Peru has been undergoing severe rainy weather the past few months with mudslides, rivers overflowing and infrastructure collapsing.  Arequipa has been spared the brunt of the rain although some of the roads and bridges have collapsed and water has been cut for almost a week because of broken pipes and almost all the city has been without running water. Classes officially began at the beginning of March but the Government has cancelled all classes since last Thursday as it it’s considered unsanitary to have the children in locations without access to water in bathrooms. However IRID is a home as well as a day school and the Cuna Jardin has taken children whose parents have no alternative for childcare, both are coping with the lack of running water with delivery from water trucks. Once the dirt roads have been restored we are planning on making home visits the second week of April.  We will also be visiting IRID again and will send an update on both agencies in April. 

It’s Fall and traditionally the end of the rainy season, but this year the forecast is for the rains to continue until the end of April. Once water is restored the Cuna Jardin will have more than 120 children attending classes, work still needs to be done on the ceiling in some of the classrooms which buckled because of the rain and the roof will need to be repaired and a moisture barrier added. All of the classrooms also need new chalk boards.  Although there is a small fee that parents are asked to pay at the Cuna Jardin, many families, especially women raising their children without support from the fathers, are not able to pay anything. As well, the fee only covers a small portion of the costs, the funds we donate help to cover the costs of children whose parents can’t pay as well as the difference between the fee and the on-going expenses.

Photos from the Cuna Jardin visit can be seen here:

http://www.pbase.com/tracyk/2017_03_22_visit_to_cuna_jardin

Both Tracy and I visited both IRID and the Cuna Jardin Corazon de Jesus this past week. Summer in Arequipa is the rainy season and this year the rain has been particularly severe flooding many homes and also washing out roads. IRID was not affected by the rain but two of the children’s classrooms at the Cuna Jardin were damaged, the roof will need to be repaired and a moisture barrier added and then the ceiling of the classroom repaired.

As its summer holidays there are only about 35 children attending the Cuna Jardin, once school starts in March there will be more than 120 children ranging from two to five. During the school year, after their regular school hours are over, older children come to the Cuna to participate in a homework club.

We also met with Roberto D’Amico, Peru Inside Out travel agency, who provided a special Christmas celebration for the children at the Cuna Jardin. We discussed various ways of providing information to travellers about the Cuna Jardin and ways they can help support it. I will provide an update as plans develop.

Currently there are 35 children and young adults living at IRID – when the children reach adulthood there isn’t another place for them go so they remain at the centre. Some of the residents have severe medical complications and require daily medications; the Government pays a portion of the costs but does not cover the full amount. Donations from SUPC help with the additional cost. Funds can also be used to help pay for the different therapists needed to work with the residents. It can be difficult to find workers willing to come to the Centre as it is on the outskirts of Arequipa – about an hour by bus – and private agencies in the City are able to pay more than IRID can.

Both agencies accept volunteers, currently a local US/Peruvian family is volunteering several days a week at IRID – doing outdoor work and maintenance. They have also started a vegetable garden and the more able children work in it – giving them a sense of accomplishment. There are also two volunteers currently working with the children at the Cuna Jardin

Links to more photos of the visits here:

http://www.pase.com/tracyk/2017_02_03_visit_to_corazon_de_jesus

ttp://www.pbase.com/tracyk/2017_02_01_visit_to_irid

Marcia

We had a great turn-out for the fifth annual Latin Music Night, this year’s performers were Los Rebeles Musicales, Mariachi Mundo with Jorge Vagas, Marco Claveria Band and Sebastian Barrera.

In addition to the music, there was a video presentation on SUPC and the agencies we support in Arequipa, a silent auction and refreshments.

We’ve once again booked the Yardbird for the last Sunday in October for next year’s sixth Latin Music Night.

I’m heading to Arequipa in mid-January and will update with information on the agencies after we’ve visited them.

Link to some of the pictures from the night can be seen here:

http://www.pbase.com/tracyk/2016_10_30_supc_latin_music_night

SUPC fifth annual Latin Music Night is being held Sunday October 30th at the Yardbird Suite Jazz Club.

Our sixth annual Peruvian dinner, held Oct. 8th at Holy Trinity Anglican Church was a huge success. Despite being held on Thanksgiving weekend Saturday and a snowstorm early in the day we had a sell-out crowd. As usual we enjoyed the delicious  food prepared by Carla Tamayo Aragon.

This year the Aculpeca adult and children dancers performed tradtional Peruvian dances for the delighted attendees.

Pictures from the event here: http://www.pbase.com/tracyk/2016_10_08_peruvian_dinner.

Our annual Peruvian fundraising dinner will be held Saturday, October 8th at Holy Trinity Anglican Church 10037 84  Avenue Edmonton. Come out, experience great food, (and pisco sours), enjoy the entertainment, bid on the silent auction (including alpaca, silver and handicraft items from Peru) and support a great cause. Details in the poster.

Also, stayed tuned for information about the annual Latin Music Night Sunday October 30th at the Yardbird Suite.

Special promotion for those that buy tickets to both events, buy a joint ticket for the dinner and for the music for $50 each. Contact SUPC at supcsociety@gmail.com for more details or to buy the tickets.

All five of the NorQuest social work students, three first year and two second year, completed their block practicum  (work placement) in Arequipa. Three of the students were at La Cuna Jardin Corazon de Jesus and worked with teachers in the two, four and five year old rooms. They also helped with the older children who attended the homework club after the end of their school day. School in Peru begins earlier than in Canada and usually ends early afternoon

The other two students were at IRID and assisted the teachers in the classroom in the mornings, helped with feeding the children at lunch time and in the afternoon provided support to the children in the home centre.

In addition to their placement and studying Spanish, the students visited some of the cultural sites in Arequipa, and also on the weekends visited some of the main tourist sites: Nazca, Puno and the Colca Canyon. After the practicum ended several of the students stayed in Peru to visit Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Scared Valley.

Aisha Oboh, SUPC Vice-Chair, who completed her practicum in Arequipa in 2011, came to Arequipa  for the last three weeks of the practicum to assist in providing information and support to the students based on her experience of doing a practicum with IRID

2016 NorQuest Practicum students with SUPC Board Chair and Vice-chair

Stephanie Gillanders, April Leblanc, Marcia Tait, Aisha Oboh, Senha Prakash, Brandy Berry and Leila Norton.

Five NorQuest Social Work students are heading to Arequipa April 27th for their Spring block practicum placement. Prior to leaving David Flomo, chair on the NorQuest Social Work Program and Craig Hart, Associate Dean Health and Community Studies, held a departure event for the students and guests. Three of the students will have a practicum placement at Cuna Jardin, Corazon de Jesus and two will do their placement at IRID. As well, all students will live with a local family and study Spanish at a local school. The practicum runs six weeks and in addition to their placement and studying students will visit some of the cultural sites in Arequipa, make side trips to some of the surrounding villages and also visit some of the main tourist sites: Nazca, Puno and the Colca Canyon. After the practicum ends several of the students will also visit Cusco, Machu Pichuu and the Scared Valley.

Aisha Oboh, SUPC founding member and vice-chair, will also be going to Arequipa for the last three weeks of the practicum to assist in providing information and support to the students based on her experiencing doing a practicum with IRID in 2011.

As part of the farewell, Flomo provided gifts for the students, Aisha and for me as will as a memento from NorQuest College for students to give for their home stay family.

More photos from the event can be seen at: http://www.pbase.com/tracyk/2016_04_13_peru_students_