Thanks to the generous support received by Cheltenham Minster with St Matthews Church

through your 2013 Christmas Appeal, in January we were able to set up a new Youth

Environmental Club in Rázuri, La Libertad, northern Peru, as an integrated part of our La

Libertad Dry Forest Restoration Project. The club, named by its members as ‘Chicama Blue

Planet’, is comprised of 20 local teenagers aged between 13 and 19, who are organized into

a board (with a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer), and various committees

that manage the Club’s activities. The main objective of the club has been is to raise

environmental awareness and Christian values amongst young people from the district

through the implementation of a mini-project to improve the environmental and visual aspect

of Pasaje Arequipa, one of the district´s central pedestrian streets.

In January, permission was granted under an agreement between A Rocha Peru and Rázuri

District Municipality’s Social Development Programme to recruit the club’s members and

establish gardens areas along Pasaje Arequipa, in collaboration with local residents. An event

to officially launch the mini-project was held on Pasaje Arequipa in January, and was attended

by municipality representatives and seven international A Rocha delegates. Under

supervision from A Rocha Peru’s Projects Director, Ramon Casana Araujo, and

Environmental Education Officer, Paola Caballero Fernandez, the club began its activities in

March, with various meetings to assess and design the garden areas held in April and May.

In June, club members developed a banner with the final design of the garden areas and a

work implementation plan. Since July, club members have been carrying out activities in

Pasaje Arequipa (which continue to date), that have included soil preparation, planting and

watering ornamental plants, garden maintenance and painting stones to adorn the gardens.

Thanks to your support, the club has enabled the self-esteem and commitment levels of

members to grow significantly, with them being empowered to fulfil the objectives of the club

and support our dry forest restoration project. The garden areas have created a positive

impact amongst local residents, who have praised and supported the actions of local young

people. Testimonies attesting to this can be found at the end of this report. In addition, the

municipality has shown an increasing level of support for the club’s activities, which it has

demonstrated by painting the benches on Pasaje Arequipa, and donating the gates protecting

the gardens. Data collected during the semester show that the club carried out 40

coordination and work meetings and 3 workshops on dry forest conservation. Club members

also participated in 4 outdoor educational visits (to El Cañoncillo dry forest, El Tubo wetland,

the project’s plant nursery at the National University of Trujillo, and the project´s afforestation

site in Razuri, where they have helped to plant and maintain native dry forest trees), and in a

municipality beach cleaning campaign.

To ensure effective coordination of the club’s activities, we set up private Facebook group,

named ‘Club Ambiental: Chicama Blue Planet’ with 30 members, which your church members

would be most welcome to join. Project updates were posted in the news section of our

website and in our quarterly news bulletin (see Issue 5 annexed to this report), which are

available upon request by emailing: peru@arocha.org.

Since the club´s inception, we have undertaken various fundraising activities to try and secure

the club´s continuation beyond its first year. Thanks to a fundraising campaign held by

Réseau Évangélique Suisse (the Swiss Evangelical Network) in collaboration with A Rocha

Switzerland, we have received US$5,940 (approx. £3,700) to help fund the club in 2015. We

have also recently been awarded match funding from The Emelco Foundation, enabling us

to ensure that the Chicama Blue Planet Club will continue and develop in its second year.

Based on the experience gained and the success of the Chicama Blue Planet Club, we are

looking to start a new Youth Club in La Esperanza, a shanty-town community in La Libertad,

where local youth are severely affected by a lack of values and adult guidance, as well by

poor environmental health, poverty, delinquency, domestic violence and child abuse.

Annexed to this report is a proposal to implement a new Youth Club promoting environmental

and social values based on Christian principles as a pilot project for a future ‘Peace Youth

Centre’ in La Esperanza, La Libertad. Our aim is that this Club will seek to be an agent of

positive change in the district, providing local young people with the opportunities and space

to develop creative and sustainable ideas, receive capacity and leadership training, and

develop social and environmental values based on the Christian principles. To help us meet

the project’s total fundraising goal of US$53,043 (detailed in the annexed accompanying

budget) we have submitted this proposal to a potential donor, from whom we hope to receive

US$10,000 in seed funding. The project is also due to receive up to US$5,000 from the Big

Give’s 2014 Christmas Challenge, however much more is still needed if this ambitious and

much-needed project is to get fully off the ground. In light of this, we would like to ask whether

Cheltenham Minster with St Matthews Church would consider supporting the La Esperanza

Youth Club in its Christmas campaign this year or at some point during 2015.

Naturally, we would be more than happy to discuss the La Esperanza Youth Club and the

progress of the Chicama Blue Planet Club with you by email (camille.allan@arocha.org) or

by Skype (camilleallan). A Rocha International’s Director of Theology, Reverend Dave

Bookless, who spoke at your 2013 Christmas appeal launch event; and Director of

Operations, Sarah French, who has first-hand experience of meeting the Chicama Blue

Planet Club and visiting La Esperanza, are also available should you wish to contact them at

dave.bookless@arocha.org and sarah.french@arocha.org. We look forward to hearing from

you and thank you once again for your generous and much appreciated support.

Club members at one of the green areas

they are developing on Pasaje Arequipa, Rázuri.

Melanye Atoche Gamarra (left), a 14 year old

Environmental Club member from Razuri, who

likes playing the guitar, reading and sports,

especially volleyball.

“I like being part of the Club because I can be

in contact with nature, have a cleaner

environment and contribute to my community.

Through the Club I have learnt not only to grow

plants and take care of the environment, but

also to relax, unwind and grow as a person.”

Jhonatan Merino Isla (right) a 19 year old

Environmental Club member from Razuri, who

likes surfing and longboarding, writing lyrics and

being creative in whatever he does.

“Being in the club has helped me to love and

take care of the planet more, starting with my

district of Rázuri. The Club has helped develop

my leadership skills and taught me that, with

fellowship and union, great things can be

achieved. This project is important because we

help to protect the environment, generate life

and reduce the effects of climate change.”

Liliana García Culque, the Public Services and

Environmental Manager at Razuri District Municipality, who

manages our afforestation agreement with the municipality.

“As Razuri has very few green areas, planting native tree

seedlings has been of great importance in giving us the

possibility of having a dry forest in our community in the future.

The environmental education activities have complemented

these reforestation activities and helped to develop values and

environmental awareness within our community.”