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MAY 2007 NEWSLETTER

Regular parasite program at Pumamarca

Every three months, Peru's Challenge organises for the kids attending the Pumamarca School and their families to receive parasite medication.

This month we were fortunate to have our local Doctor Victor from Cuzco come to the school to administer the medication.

For the kids under six years old, we gave them a syrup which tasted like strawberries so the kids drank it down quickly.

The bigger kids had to swallow two tablets- a harder job.

But they were all rewarded with a smiley sticker and a sweet.

Before Doctor Victor came up to the school. Megan, Ashley and Janet had to weigh each child and get their birth date to ensure that the dosage would be correct.

Thank you Doctor Victor for volunteering your time up at the school and for organising a fantastic discount on the medication at such short notice. We look forward to seeing you up at the school every three months.

Also, thank you to all our volunteers that help with the parasite program. It is a very important part of our project.

Feliz dia de la Madre

Mother's Day is a way of taking time to show how much you appreciate all the work that your mum does.

This year, for the hardworking mothers of Pumamarca, Mother's Day was celebrated over several days.

It started on Thursday afternoon, preceding Mother's Day, when Peru's Challenge took all the mothers out for a special chicken dinner followed by presents.

The mothers were really happy to get to spend time together outside of Pumamarca and not to have to cook!

Over the weekend they spent time with their families and celebrated in their own
way. You could tell there had been parties everywhere due to the left over confetti still covering the ground.

The next big celebration was on Monday after Mother's Day at the school when the children of Pumamarca School put on an incredible show for their mothers.

All the students were dressed up from head to toe, some in traditional clothing and some just for fun. There was music, dancing and singing as well as the occasional poetry recital.

It lasted for over two hours and was much more that I had ever seen for any Mother's Day celebration.

You could tell just how important a day like this was by how excited the children were to perform.

The children did such a great job and the mothers were very proud!
Written by Ashley from America who volunteered for four weeks.

Invention conquers convention – the story of WoodHammer

It was once said in Latin, “Magister artis ingenique largitor venter.” Or for those unfamiliar with Latin: “Necessity is the mother of all invention.”

This rang true a few days ago while constructing a fence, one of the many projects completed this month, at the wonderful school of Pumamarca.

In lieu of a traditional hammer (my amigo Joel was engaged with the only hammer at the school) I stared down a rugged piece of wood, possibly cypress.

Wikipedia claims that the hammer is perhaps man’s oldest tool/weapon. So what does that make a piece of scrap wood that is used to nail objects together? Prehistoric!

By definition a hammer is a tool meant to deliver blows. If this magnificent piece of wood was not capable of delivering blows then- like a horse that cannot gallop anymore goes to the glue factory, so would WoodHammer become firewood.

The WoodHammer proceeded to deliver blows more fierce and powerful than I believe any nail has ever seen or felt. The nail would actually quiver before it was struck down upon.

While Joel bent nail after nail the WoodHammer performed gracefully and efficiently with no time to waste, like a well oiled machine (please excuse the cliché).

The WoodHammer had passed the test; it was outperforming the conventional hammer at a ratio of 7:1. Before the WoodHammer could rest its weary bark the fence was complete. Needless to say, without the WoodHammer the garden in front of Pumamarca School would be fenceless and threatened by children and dogs.

Once headed to the fiery furnace, now the WoodHammer rests comfortably next to my bed (mainly because my girlfriend will not let him sleep in the bed) a testiment to the mother of invention.

On a side note, the WoodHammer and I would like to thank my partner in this fence building project Georgina, the best nail wrangler this side of the Mississippi!
Written by Morgan from America who volunteered for four weeks.

Kids Earth Fund visits Pumamarca

This month, Pumamarca was lucky enough to be visited by Kids Earth Fund (KEF) from Australia.

KEF has been working with Australian school children to teach them about their environment and how to look after it. Then the kids need to paint what they have learnt.

Now KEF are bringing these artworks to children in other countries around the world. Through these artworks, the children understand what is happening in other countries.

Here is an email from Broulee Primary School in Australia:

Thank you for the wonderful photos. The kids look great. We hope you are all enjoying your time there. It is fabulous to see the photos of all the Peruvian children. Will you give them our regards and tell them we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their mural.

I have shown the photos to the staff and children at Broulee Primary School and I have put them on the front wall at the entrance of the school for everyone to see.

The children thank you also for sending the photos. It is a wonderful thing you are doing with them.

Warmest regards,
Kerry

The works done by our Pumamarca kids will now travel around Australia to be exhibited throughout prominant office buildings and also to the Australian schools that participated.

Following is my email written to Phil, the coordinator of this visit:

Dear Phil,
I just wanted to write an email of gratitude for the visit from Kids Earth Fund (KEF) and Epeco.

Your coordination of this visit was exceptional and we were thrilled that the Pumamarca community and Peru's Challenge could be a part of it.

Throughout the whole process from beginning to end we were continually updated and involved in each element of the visit. You and the artists were very prepared in working with the children of Pumamarca and were also aware and respectful of cultural differences and the poverty in which the children live.

For the 130 children attending the Pumamarca School near Cuzco this was such a beneficial exercise. Never had these children worked with paint nor had the opportunity to express themselves through this medium. But to watch them be so enthralled in the class and to take in everything the teachers taught them with such dedication was inspirational.

Constantly, when our volunteers now take art lessons, they are being asked if the class can be a painting class. The children are really developing their skills and we are expanding the subject matter to houses, families and free imagination.

We would hope that KEF and Epeco can visit Pumamarca School each year to continue the wonderful start of this project and witness first-hand the development of the children.

Peru's Challenge is also thrilled that selected artworks will be touring in Australia and that we are starting a cross-cultural conversation through art to children in Australia.

Thanks once again Phil and we will keep you updated with our progress as will you with your progress in Australia.

Life in the “Big Brother House”

I'm on a train to Macchu Pichu for a one day tour, and I reflect on the “Big Brother House”- (a term used with great affection by many of the volunteers in Peru's Challenge to describe the living conditions in the volunteer house).

When I arrived at Cuzco Airport, I am met by Ginny, (the lovely friendly Aussie Peru's Challenge Volunteer Manager) and we make our way by car up dirt roads to Larapa – where the volunteer house awaits.

It's painted brightly with white walls and blue doors – and looks odd against the back drop of all the brown mud brick houses in the area.

I meet Santusa who is a lovely warm, welcoming, Peruvian lady who is employed a couple of days each week to clean the house and who, I learnt later, is also a dabb hand in the kitchen and would cook up the most amazing lunches for us!

I am introduced to the other volunteers who all seem very friendly and welcoming.
Then ahhhh ....the unexpected happens– cabin fever (or is it just the onset of altitude sickness?)

Reality hits: I am in a shared room and there will be nine others- all strangers- in the Big Brother House. My head swims with questions...will we get under each others feet? Will we bug each other? Who cooks? Washes up? etc etc.

I haven't been in shared accommodation since my twenty's and I am now 43, married and separated and living very happily ALONE! I now have a whole month in the the BB House – how will I cope?

I go outside and have a little chat with myself: “Get over it, Janet!!” and you know what? I did!

I'm having more fun now than I've had in a long time. We respect each others privacy, we have good fun and all get along really well together. We are planning a BB house party and BBQ next week!

This group ranges in age from 18 to over 50. I'm from Ireland and the craic is brilliant!

Peru's Challenge loves to see the Paddys arrive!

Now.....who's turn is it to cook dinner?
Written by Janet from Ireland who volunteered for four weeks.

Horse Riding a la Peru

A surreal experience! My parents live on a farm in Australia so I grew up riding horses.

To get back on a horse so far from home and wandering through the mountains with such beautiful scenery was amazing. I felt at peace.

Doing something so familiar to me somewhere so unfamiliar - for me that was an experience in itself. But on top of that, Selvy showed us these amazing old Incan ruins.

It blows my mind how such an ancient culture can have achieved and known so much. Their beliefs were so strong. I think whatever beliefs we as individuals have, we can only admire the respect they had for mother earth and be inspired by the power of their beliefs.

...And lunch at Los Perros- what a treat!

Written by Megan from Australia who volunteered for four weeks.

White Water rafting anyone?

Peru's Challenge is all about contributing to the current project which is at present the school at Pumamarca. Volunteers help out in any manner of ways either using skills they have already or trying new ones. The satisfaction of knowing that you have contributed to these children's education in some small way or that you have helped make their school a better place by your efforts with the construction or maintenance projects is very fulfilling.

But it's not all work and no play for the volunteers.... there are many fabulous tours included in each programme and plenty of free weekends to seek out more!

This trip has definitely taking me out of my comfort zone so why not continue the trend and try something new? White water rafting was on offer and too good to resist.

A one day trip out of Cuzco, I was accompanied by a smorgasbord of people from all over the world: England, Sweden, Israel, Belgium, Canada, America and Italy– all out for adventure on the fast waters of Rio Urubamba.

Our destination was couple of hours south of Cuzco and after kitting out in what every best dressed rafter is wearing this season– full length wet suit, spray jacket, life jacket and helmet- we were given a full briefing on what to do and what not to do. Clear as mud, we proceeded down stream.

The rapids were not too frenetic (they ranged from level 2 to 3 for those in the know). Some of the rafters would have liked the water to have more go in it but it was fine for me.

The serious rapids are in the rainy season but as it was in the middle of May, the sun was shining and the day was warm and the more than occasional splash of icy cold water was refreshing. It was hard work with moments of sheer exhilaration- the risk of the raft flipping when we were caught high and dry on a large rock mid stream was but one!

After a couple of hours of rafting, there was lunch and the return trip home.
It was a great day out of the city with fresh air and beautiful scenery and I'll be telling the folks back home it was level 5 all the way! Why let the truth get in the way of a good story!!!!
Written by Georgina Springer from Australia. Volunteered for four weeks.

Thanks to those that leave us this month:

Georgina, thank you for joining us for four weeks. Thanks for all your great help in editing this newsletter. I know that Peru is now in your heart. We hope to see you back here again soon.

Thanks Janet for your great humour and also for helping out with the construction, general hygiene with the kids and the parasite program. Thanks also for your work in house visits and for not giving up on getting a softball kit donated.

Megan, thanks for volunteering for four weeks.

Thanks Allison for your time with us and your help with English lessons. We look forward to seeing you more during your time with Ultimate Tours.

Ashley thank you for coming over for four weeks and for bringing Morgan. Thanks for all of your help with lesson planning and volunteer recruitment ideas.