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OCTOBER 2007
NEWSLETTER

English classes

Every Wednesday morning volunteers conduct English lessons with Grade 5 & 6 students at Pumamarca School. Over the month of October, lessons taught have incorporated teaching basic conversation; the human body, directions, objects and nouns.

A memory game using flash cards with pictures of people, animals and objects with both Spanish and English descriptions have been introduced to make the learning process both fun and practical.

The students have shown much enthusiasm in learning and over the month of October that I have been involved in lessons, I have been pleasantly surprised at their grasp of the English language.

Chris, a past volunteer now working in Cusco as an English Teacher was approached by Peru’s Challenge to help identify students that would benefit from further education in English. These students would attend a professional english school in Cusco to undertake a certified English course in 2008.

The students will require sponsorship to attend the school which will enhance their chances of finalising the secondary education with higher grades and of gaining employment in the future.

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

Who’s afraid of Ghosts!
AJ organises a Halloween party at Pumamarca

Halloween has always been a big celebration for me back in the states. Typically, I spend the month constructing and operating a haunted house with friends and family.

This year I was extremely excited to bring a piece of my Halloween spirit to Pumamarca. I came equipped with an art project that my wife helped me prepare back home.

Each child decorated their own felt badge to be worn during the day long celebration. They had a choice of a pumpkin, ghost, bat, or witches hat.

The school director declared October 31st a holiday with a day long celebration. In the weeks leading up to it we spent time making the badges with each individual grade. The volunteers decided to construct piñatas and filled all nine of them with candy.

When the big day finally arrived it was complete with bobbing for apples, music, dancing, cakes that each class had made, face painting and piñatas. The kids had just as much fun breaking into the piñatas as we did constructing them.

The face painting was a big hit, not only with the children but also with the adults! The favorite among the boys were bats (murciélagos) and the girls preferred butterflies (mariposas)! The highlight for me was having my face painted by Hernan, a fantastic young artist.

My intention was to bring something special for the children here, and although I believe I succeeded in doing so, the children also provide me with an experience that I will never forget. I have gained more than I gave.

Thank you to all the other volunteers for your time and help in preparing for the big party making this Halloween so special for not only the children of Pumamarca, but for me as well.
Written by AJ (Amigo Batista) from the USA

Building the Senora’s house

This month, a number of the volunteers worked on constructing a house for a local lady with three children who had been evicted from her home.

Six years ago, Cresenciana's husband passed away and she turned to alcohol. She would drink every single day, not look after her children or work to be able to pay for the rent of the house in which they were living.

With the help of the Peru's Challenge social worker, this month's volunteers decided to build her a new house on her own plot of lady to give her hope. In return she had to promise to stop drinking alcohol completely, to get a job and to start looking after her kids.

It’s been a great project with Cresenciana, her kids, the volunteers and locals from the village working together on the project.

From the first day the volunteers were working, Cresenciana was right there next to them, completely sober, working just as hard to help make adobe mud-bricks for her new house.

For the next month, she did not drink a drop of alcohol and talked to our social worker about how she feels she has support and real friends with the Peru's Challenge volunteers.

The Pumamarca teachers have also commented on how the children are much happier now their home situation is looking brighter.

In a short month, all the mud bricks have been laid, the roof constructed and the floor, windows and door have been installed.

It was a difficult project and a lot was done in a relatively short time, the house, whilst it’s not the Ritz it gives the family a safe dry place to live – well done guys!

A big thanks to Qantas who allowed Terry (one of the builders) excess luggage to bring his power tools across to Peru at no charge, and with a big smile!

We will continue to monitor the process of Cresenciana and assist her in building a small kitchen so she can prepare and sell food to local workers.
Written by Christine from Australia

Visiting doctors overwhelmed with cases

Last month we had a group of New Zealanders, including two doctors, donate some of their time to help in the community. Although they arrived probably jet-lagged and exhausted, there were no signs as they were full of enthusiasm and motivation.

Two mornings was spent doing a paediatric clinic at the school. Given limited resources, the kiwis showed their resourcefulness. They created an eye chart using a large Australian map (which says a lot about them considering that their kiwis / New Zealanders!) and used the school kitchen as an examination room for eyes, ears and general health. They identified several issues amongst the children, including malnutrition.

In the afternoon, the doctors worked in a medical clinic during Tallares (community workshop). They were swamped by people with multiple medical problems.

Fortunately the NZ group brought two suitcases worth of medical equipment and medication, and the community benefited vastly from their help.

The non-medical volunteers were equally helpful, assisting in medical and paediatric clinic and helping around in the school. They should take pride in that they have been built the ground work for future paediatric clinics that non-medical volunteers can work in.

Many thanks to Dr Liz Fitzmuarice and Dr Katrina Harper for your tireless work and your guidence in setting up the paediatric clinic.

Many thanks to Luke Fitzmaurice, Graham Peacock, Jamie Guyton, Anne Guyton, Jeanette Boddy, Claire Farnsworth and Alison Peacock for helping out not only with medical clinic but also around the school.

Thanks to Maire Thompson for doing the class photos - you should take up professional photography! For the first time ever, every student at the Pumamarca School now has their individual class photo. At the end of the year, each student will take home their photo and give it to their parents as a present.
Written by Wei-Sen from Australia

Basic medical reports for each child

This month Jackie, a trained nurse, together with Ginny and Christine worked together to set up basic medical testing for children.

It was a successful project involving sight and hearing testing as well as checking weight, height and general wellbeing.

It gave volunteers an opportunity to get a baseline result on all children so that future volunteers can continue the work and monitor the children’s progress.

We were also able to identify and flag children who had problems with hearing and sight which will enable follow up and opportunities to supply a pair of reading glasses or ensure a child sits closer to the teacher if their hearing is not strong.

By checking their weight and height we can flag any nutritional problems early on and hopefully prevent future problems.

It was interesting to see how the children responded to the attention. In Australia it would be a slow shuffle to come and see us – here they ran to us to get tested with shy smiles and hugs.
Written by Christine from Australia

Pumamarca's own vegetable garden

Volunteers have been beautifying the school planting cheery sunflowers at the entrance, due some of them turning into a quick meal for a local donkey a fence
was quickly erected too!

Volunteers, teachers and students have also been working hard on setting up the school vegetable garden, complete with a small green house.

So far, potatoes and green beans have been planted and are just starting to shoot through the surface.

Having this vegetable garden and green-house will enable the school to turn a non-productive area into something that will produce fresh veggies for the school canteen.

Most of the 130 children that attend the Pumamarca School come to classes with just a cup of tea in their stomach. They then go home to a soup of corn or potatoes and then before bed they will drink another cup of tea. That is it. Nothing more.

Now with the school vegetable garden and green house, the school will become self-sufficient in providing a balanced and nutritious lunch to each student without the need of support from Peru's Challenge.

Workshop working bee

Over the last weekend in October the families of the children in the school got together for a HUGE working bee to work on the Talleres room (the workshop for the adults) which will double as classrooms in the mornings.

Whilst the mud bricks and roof were on the floor needed to be levelled. This involved the heavy work of moving clay like mud that had the be loosened with a pick first.

Our volunteers had completed some work on this project but it was nice to see that many hands did make light work and the working bee from the village levelled the floor in no time.

It will be nice for the Talleres group to have their own space in the school area. Next year we are also expecting at least a 25% increase in students at the Pumamarca School so the big rooms will come in handy. A big thanks to Gulf4Good for assisting with the development of this project.

A family holiday with a difference

I must admit that I had my doubts when considering taking my children to Peru to live and work in the community, in hindsight the benefits hugely out weigh the risks.

My son and daughter have memories that will last them a lifetime - where else can you teach your children first hand about poverty, sustainability, community, culture and good will.

Not only have my children taken away these lessons they have experienced the most exciting classrooms ever - in places like the Sacred Valley, Sacsayhuaman and Machu Picchu.

There is a saying in New Zealand, that it takes a community to raise a child, well for the past month the community at Peru's Challenge has been helping to raise my children, and they have been a fantastic influence.

I consider my children to be very lucky. They have new eyes and a fresh perspective.

Our experience was everything we hoped for and some. My family and I have met some wonderful people, and made some great friends, which in todays busy world is a difficult thing to do.

A word of thanks to our travel Doc, Doctor Victor Chokewaita Salas. October was a busy month for Dr Victor as most of the volunteer team visited him at least once with either stomach problems or bronchitis. We were all very grateful to have Dr Victor looking after us, he went out of his way to explain in English every detail of care, the standard of which was very high. He has access to laboratory testing in his office and will even make a house call if necessary.

Thanks also to Ginny who was very supportive, accompanying us to several doctors/hospital visits during our stay.
Written by Dale, Jac, Rory and Rosie from New Zealand

Paragliding over the Sacred Valley – A view from the top

After spending two days in the Sacred Valley where Selvy shared his wealth of knowledge, passion and great respect for the history and people of his country, for a couple of us, paragliding over the Sacred valley was a must.

Selvy and Ally organised the half-day trip out to the Sacred Valley for us, early on a Tuesday morning. Selvy’s friend Cesar and his brother Alex picked us up and drove us out to the run way off the edge of a mountain, where we met our pilot Ruben.

Ruben, Cesar and Alex set up the chute and completed their safety checks using very Peruvian techniques which made it all the more exciting, although it seemed best not to watch for the most part!

Once the harness was strapped on and the wind picked up – as did the nerves – off we went, running off the edge of the mountain and into the sky, first one then the other – half an hour each of complete peace and a view from the Andean mountains surrounding and the Sacred Valley that is not possible from anywhere else.

Half an hour gliding over the Sacred Valley, followed by a safe landing, amazing photos and an experience that won’t be forgotten…If you have around US$85, half a day and some guts, take the plunge and experience the whole of the Sacred Valley.
Written by AJ from the USA and Catherine from Australia

Peregrine travellers continue to support Peru's Challenge

This month, we would like to give a big thanks for the continued support we receive from Peregrine Adventures and their passengers. In October the Pumamarca School received visits from more than 100 Peregrine passengers.

Each time, the groups visit, they bring fresh fruit for the kids, school learning materials and sometimes even small gifts for all the kids.

Peru's Challenge benefits enormously from these visits with passengers offering very good advice and ways in which they can help from home.

One group even came with a documentary film crew. Peregrine is developing a documentary for its new initiative - The Peregrine Community Trust. Peru's Challenge will be one of a number of charities around the world in which the Trust will support.

Anyone can donate funds to the Trust and specify which project they would like to support. The initiative is being launched in Australia in March and April next year.

Art4Peru - Raising funds for the earthquake victims

In September 2006, Peru's Challenge had the pleasure of being visited by artist, Inez Koler from the Netherlands. Peru left such a huge impact on Inez that when she heard about the devastating Earthquake that hit the south of Peru in August 2007, she knew that something needed to be done.

With Inez's ambition to help the victims of the Earthquake she started up Art4Peru to raise funds for the affected area. She has decided to set up a charity fundraising event in her home town and will sell some of her Peruvian inspired artworks, artworks of fellow artists from the Netherlands and hand-made products from the Pumamarca Talleres Group.

Applications closed for Volunteer Manager position

Ginny, our amazing Volunteer Manager will be finishing up with us at the end of December. She will be travelling home back to Australia with her husband Felix.

Applications for the Volunteer Manager position have now closed. We received over 20 applications and will spend the next couple of weeks reviewing each one and creating a short-list for interviews.

Thanks to all of you who applied. The successful candidate will be announced by before the end of November.

Thanks to our volunteers leaving in October

Thanks Weis, or should I call you Dr Website!, for your six weeks with us. Your medical work within the Pumamarca School and community was invaluable. Thanks also for teaching me a thing or two. We look forward to seeing you back here hopefully every year with medical students. Thanks also for setting up the scholarship for young Pumamarca kids wanting to become doctors.

Thanks to Jacqui, Dale, Rory and Rosy for volunteering as a family for four weeks. Thanks Rory and Rosie for all your help with lessons. Thanks Jacqui for your help with the medical tests and reports for all the Pumamarca kids and thanks Dale for your help with construction. I hope the long plane ride home wasn't too hard!

Abby, thanks for spending four weeks with us as a volunteer. It was great to talk with you about safe water within the community and we will keep you updated with our progress.

Thanks Terry and Christine for volunteering with us for a month. We had a rough start Terry but the month ended up being a great success with all of your hard work in building the senora's house from scratch. She is so happy. Christine, thanks for all of your help with Mother's Group and the business plan. I will work on it over the next couple of months and be in touch with some questions.

Thanks Jerusha for volunteering for three months. Your help with lessons was fantastic. I know it was very hard for you to leave but hopefully we will see you back here very soon. The Grade 5/6 girls ask about you every week.

AJ, thanks very much for your four weeks with us. Your Halloween festivities we incredible and you know the kids loved it... I think the volunteers loved it even more!

Thanks Katherine for volunteering for a month with us. Thanks for all the work you did up at the school including construction, lessons and hygiene.

Mark, thanks for volunteering with us for three months. Your Spanish was a great help and thanks for working so effortlessly on ever part of Peru's Challenge.