Ayacucho update June 2009

I've been back from Ayacucho 6 months now, and I thought you'd like to know that there has been some more progress with projects that we supported:

Firstly, the SOS Children's Villages charity that supports poor communities has recently been in touch to tell me that the money we left for the 'La Florida' community project has now been spent and the roof project completed. They have finished building the roof for the kitchen and dining room which means that the children now have somewhere to eat when it's too wet or too sunny.

First they had to make adobe bricks - this took longer than planned as the rainy season was particularly rainy this year! And then they completed the building of the rest of the walls, and finally added the beams and the roof.

SOS have sent their thanks for our support and say that the community is extremely grateful for our help.

And secondly, I've heard in the last month that the kitchen at the primary school did eventually get finished!! I've asked for some photos, but nothing so far.

And Gil at the children's home is in touch regularly and as far as I can tell they are all doing well, and are still busy raising money for the new house project. Gil tells me they won't be able to start this year as they now don't have time before the next rainy season, but they hope to make a start next year. For more news on Los Gorriones, see: http://www.casahogarlosgorriones.org/english/

So, good to see how much our contibutions have helped. A big thank you to all who've been supporting these projects!

Yanamilla Primary School - another update!

Well, I said I'd probably never write another update, but Marisol from CCS has persuaded me otherwise!! There have been some positive developments at the school, so how could I refuse? Here's a slightly edited version of the e-mail I received from Marisol this weekend ... plus some photos! Let's hope the kitchen will get finished next.

Hola Hazel
After you left Ayacucho I was very disappointed and frustrated with everything but I had a dream that someone told me not to give up because to get our goals it is not easy ... it is a hard work but we can make the difference.

So I went to the school to see how everything was there, it was closed for a while and then one morning when I was going with Alejo to the prison I saw profesora Carmen at the door and she stopped me and she apologized about everything and about the way they treated you and she told me also that there was going to be a new principal. So I told her that I was going to come back to meet the new one and talk about many things. To our surprise the principal was Augusto the one who worked there a year ago. I set up a meeting with him and we talked for a long time and I explained how we should work from now on.

Then with a group of CCS volunteers we set up a meeting with the Yanamilla community board and we talked about their problems. There were lots of people at the meeting at the communal house. Then with the volunteers we visited the mayor's office and other municipality people who have helped us. They also visited Yanamilla area and the school.

One morning some of the parents came and also with all the kids and teachers we cleaned the school. There is no more dirt next to the latrines and all the garbage is gone. The municipality helped us with their tractors to take all the dirt out and now it is clean. The parents helped and the kids too and I told the new principal to make sure the kids pick up the garbage from now on.

Then we planted some trees and flowers, supplied by the municipality, and we cleaned the gardens. Now we are trying to get the municipality to go at least twice a week to collect the garbage so we are working on that and also to see how we can control the dog population.

The new principal is supporting us and I have hope that this year is going to be different.

Take care,

Marisol

Picking up the rubbish in the playground

Cleaning up the gardens

Clearing out the rubble

Municipality diggers come to help

Digging out the rubble near the latrines