Sports Day with Anita

Last Wednesday we had an early start so that we

could get to Cusco for half 9 in the morning. After hitch-hiking in a luxury tourist bus on its way back to Cusco, we met Nelly, the MSH Social Worker outside Uriel Garcia school. We followed her inside the school stadium where the entire school were assembled all dressed in their sport teams' gear and decorated with face paints and fancy hair-dos.

Anita is a ten year old girl who is in a wheelchair due to cerebral disabilities. She loves drama and last time we met her at her home she did a confident performance of a poem for us finishing with a bow. She and her little sister were there to take part in the parade and her parents were there too to watch them. We spent several enjoyable hours in gorgeous sunshine with Anita and her family watching the various dances and performances including a rather accurate rendition of Thriller and several rounds of fireworks.

Then it was our turn! Alex and I went onto the sports field with Anita and her team mates and walked the lap of the parade. I held a volleyball and flowers and Alex pushed Anita trying to stay in time with the shouts of the coordinators which resulted in some abrupt halts and several spurts of sprinting. Anita’s family were so welcoming and generous; her little sister ran off to put my jelly carton in the bin and her Dad disappeared and returned with a hat for Alex when the sun was at its hottest.

Anita’s Dad works really hard as a mechanic but they can’t afford the 20 pounds a month it would cost to get Anita to physiotherapy three times a week. Nelly has also recommended that Anita needs a laptop to help her at school because although she is just as quick at learning as any of her classmates, she struggles to write quickly. I really hope MSH can help her with these small things that would really make a difference.

Campeonato de futbol

On a very warm and sunny day we set off gathering up Team Yanapay from the Hostal Magico to the Collegio de San Jose on the other side of Cusco. Amanda and Alex had valiantly got up much earlier to help Team Bullfrogs get everything from DJ equipment to crates of beer from the bar to the ground. When they arrived everyone pitched in to set up our makeshift bar and food stall for the day. All proceeds were going to support the Damnificados so everyone was tasked to sell, sell, sell. In true stereotypical form, the girls each assigned themselves roles as food preparers, money takers and beer getters whilst the boys warmed up for their first match, which also happened to be the first of the day.

As the draw had been held the night before in Bullfrogs, the remaining 11 teams trickled in time for their games but by midday, Yanapay kicked off first and the campenoato was off and running. A mix of skills, nationalities and footwear (Kevin opting to play barefoot rather than flip flops) the team managed to hold their own until finally losing 8-6.

In the meantime the girls felt the rush as the bar was inundated by hungry players and supporters requesting Parillas (burgers) and Choripan (hotdogs) as well as plenty of beer and gasiosas (Coca Cola). The sun was beating down but the girls kept on task with the aid of an umbrella taking it in turns to cheer on the Yanapay boys.

Yanapay's second game was more of a story of success in part due to the arrival of Jose and of course the skill of our two Argentinian ringers, sorry I mean, friends consolidating the efforts of the European and US contingent. The international collaboration led to a resounding victory 5-1.

The next, and unfortunately final, game for Yanapay was against Team Bullfrogs, the creative sparks and co-organisers of the event. The teams seemed evenly matched were it not for some questionable decisions by the referee (or is that the taste of sour grapes?) which eventually led to a Bullfrogs victory 9-7.

The next stage in the competition was the dreaded penalty shootout. Not a great experience for Team Yanapay who were, like many an England team, knocked out at a crucial stage of the competition. Still, the boys could be pleased with their performance and could now relax with a couple of cold beers and enjoy the rest of the football.

Bullfrogs bowed out in the semi final and Hostal Pariwana went onto win the championship.

The campeonato now over, Bullfrogs and Yanapay, friends once again, packed up and headed home. The night would continue back at the bar with a victory drink for all.

Mysmallhelp would like to offer their heartfelt thanks to everyone at Bullfrogs for creating and organising a great event for their fellow Peruvians who have lost everything. “Los Damnifcados” Houses, clothing, school books and treasured possessions all gone after the floods of Sunday 24th January 2010 in the region of Cusco.

The campeanato de futbol raised 660 soles (approximately £150) which has been donated to Casa Hogar del Sol to provide food to the flood victims ofPaucarbamba.

We still need your help providing food, shelter and support to flood victims, many of which are still homeless and with limited opportunity to provide an income for their family. You can donate through our website www.mysmallhelp.org/Cusco_Emergency.php

Flood Damage in Cusco

On Tuesday 2nd February we met Nelly Munoz to travel to her district to see the damage caused by the river breaking its bank on Sunday 24th January.

We walked down the first street which was still damp and sodden with mud. A few people were attempting to remove parts of the homes that had fallen down and picking through the remains of the houses. We asked to take photos and explained that this was necessary in order to raise awareness with our friends and contacts in the UK and around the world. At first the people were reluctant, unsure whether we were genuinely there to help. Nelly explained that tragically there had been few opportunist individuals that had looted what was left of the people's possessions in the neighbourhood.

We then walked down another street where the effects of the flooding were quite apparent. The walls around the buildings showed watermarks up to two feet and there was evidence of the walls cracking due to damp conditions. A woman came to greet us, Victoria, who was kind enough to show us how the flood had affected her home. Her modest home was completely damp and uninhabitable. The floors were covered in mud and the walls again showed evidence of cracking. Victoria told us that she and her husband and their 3 children were living in a nearby school which was currently under construction.

Before visiting the school we stopped by Nelly's own house, again, we could see how the flood had affected the walls and structure of the building. There was concern that the structural integrity of the buildings affected by the flooding had been compromised and that further homes may be at risk of collapse. We then moved on to the school to see where the people who had been displaced were living. The entrance to the school was via a plank of wood placed over a small stream of filthy water. We walked into the main school yard where workmen were working on completing the schools construction. Victoria had decided to accompany us and she introduced us to her children and the children of her neighbours.

Victoria then took us to her temporary accommodation. A classroom which could accommodate around 25 children which was currently occupied by 5 families. Victoria and her neighbours had saved a few possessions and there was a small camping size stove for cooking. We were also taken around a few further classrooms where other families were living. Although we could not identify precise numbers we could see that most of the classrooms were occupied. Sanitation appear scant. We could not see any showers or places set up for bathing and washing, in fact we could only see two portaloos, clearly insufficient for the number of families and small children occupying the space. Nelly then explained to us that the families would only be able to stay until March as the school would be opening. We asked what would happen then but no-one seemed to know.

The Peruvian government and regional government have promised aid to the people affected by the flooding however our visit took place over a week after the flood and we could not see any aid that had been providing. Noone save a few of the residents were attempting to clean up the area and no tents, blankets or places to get fresh water could be seen. If aid has been promised it appears that it has not reached this area, one of the poorer areas of the city of Cusco.

MySmallHelp want to support the people of Cusco as well as that of the Sacred valley. Not only is money needed for providing immediate aid in the form of sanitation, fresh water and cooking equipment but also in the longer term money is needed to help rebuild the homes and strengthen the structures those that have been affected in order to offer the people like Victoria, a safe and clean space in which to raise their family.

Please help in any way you can...

Meetings in Cusco

Monday was spent getting organised after the weekend and having meetings.

We met with Carlos, our Peruvian contact and with George and Cathy of Desana Inc. George and Cathy founded and run a charity which supports projects in Peru and Russia. When they heard about the floods they flew straight down from the USA to help and brought with them dollars to buy food and wood for the community of Paucarbamba.

Our meeting was to discuss whether it would be better to pool their resources and ours to ensure that we are benefiting communities in the right way and the decision was made that yes, we should. We also agreed that our purpose is get the community of Paucarbamba to be self sufficient again and therefore research needs to be undertaken over the next few weeks to find the best way of doing this.