july 2010July 2010

Monday 21st May - Flor de Maria joins us in the boarding schoolFlor de Maria, Hilda’s sister has finally been able to stay with us in the boarding school following your support. Flor de Maria, who is 12 years old, used to have to walk 7 hours daily to get to and from school. She is now in the first boarding school where she seems to be settling in well with the help of her sister Hilda.

At the beginning of June we took on our first psychologist for a month’s trial period. We are sorry to say that Jorge is not the psychologist that we have been looking for and we have decided not to offer him a more permanent position. It turned out that his Quechua was not advanced enough in order to be able to communicate effectively with the girls and their parents. Jorge’s month has nonetheless been a productive one and he has certainly left his mark on the project. Thank you Jorge. So, the search continues!...

Friday 2nd July - a short trial for our first psychologist

news from peru

The new learning space is now in use! During the morning, the children from grade 5 of the secondary school come to work in classroom, which has been great for them and a huge step towards forming a closer relationship with the school pupils and their teachers. In the afternoon, the girls in the boarding school use the space to do their homework and to participate in various workshops and classes. We also use the space as a dining room where all the girls in both boarding schools can now congregate in order to eat together, which is fantastic.

Tuesday 22nd June - The new classroom

news from peru

Today, we found out the fantastic news that Julia has been accepted for a place at Quillabamba University

where she will study tropical agriculture. Julia spent a year with us in the boarding school before the sudden death of her father meant that she had to return to be with the rest of her family. This is great news for Julia and her family, and is also a huge step for the local school’s attempt to regain the parents trust and belief in the education provided there. We are looking into ways in which we can support Julia for the first four months

of her university while she looks for somewhere to live and work and we need your help! We asked Julia and her mum to draw up a budget of how much it will cost and here is what they presented to us:

news from perunews from peru

Monday 21st June - Julia has been given a place at university!

One-off costs:

£10 - enrollment fee for her university course

£48 - a cooker with a gas cylinder

Monthly costs (for a fixed time of 4 months):

£12 - the rent of her room

£38 - half her monthly food bill. Julia’s mother will support her with the other half. £8 - a return ticket between Quillabamba and Ccorca so that she can see her family

To help Julia go to university to fulfill her and her mum’s dream, please help in whatever way you can.

You can donate to Amantani UK in one of three ways:

1.) With your bankAmantani UK bank details are as follows:Bank: HSBC, Exeter High St.Account Name: Amantani UK TrustSort Code: 40-20-30Account Number: 32370522

2.) With JustGiving.comWith JustGiving.com it is safe and easy to donate.

http://www.justgiving.com/amantani

3.) With a chequePlease send a cheque made payable to Amantani UK to:7 Trews Weir MillOld Mill CloseExeterEX2 4DD

news from perunews from peru

Today, two large charities, who will remain nameless, came to Ccorca in order to do a workshop with ALL the children of the district. This meant cancelling schooL for over 500 children. In the workshop the young people were introduced to the concept of child labour. They were then told that the work they do with their families in the fields is not fair and violates their rights as children. They were encouraged to stick up for themselves when ‘forced’ by their parents to work in the fields and told that their mum and dad are bad parents for not prioritising their education.

We later saw the charities filiming a documentary with a scene in a classroom in which one boy has not done his homework. The teacher asks him, ‘Why haven’t you done your homework?’. Reading from a script on the wall, the boy replies, ‘I didn’t have time to study at home because my father forced me to take the sheep to pasture.’

This workshop clearly caused confusion for the young people of Ccorca, as it undermined their parents, their own way of life and ancient Andean values. Working in the fields is an education for these children. How else will they learn the local skills needed to sustain life in the community? How else will their family produce enough food to feed every mouth if their children do not help them, as they have always done for the last 3000 years? The concept of work and play is very different in the Andean culture. Play and work are coherently intergrated within the overall philosophy. Hanaqpacha (the Andean heaven) is a place of agricultural activity in which even children work, and its paradisiacal condition lies in the fact that its lands are fertile. This concept contrasts with the occidental paradise, which is presented as a place of eternal leisure.

Thursday 10th May - two charities come to Ccorca to talk about child-labour

WORK, LEARNING OR PLAY? OR ALL THREE?

Globalisation has transformed the way in which many societies in the developing world are structured. Peru is a prime example of this and is currently undergoing intense cultural changes, in the form of modernisation. There is an increasing debate on whether the western model of modernity, which is often linked to materialism and personal wealth, is necessarily the right model for all. It has been said that modernity, in terms of standardisation and homogeneity jeopardizes cultural diversity and difference. Peru is a prime example and it is becoming more apparent that due to the pressures of this western ideology, many of its indigenous cultures are now under an increasing threat of extinction.

The traditional education in Peru is an organic process from which no young person is excluded. Based on observation and replication of their parents’ actions, young people learnt the skills and attitudes needed for an agro-centric life in a rugged natural environment and utter material poverty. In Peru, like many other countries this traditional education system has been fractured by the introduction of state schools whose extraneous and alien curriculum is based on the western model of classroom learning. In 2001, well-recognized Peruvian not-for-profit organization CEPROSI, carried out a countrywide survey called ‘How children in the Andes learn’. One of the main conclusions that triggered critical reflection was that indigenous children following bi-lingual education do not learn to read and write sufficiently. The indigenous children’s mother-tongue is Quechua, and so they find it very difficult and alienating to first learn to read and write in Spanish - the official language at school. Given their changing

Globalistion and the Education System in Peru Sarah Walker (student of Education at Brighton University)

“The teacher does not understand us because our skin is like this; ugly.”Nila, Vigil y Lucy Gutiérrez from a nearby rural community

circumstances, parents and children alike, see a western education as a necessity. According to a country-wide survey carried out in 2008 by the WeD Programme at Bath University, a formal education for children is ranked 3rd in the their list of necessities, after health and daily food.

Peru has experienced huge educational changes, which have been both mirrored and influenced by the effects of globalisation. Peru is an example of a country, which has both received and contributed to the global flow of educational models. The Peruvian education system has been affected by globalisation, adopting foreign models such as the Human Capital Education model taken from the US in the early 20th century. This was introduced in a bid to help develop the country’s economy and it changed the nature of primary and secondary schooling dramatically, emphasising the importance of preparing students for jobs needed for economic development.

In reaction to this, José Mariátegui pioneered a progressive model of education which has since become highly influential throughout the world. It was developed encompassing concerns of indigenous people and cultural differences. It emphasised breaking the hegemonic control of the ruling class and helped cultural groups express their needs. Mariátegui blamed the implementation of western models of education on the destruction of indigenous knowledge. His ideas dramatically lost importance in Peruvian politics after the fall of Berlin Wall and the presidency of Alberto Fujimori and he has since been overshadowed by the resurgence of classic liberalism. There is still action which needs to be taken in order to make the education system more relevant and in keeping with indigenous values. There is a danger that educational development is treated as something that can be created rather than something which must develop and progress over time with an emphasis on relevance and sustainability.

Meet the girlsMeet the girls

Soledad15 years old2nd grade (2ndary)Community: Chanca4 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Science, technology and the environment

Hobbies:Maths and volleyball

Dream:To stay with her family to help on the farm

Yolande13 years old1st grade (2ndary)Community: Chanca4 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Maths and communication

Hobbies:Studying

Dream:To travel to Cusco

Vilma13 years old5th grade (Primary)Community: Chuspi1 hour from school

Favourite subjects: Maths and religion

Hobbies:Playing with dolls

Dream:To study and to stay with her parents in her community

Hilda17 years old4th grade (2ndary)Community: Ccarhuis3.5 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Maths and communication

Hobbies:Weaving and football

Dream:To travel to Cusco

Juliana14 years old1st grade (primary)Community: Tamborpuqio2 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Mathematics, relgion

Hobbies:Reading and football

Dream:To travel to Cusco

Yovana16 years old2nd grade (2ndary)Community: Chanca4 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Science and technology

Hobbies:Study, sing and draw

Dream:To be a nurse

Maximiliana14 years old2nd grade (2ndary)Community: Chanca4 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Maths and communication

Hobbies:Study and timestables

Dream:To study to be a nurse

Marleni12 years old6th grade (primary)Community: Coyac4 hours from school

Favourite subjects:Maths, communication

Hobbies:Football and singing

Dream:To take confirmation

In April 2010 Caroline and Simon Hadlington visited Ccorca with Fred to see the boarding school project.

“This was our first visit to Peru – the mountains are as spectacular as the air is thin! Ccorca is both the name of a district and of the main village and administrative centre of the district. The village of Ccorca is an hour’s somewhat hair-raising dusty car ride along a looping stone road through the mountains. Ccorca the village has the main schools that serve the district, with the children from outlying communities having to walk to and from school each day – a round trip of up to six hours for some of them. The boarding houses established by Amantani enable at least some of the girls from the remoter villages to ‘live in’ during the school week to allow them to get a fuller education than they would otherwise be able to.

The boarding houses themselves in both the junior and senior schools are simple, clean and functional. The girls clearly take pride in them given how the rows of bunk beds were neatly made and the rooms are spick and span.

At lunchtime we sat down with the senior girls and had a hearty meal of boiled potatoes, fried chicken livers and salad. The girls chatted happily among themselves and asked us questions about life in the UK. When one of the girls learned that I had a background in science, she said ‘That’s good, you can help me with my chemistry homework.’

In the junior school we saw the new greenhouse – in reality more of a cross between a greenhouse and polytun-nel – with a profusion of vegetables starting to show. Work had started on a new outdoor lean-to to provide extra covered space.

We had a quick visit to the craft workshops where the girls make everything from brooms (they have a special device for forcing nylon bristles into holes in a plastic block to form the head of the broom before a handle is attached) and small items of jewellery such as braided bracelets and earrings.

The girls are smiley, friendly and happy, quite inspirational given that their lives are so much tougher than ours.”

news from the uknews from the uk

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Maidwell Hall school in Northamptonshire, Amantani UK volunteers Dan and Fred ran a stall selling framed photos and postcards. In total we sold 22 framed photos and 3 packs of postcards, taking a total of £564 with a profit of £344. Everyone else at the Open Day managed to raise a further £1795.96! We had a great day and it was a brilliant opportunity to have a chat with some of the boys and parents who later in the summer, went onto complete various challenges in support of Amantani UK, for details please see the next page.

Sunday 23rd May - a photography stall at Maidwell Hall’s Open Day

What a great weekend with everyone at the Exeter Respect; a free festival celebrating cultural diversity, right in the heart of Exeter. The weather was great, the atmosphere was lovely and the music was awesome. A group of Amantani UK volunteers; Dan, Josh, Luke, Louise and Fred, ran a stall selling framed photos, postcards and bracelets made by the girls in the boarding school. We made a profit of £65 and met lots of interesting and interested people...

Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th June - a photography stall at Exeter Respect Festival

Victoria

Here is Victoria from Cusibamba who seems bemused at the enormity of her own shadow. We aren’t. At Amantani, we believe in small changes having long-lasting effects, especially when

working with young people. While much of western thought is concerned with large scale solutions and grand designs we see this as a departure from the natural efficiency that comes from ‘smallness’, small communities, small solutions and the sum of many small changes. We believe in the individual and in creating tailored solutions for specific problems, rather than the

blanket remedies often favoured by larger organisations.

Thursday 10th - Saturday 12th June - Maidwell Hall Challenges

Maidwell hall leaversMaidwell hall leavers

On Thursday, fresh from their last common entrance exam, the leavers of Maidwell Hall split into two groups to take on two respective challenges, both extreme in their nature.

Trustees Luke and Fred, as well as serial Amantani UK volunteer Chris Palfreyman joined one group of 15 boys and their parents, who set about cycling 125 miles around the Norfolk coast. It was great to be a part of what was a fantastic trip. Not one complaint was heard from the cyclists. They were determined to complete the challenge and everyone played their part in making sure that morale was high throughout. The main contributors to this high morale were definitely the support team who were there at every stop with drinks, nibbles and performance enhancing homemade brownies! On behalf of team Amantani, thank you very much. Especially to Katherine Peppiat, Johnny Martin-Smith and Stuart McCagney who left nothing to chance and prepared a challenging, successful and hugely fun event.

It sounds like the other group had an equally tough time taking on the full range of the Brecon Beacons, hiking 40 miles in 3 days with all their equipment on their backs. We were so impressed when we heard stories of true grit, determination, cooperation and cool-headedness in some pretty hairy situations. So inspired, that this September, a group of Amantani trustees will follow in their footsteps to see what they put themselves through! It really sounds like a remarkable effort and thank you very much to Robert and everyone involved in making it a success.

THANK YOU AND WELL DONE TO THE BOYS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF MAIDWELL HALL.

Maidwell hall leaversMaidwell hall leavers

Saturday 10th June - Maidwell Hall present Amamtani UK with £40,000!

Today was a historic day for Amantani UK. Maidwell Hall presented us with a cheque for their fundraising

efforts over the course of this academic year - an astonishing £40,000! And that is without Gift Aid which will add around another £6,000. We were

completely blown away by this immensely generous contribution and want to take this opportunity to

publicly thank Robert, the teachers, pupils and parents who contributed to raising this phenomenal

amount. This makes a massive difference to what we can do in Peru and given that we had optimistically projected for £20,000 and have been planning as such, we are now so excited at being able to make

real some of the ideas that the teachers, the parents and we have been wanting to do for sometime. These

will help us to improve the boarding school project and will mean that we can help more children from

the local schools with our inter-cultural education programme. Watch this space!