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Peru is known for its spectacular scenery including the Amazon basin and the mysterious Machu Picchu, the pride of the ancient Inca civilization. For most of the Quechan people living in the mountainous Andean region, survival is difficult and government assistance is rare. Due to the remoteness of their communities, many live without basic modern services. Of the 3.8 million people living in extreme poverty, 2.1 million are children.
SCHOOL FOR LIFE
Comunidad Campesina de HuamaHuama, Peru
The community of Quechua families in the very remote, mountainous region of the Peruvian Andes are living in very harsh and challenging conditions. Living in almost complete isolation, the Huama community of Quechua have not yet entered the modern world. Unable to grow enough food to for their children, they are of a diminishing population who still speak their native language, believe in communal living, are hard-working and value education. The children are always cheerful and filled with smiles.
Thirty years ago, the government built a school in this community, but since then, the school and community have not received any government support or social services. The buildings are dilapidated with leaky roofs, they do not have desks or chairs, and some of the buildings do not have windows.
Richar and Jessica Velarde Casafranca have organized this group of Quechua people and helped to form the Comunidad Campesina de Huama, a community-based organization providing schooling for 221 students.
Walking up to 3 hours to-and-from school every day, students receive basic education and are taught cultural and life-sustaining skills such as organic farming, how to breed animals and how to make colorful textiles. The school teaches both Quechua and Spanish to minimize discrimination while traveling outside of their community and to increase their chances of long-term survival.
Unfortunately, not all of the children in the community can afford the $3 a year school fee.
We hope the GO Community will help the Huama Community to repair to their existing school and build two new classrooms so more children will be able to attend school and advance in their studies.
See what we've already accomplished for this project »
Fundraising goal: $15,752
Your donations can provide the following:
| $50 | Wire |
| $100 | Nails |
| $200 | Painting Supplies |
| $300 | Transportation of materials |
| $1,000 | Gypsum building material |
| $3,500 | Local labor to build 2 buildings |
(translated from Quechua)
My name is Cesarea Jayt'ara, and I am 15 years old, I study in the school of Huama. I am happy because I am the first one of my siblings to enter school. To get to school I have to walk more than 2 hours, but I am happy to be able to study. Sometimes I?m late to school because I am helping to graze my family sheep and cows. In my community we work potatoes, beans and corn but we don?t sell it to the city people because they deceive us. My house is made of clay and has a thatched roof. I like my community of Huama, it is pretty, and I like living in my country.
(translated from Quechua)
My name is Walter Pillco Tillca. I am 13 years old and I live in the community of Huama. I thank Richar, the director of the school and to the president of the community, that have made the school possible. We don?t have to travel very very far to Lamay to study. I like to walk in the country, to be with the animals and also to study to succeed in the life.
Scott Fifer shares with us his amazing trip to our project partner in Peru
with GO supporters Lucas, Allison & Andy!
I had no idea what lay in store, my eyes half-closed in acrophobic fear as we drove up the steep switchback dirt roads toward the remote mountain community of Huama. When I did open my eyes, the sights were always stunningly beautiful: crisp blue skies over majestic snow-capped mountains, magical Incan ruins, and the vibrant colors of Peruvian fabrics adorning the occasional pedestrian. No one in the community owns a car, so the only traffic jams we encountered were caused by llamas, goats, pigs or puppies (Peru has the most beautiful dogs!)
I made the trip with GO supporters Allison Wright, Andy Kaplan and their 13-year-old son, Lucas. We were accompanied by our host and guide Carol Cumes, who runs the Willka T'ika Retreat Center and Children's Fund in the Sacred Valley.
When we arrived at the community's only school, we were greeted with flowers and a long row of children eager to shake our hands and welcome us. Handmade signs reading 'Bienvenidos Amigos de GO Campaign' ('Welcome Friends of GO Campaign') were taped to the walls. The principal, Richar Casafranca, greeted us warmly and immediately the ceremonies began.
Representatives of each class thanked us and recited a poem or song they had learned for the occasion. The students also performed traditional dances and musical performances and we exchanged gifts. School officials gave me a brightly colored poncho, which I wore proudly throughout the day, despite the warm winter sun beating down on us. Lucas gave each child an orange to express GO's solidarity with Huama. Fruit is a rare treat for the children. They eat mostly potatoes, and on rare occasions when their families have saved enough money to buy ingredients like vegetables and garlic, they eat soup.
After these unexpected festivities, we saw the new desks and chairs that GO funded with contributions from last year's gala. Richar also pointed out that with the little money left over, he purchased a gate for the school to better ensure the safety of the students. In compliance with GO's reporting guidelines, Richar handed me color-coded receipts for all purchases (complete with notarized documentation!)
I was so overwhelmed by the depth and sincerity of their gratitude for what seemed like a relatively small grant for classroom furniture. It was quite moving. I realized, again, why I founded GO Campaign.
Richar also showed us a crumbling classroom where the roof could cave in any day. Luckily, GO has already raised the funds to repair this classroom and renovations will start soon. Richar had planned to repair a second classroom too with the money, but a spike in inflation has made this impossible. Lucas, however, decided right then to take on the second classroom as his Bar Mitzvah project. He's going to create a GO fundraising page and invite all his friends and family to donate to repair the second classroom. We are confident that both classrooms will be rebuilt within the coming school year!
This immediate bond between Lucas and the school is GO Campaign in action. The kids gave him a handmade mask as we left to go further up the mountain and see the school's small but promising vocational projects. The schoolchildren were so thrilled to be able to give Lucas a gift, just as we are thrilled to be able to help this deserving school grow and thrive. ˇMe gusta Peru y me encanta Huama!
