to miss you help at the school and your general easy-going-ness!
Jane Gavel
President & Co-Founder
Peru's Challenge
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