The Bake Sale in Peru

The Bake Sale

In the first week of November, the kids we usually transport to a special needs school in Urubamba had a week of vacation, so we wanted to organize an activity for them. After getting permission from the municipality in Ollantaytambo, we decided to do a little bake sale in the main plaza. We always like activities that let the kids do something practical (baking, selling, etc.) and also that encourage them to be visible members of their community.

On Thursday afternoon we met in our volunteer house with some of the kids and our lovely volunteer Lulu, to bake some cakes and some mini-pizzas. It was a lovely afternoon, and it was great to see the kids apply all that they had learned in their likeskills classes at school. 

On Friday morning we set up a little table in the plaza, and began to sell out cakes and avocado sandwiches for one sole and mini pizzas for two soles. It was a great day. Lourdes, Luis Alberto and Yasmira chatted and many of their family members came out to support them. We sold out almost everything we made, with lots of compliments on our delicious banana bread.

With the hard work of Lourdes, Luis Alberto, Yasmira and Lulu, we made about 50 soles in two hours- not a bad day’s work!

The Bus Facility Provided by MSH Peru

The Bus

One of MySmallHelp’s main projects in the Sacred Valley is a bus, which provides school transportation to a group of 11 special needs children. These children, who are from Ollantaytambo and its surrounding areas, attend the amazing Arco Iris School in Urubamba. For these children, Arco Iris is their only educational option. The school not only provides the children with lifeskills training and encourages them to realize how much they are capable of, but also gives them access to a social worker, psychologist, and a warm lunch every day. It has been amazing to see the difference the school has made in each child.

The children live up to a 40-minute drive away from the school, so it is often possible for their parents to take them every day (if they are lucky enough to have parents who value their education). Some are in wheelchairs and our youngest is an adorable 3 year old with downs syndrome, who needs to be held by someone to and from school.  Transportation is therefore a large challenge, but MSH believes that if overcoming this one obstacle can make such a difference in their lives, it’s well worth it. Our bus therefore picks up each child at or near their house, and drops them off at the end of the day.

Of course, the project has evolved to be much more than a simple school bus. MySmallHelp liaises between the school and the families, communicating about schedules and other matters that arise at school. Our hilarious and patient driver Ruben makes every drive an interesting one, and together he and the children deal with road closures, locked houses and whatever else is thrown their way.

This is of course where volunteers come to play a huge role in supporting this important project. We need to take attendance everyday to have a record of which children are actually using the bus, and to make sure we take home everyone we brought in. We coordinate with the parents about school holidays, what clothes the kids need to wear for their frequent parades and when the parents need to accompany their kids for medical campaigns or other events. With 11 special needs children together on a bus, someone is also needed to keep order, making sure that all arms and heads are inside the bus and that everyone is getting along. MSH depends on our volunteers to make sure that the bus runs smoothly- they are an integral part of our success.

We fund the bus partly through private donations. In an effort to work with the local government and to make the bus more sustainable, MSH has partnered with the municipality of Ollantaytambo. They generously offered to take over half of the cost, but the Peruvian bureaucratic machine moves slowly, and they are currently 3 months behind in their payments. This has obviously been a huge challenge for MSH. We have been supplementing the cost with small, in-country fundraising activities but are looking for a more permanent funding source to ensure that this project continues.

 Getting ready to go to school... Lourdes telling a volunteer how things work!

Robert, Javier, Eiden, Tomas and Yuan Marco, ready to head home.

  

Our volunteer Samantha with Leonel, 5 years old.

    

Our driver Ruben with the first cheque we got from the municipality of Ollantaytambo!

Eye Campaign in Peru

By Debbie Steele

8th November 2011

The Four of us visited Peru for 3 weeks back in August/September. Whilst there we completed the 4 day Inca trail and survived the jungle. But we also spent 2 full very busy days putting our optical skills to use testing eyes and providing glasses.

 These glasses and a significant amount of money were kindly donated from local communities in our home village of Haworth, which is twinned with Machu Picchu. Without these kind donations our campaign would not have been possible.

On the first day of testing we visited the small community of Patacancha, where we tested the weaving women’s community. Nobody in the village owned any glasses or had even had an eye test, although this was certainly not because they didn't need them. The experience was very rewarding and the people we helped were extremely grateful, as well as a little shocked at how much difference a pair of glasses can make.

That same afternoon we travelled back to Ollantaytambo and tested the members of the local knitting group. Again we were met with very grateful responses.

On day two we began in Ollantayatmbo then travelled to the Arco Iris school where we focused the day on testing these children. They were a delightful group of people, who kept us highly entertained throughout our day.

Over 2 days we performed 63 eye examinations and provided 35 pairs of glasses. We have also just posted spectacles over to 3 children that we found to need glasses but didn't have any suitable.

We transported hundreds of pairs of glasses to Peru with us, many of which remain there for future campaigns.

Although our campaign was short we certainly feel it was a huge success, and we hope the people we met feel the same. A huge thank you to Leander and Julia from MySmallHelp for making this all possible.

Ian Barron, Debbie Steel, Gregorio, Jenny Steel, Antonio Capozio

Volunteering in MSH, Nepal by Dutch Guys

By volunteer

Derk en Nienke

Four small hands….


That’s what we were, four hands giving a small contribution to My Small Help Nepal. A small contribution but so rewarding, the happy faces of the children, the smiles! We were volunteers at Marybert school and orphanage in Patan, Kathmandu. Due to the lack of a math and science teacher in the Marybert school we were asked to give these lessons at the school. We never forget the goooooodmorning ma’am/sir by entering the classroom and the thaaaank you for teaching us by leaving the classroom. It is such nice work to teach these children.

W_­e stayed in the bright new guestroom of My Small Help Nepal. The guestroom is set up to give volunteers a pleasant stay and as an extra activity to raise money for My Small Help Nepal. A good and affordable initiative! De room was very pleasant, comfortable and next to the office of My Small Help Nepal which makes the contact very easy. De nice colours of de room make you feel very happy!

Apart form teaching we often visited the children later on the day in the orphanage to talk and play with them. They learned us a lot of songs and how to play the stones (for me a very difficult Nepalese game J). We told them about the Netherlands, what we eat, how it looks like etc. and thought them juggling. It was so nice to spend time with them. They are warm and kind persons and they take good care after each other. On one afternoon we organised some games for them on a other location then the school. We did hints, buckjumping and a lot more. We had so much fun! Al lot of smiles, words and hugs we will never forget. At the end the day we baked some Dutch pancakes together, but nothing can beat the dal-wat!

The children study hard and they really deserve a happy future. My small Help makes this possible. But still there are many things needed for these children and the Marybert school. They are written down in the wishlist (see website http://www.mysmallhelp.org/n.php?id=17). Water is one of the basics needs. In the school and orphanage is no tapwater available. The children depend on water of a well. A filter is needed to clean this water. We see this importance and we would like to ask our family and friends to make a small contribution for this need!

We will never forget the children of Marybert and hope that lot’s of people will contribute to give these children the future they deserve!

The orientation class on Child Sexual Abuse conduted by MSH, Nepal.

The orientation class on Child Sexual Abuse conduted by MSH, Nepal.

MySmallHelp Nepal organised an orientation class on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Dhulikhel at Sanjivani English School on 5^thAugsut 2011. The session was attended by students from grade 8, 9 and 10, with nearly 80 students present on the day.

The primary focus of the course was to highlight the issues surrounding the sexual abuse of children, an area of heightened vulnerability due to a weak legal system and considerable lack of education within this area, coupled also with the stigma surrounding the open discussions of such issues. A research study report entitled ‘No More Suffering - Child Sexual Abuse in Nepal - Children’s Perspectives’ published in April 2006, by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN), found that nearly 18 percent of the 4,000 students interviewed (roughly 720 students) had experienced severe sexual abuse, including molestation and rape.

The session only lasted an hour, however the key messages were delivered to the students and a constructive discussion was held at the end of the session.The program was conducted by an intern, Neeta Nepal, who succinctly presented the background and detailed information on child sexual abuse and the importance of being aware of such instances. Her delivery was very effective and her presentation put the students at ease, who by the end of the session were able to discuss openly the surrounding issues and also promised to raise awareness, as well as their concern regarding such issues in the future. Two of members of MySmall Help facilitated the sessions logistically and also helped to document the proceedings of the day.

The Principal of Sanjivani School thanked the attendees as well as the organisers for their cooperation and expressed his gratitude for bringing awareness of such sensitive yet important issues in the Nepali cultural domain. We look forward to holding more sessions such as this in the future. 

MYSMALLHELP PERU NEWSLETTER 2

MYSMALLHELP PERU NEWSLETTER 2

Just by forwarding this newsletter to your friend you can be part of MySmallHelp

www.mysmallhelp.org

 19^th , JULY 2011 

Update from MySmallHelp Peru President, Leander Hollings

I can´t believe it is nearly 2 years since I arrived in Peru. My initial plan was to be here for just 3 months! So much has happened over the past 2 months since I sent out the first newsletter. I am so pleased we have managed to find the perfect volunteer house manager, Elena,  who is planning to be based in the volunteer house in Ollantaytambo until the end of the year. Elena is receiving volunteers for MySmallHelp and from the Sacred Valley Dormitory project where she also works. I have been busy setting up the volunteer programme and am looking for volunteers to accompany disabled children on their journey to and from the Arco Iris Special school as well as accompanying the children .during their school day

I was working up in Trujillo in June  and have now moved out of the volunteer house and am based in Cusco where we are also helping 2 disabled   people and I am concentrating on building links with local businesses and organizing events to raise funds here in Peru.

  

MySmallHelp is working with the Arco Iris special school in Urubamba

   

We are delighted to announce that Lourdes is now attending the Arco Iris special school in Urubamba and is slowly learning to read and write. MySmallHelp enrolled Lourdes and 5 other chidren from Ollantaytambo at Arco Iris in May. MySmallHelp paid for the daily school transportation for 10 disabled children from Ollantaytambo to Urubamba in May and June.  Unfortunately due to lack of funding the school bus is not currently running..  Lourdes is currently travelling to school each day with MySmallHelp volunteer Sofia.

Lourdes and Leander appealed to the mayor of Ollantaytambo for support and he 

agreed to provide funding for 50% of the school transportation in May and we are still waiting!

A big thank you to MySmallHelp volunteers Jenny and Alex for all of their help with the children in the Disabled Outreach Campaign and especially for setting up the Just Giving campaign. For more information about the Arco Iris school project and to make a donation please click here.. http://www.justgiving.com/arcoirisschool

 

LOURDES is selling her jewellery internationally

A big thank you also to Jenny Lewent for ordering jewellery from Lourdes to sell through her school with  the help of 8 year old Teodora and her friends. Their first jewellery fundraising event resulted in sales of £152 which will go directly back to Lourdes. A big thank you also to Mrs Whittaker for purchasing a handmade silver necklace from Lourdes and once again thank you to Jenny and Alex for delivering it back to the UK. If anyone would like to order jewellery from Lourdes, please do get in touch!

MARCO

Marco is a 7 year old boy that volunteer Helen Osborn, found in Trujillo in February this year. Marco suffered second degree burns following an incident where another child through a flammable liquid at his leg and set it on fired. MySmallHelp has provided medical assistance to Marco and arranged for Marco to be moved to a special hospital in Lima. Thanks to MySmallHelp Marco is now walking again and is hoping to be back at school within the next month. Thank you also to volunteer Mayra and her brother for organizing the hospital trips in Lima and for visiting Marco and cheering him up with games and books!

16 children from El Milagro, Trujillo, on the north coast of Peru, could go to school in 2011.

Thanks to a kind donation from Jayden Grundy (MySmallHelp Canada), MySmallHelp Peru was able to employ a school teacher (Deisy)  to manage the El Milagro project. She embarked upon finding schools for children whose

families were not able to send them to school without the support of MySmallHelp.  Deisy visited the schools with the children’s mothers to register the children, and purchased uniforms, school books and stationary.

Thanks to donation from Knightsbridge School, 9 of the 16 children are being sponsored for one year and you can  read more about the children still urgently in need of sponsorship here http://www.mysmallhelp.org/sponsor-a-child-peru.php

The sponsorship from Knightsbridge School has also enabled MySmallHelp to organize the first art workshop in El Milagro where 6 mothers learned to make hand-made book covers and helped produce hand printed items of clothing designed by the art teacher Abel Torres, an independent designer from Lima. The first workshop was  originally scheduled for 8 afternoons but the mothers decided to work an extra afternoon because of the excellent results obtained.

Abel Torres has volunteered for MySmallHelp Peru providing designs and teaching the necessary techniques with the aim of selling the products through the MySmallHelp network. The mothers can now produce the book covers independently and will work in the afternoons every Tuesday and Thursday when there are orders and materials available.

MySmallHelp is delighted with the success of the first art workshop which has produced 88 notebooks and 140 items of clothing of excellent quality. MySmallHelp aims to sell the products and generate new orders for the mothers in El Milagro so that they can continue working.

MySmallHelp will receive 50% of the sales revenues of all products designed by Abel Torres and produced with the help of the mothers at the “Casa Milagro” art factory. The mothers will receive 25 nuevos soles for each afternoon that they work (minimum 4 hours) and the money will be saved in a fund to pay the school fees for their children in 2012.

 WHEELCHAIRS

Lourdes travelled to Arequipa with MySmallHelp member Cristian and Sunny, a volunteer from Awamaki, to pick up a wheelchair donated by Kid International through an agreement with the Clinic of San Juan de Dios in Cusco. On the same occasion a wheelchair was obtained for José, aged 20, who has cerebral palsy. José lives with his mother and 3 younger siblings. The mother works to deal with the costs of maintaining her family.

MySmallHelp would like to say a big thank you for the support of the Argentinian psychologist Gabriela Scarafioca who has been working with children and the families that MySmallHelp are supporting in Ollantaytambo. Guiding and assisting in the situations of vulnerability in which the great majority find themselves.

Gaby also accompanied 5 children who attend the CEBE in Urubamba to the Clinic of San Juan de Dios in Cusco so that they could take their medical examinations (each according to his/her needs). Leander took steps to secure the necessary funds for transportation and payment of the medical examinations for these children.

COMMUNICATION COURSE

On the 20^th of June MySmallHelp organized a communication course was directed by Jorge Paricoto at the Arco Iris school and 27 people attended, including teachers, physiotherapists, psychologists and volunteers from various organizations. The work day began at 9am and finished at 6pm. The participants of the course expressed their satisfaction through the contributions received.

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE POINT HOSTELS FOR THEIR FIRST DONATION of 380 SOLES FOR 380 NEW FACEBOOK LIKES

Please click on LIKE on this page (it won´t cost you a penny)

http://www.facebook.com/ThePoi​ntHostels


MySmallHelp Peru will receive 1 Peruvian sol (approximately 22p) for every new like on The Point Hostels page.

Thanks to The Point hostels for their first donation of 380 soles which is being used to provide school transportation for disabled children that would otherwise not be able to go to school.

Join us now facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/MySmallHelp-Peru/183568661692788

Thank you for all your support to date and for the future.  I hope that through MySmallHelp more and more people will realise that being generous is fun, that helping others helps yourself and that everything is interconnected. As individuals become more compassionate everything living on earth including the earth itself will become more balanced.

If you would like to give your small help by purchasing MySmallHelp products, making a donation or volunteering please do contact me directly onleander.hollings@mysmallhelp.org

  

UK Registered Charity No 1123830

Peruvian registered charity RUC 20490472313
Nepal Registered Charity No 2656/381/562

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MYSMALLHELP NEPAL CONGRATULATES ANITA GURUNG

CONGRATULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!  TO ANITA GURUNG





Anita Gurung is the first girl who successfully passed SLC (School Leaving Certificate) among the children being supported by MySmallHelp, Nepal. She was successful to secure first division with 75%. So she is very happy these days and excited about her future study.  MySmallHelp team is also very happy about her and congratulate her with best wishes for her bright future.

Anita has been shifted to new apartment as she had to leave her previous place where she had completed her school level. As she is a grown up child she has decided to study sociology in one of the private college.She aims to help poor and orphan people as she can feel their pains closely. Understanding her feelings and condition MySmallHelp, Nepal is  supporting her with full effort for her bright future.Anita is also very much thankful to MySmallHelp, Nepal for being her guardian and taking take care of her.