One of the "problems" with our work in Peru is that there is never enough time, money or resources to get everything done that we want to do. This is compounded by the fact that we are forever meeting new partners, being introduced to new potential projects, and getting stimulated by areas of great need.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of visiting the Pueblo Jovenes of "Mariano Melgar." Mariano Melgar is a famous Peruvian poet and his namesake community is a sprawling peri-urban squatter community on the slopes of the Misti Mountain in Arequipa.
Nestled high in the sand hills above the Plaza de Armas of Arequipa is a small school. The school was started in part by the generous contributions of an Australian businessperson some ten years ago. The businessman was truly moved by the plight of the people living in the area and he decided to "sponsor" the program to the tune of some $1,000 (USD) per month. Well, with the collapse of the financial services industry in 2008-2009, he was forced to stop his donations. This was catastrophic to the school and the 130 students who rely on the instruction and two meals per day that the program provides.
Fast forward to early 2009 when another Australian, a lovely woman by the name of Susie, happens to find her way up to the squatter homes of Mariano Melgar. She too falls quickly in love with the community and feels compelled to do "something" to help. Unlike the original benefactor to the project, her pockets are not lined with gold. Rather, she decides that she will start with some independent fundraising back in Australia (she raised 18-months of operational expenses for the program) and begins the process of trying to identify a "partner" organization in Peru that can help her to keep the school open.
This is where HBI comes in. Ms. Susie happen to meet one of the Board of Directors for our Peruvian NGO partner Sirviendo Logrando Paz (SLP). The SLP Board member then went to Father Alex (Board Chair of SLP) and requested that he visit the school and speaks with Susie. After visiting the program, Father Alex too felt an overwhelming need to do something. Hence the reason that he, I, Evelyn (the SLP Board Member) and Ms. Susie all were visiting the school on Wednesday.
What we found in our short visit was very compelling. With little to no money, the 8 teachers on staff have developed a real model "private school" curriculum. They have instruction from pre-K all the way up to grade 6 (the end of primary education in Peru). The school provides two meals (breakfast and lunch) and a snack per day to the students - along with extra-curricular instruction in music, sports and language.
The facility where the school is housed is a wreck. There is a massive array of construction and the water source that provides for the needs of all the children and the on-site kitchen is anything but potable. The toilets have been temporarily moved to a street side location - without access to a grid waste disposal.
Our goal with this partnership has not yet been fully defined or refined. That does not, however, mean that we are not anything but committed to help. Alas the real challenge is one that we continually face – how to utilize our resources to their greatest extent. This is an on-going level of learning for HBI – and one that I hope we never stop engaging.
Stay tuned to the BlogSpot for more updates on the work of HBI. Thank you.
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