El Bichito: Health Concerns Part II

This is part II of a two part series on how the interns at El Bichito help a family in the community of Puylucanca.

In case you missed it, click here for the first post.

In the past, many NGOs have played a big part in doing adobe stove projects in developing countries. Adobe stoves are common to do as a project to eliminate this problem with smoke while cooking. The problem with adobe stoves is they can take a very long time to make and have a high cost. This time I wanted to try a simpler model that I had researched known as a rocket stove. The design is very simple. It takes about 40 minutes to put together, significantly reduces the amount of smoke produced and only costs about $11 to make. The rocket stove also has a way of concentrating the heat with little fuel/kindling which allows the person to cook faster with less fuel.
I saw the smoke problem at Alida´s house (and probably this issue was affecting on her vision problem too) as a perfect opportunity to make the stove. It came off as a huge success, I hope in the future this kind of stove can be expanded in Puylucana community helping other kids of El Bichito!

Several kids helped carry the bricks to Alida's house

Mixing the mortar

Placing the bricks

Success!

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Thanks again to Eliana and the other El Bichito interns for helping in this project and providing this post!

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More info about El Bichito.

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How you can help children like these.

El Bichito: Health Concerns Part I

This is part I of a two part series on how the interns at El Bichito help a family in the community of Puylucanca

A lot of times in developing countries the women cook over an open fire either in their home or right next to their home. So, it would be like cooking over a camp fire for all your meals every day. Peruvian rural areas are no exception and this can cause serious respiratory problems as well as vision problems for the entire family, especially for those people having to cook with smoke in their face every day. Kids in need in the community come to eat lunch at El Bichito, but the other meals are eaten at their homes. I noticed this issue with smoke at Alida´s house and other kids' houses in the Puylucana community. So, not only is this a health concern for Alida and her siblings, but for everyone that suffers from the effects of the cooking fire smoke; in particular this kids who live by their own. This photo shows what a typical home cooking fire looks like in this area of Peru.

Post by Eliana, an intern at El Bichito.

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Check back on Monday for the final part of this series to find out how this family's kitchen smoke problem was solved!

Aldea Infantil: Katy's Final Post

Tio Pepe got the kids together to take group pictures. He tested their skills to coordinate and work together. They had to stand on top of chairs in a circle and put their heads together. With arms around each other, a blanket was then thrown over all of them and Tio Pepe took a picture from underneath. The pictures turned out really well, but they went so much smoother with those who were willing to do and to listen. That is an example that we all learned from. The pictures were hung from the ceiling of the multi-purpose room for a fiesta to celebrate the anniversary of the Aldea. Cute kids!

Thanks to Katy for this great post and all of her hard work as an intern at the Aldea! She will be missed!

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El Bichito: Continued Help for Alida

Alida is a girl of fifiteen yrs who had an eye surgery a year ago in order to remove some tissue that was growing in her left eye. She was suppossed to follow a treatment and check with the doctor regularly every other month but she didn´t . Alida said that she couldn´t make it because she doesn´t have the money for it and also is not familiar with the city of Cajamarca to go by herself. Once when she came to El Bichito, her eye looked red and bad. I was very worried about it and asked her to see a doctor. I talked to my supervisor, Chris Jensen and told him about this concern. Thanks to all the donors, Alida saved her vision and can recover from her eye condition. The doctor said that she came just in time because she was losing her vision in her left eye. Now Alida is not only enjoying her new glases but her improved vision too. Thank you so much to all those people who donate and make things like this possible...a better life for others.

Getting checked at the eye doctor

New glasses for Alida!

This is a post by Eliana, an intern at El Bichito.

More posts about Alida.

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How to help a child like Alida.

El Bichito: Giant Birthday Party

After I got to know each child in El Bichito, I decided to organize a giant birthday party for them. These children had never had a chance to celebrate their birthday with a fun party, as is custom here in Peru. With help of the folk group ¨Ritmos del Peru-Utah¨, close friends and family of mine living in the US, I raised money to celebrate their birthdays. We held the birthday party for all of them, they played games, they enjoyed a lot of candy, cookies, cake and a piñata. Kids had an unforgettable time, as well as me!

Thank you so much to Eagle Condor Organization to give me this opportunity and let me bring happiness to these kids and to myself.

This is a post from Eliana, an intern at El Bichito.

More posts about El Bichito.

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How to donate to El Bichito.

El Bichito: Field Trip to the Army Base

Eliana, an intern at El Bichito, tells us about a field trip to the Army Base. This is a continuation of the field trips the ElBichito interns are taking the kids on to help them see career and higher education options:

We visited the BIM-Zepita army base in El Banos del Inca, Cajamarca. We all gathered in the dining room at 2:30 PM and then departed. The commander had already made arrangements for us to be received and by a sub-official, Galvez. Galvez kindly took care of us during the tour and explained everything about the work being done at the army base.

The children were very excited! As well as the interns! In total, we were 32 people: 26 children and 6 volunteers.

The children learned that the military service honors and protects the country. Classes are taught on the military base and the service is for 2 years. We also learned that the classes include CPR, communication, fitness, and self-defense. They also taught that guns are not a toy and you have to careful when using them. This military base also provides an opportunity for one who serves for 2 years and is a good soldier to continue the study of higher education in the SENATI.

The officer also explained how to make the military your profession. On the day of our visit, there was a ceremony for those who had completed 2 years of military service at the base. The ceremony was very respectful.

Afterwards, the children enjoyed soda and cookies, which were given to them by the military base. It was a great experience for the kids to learn about the purposes and work surrounding a career in the military.

Interns Needed!

We are in great need of interns for the coming months!

If you are interested in 2+ months of service in South America, great with kids, highly motivated, take initiative and have high standards of conduct, we would love to have you volunteer with us!

Moderate-high ability in Spanish is a plus, but not required!

We are still taking applications for the fall 2011 semester!

If you are interested, please send an email with how comfortable you are in Spanish and which site you would like to volunteer at to sxhuinterns@gmail.com.

Aldea Infantil: Running Trail Celebration

Katy, an intern at La Aldea Infantil reports:

We saw a lot of success and achievement this week at the Aldea. The running trail project was completed and that called for a celebration. In connection with the 22nd anniversary of the Aldea Infantil on August 12, Friday was set-up as a day of races. There were several races, each according to the ages of the children. Tio Pepe was the announcer and pulled out a loudspeaker. I was chosen to lead all the races to show the way to go. The kids all wore their athletic school uniforms, and were matching in blue shorts and white shirts. The rush of excitement for racing affected so many of the youth, not only the winners but many participants. Smiles abounded and everyone cheered so loud and fervently for their friends and schoolmates. It was neat to see everyone so bonded and excited about physical activity.

The completed trail after a competition to place stones on either side of the trail. The boys on the left and the victorious girls on the right!

Everyone getting ready for a race!

Alfredo helps Benjamin with the number on his back.

Lining up for the first race of the day! Some are nervous!

Fany takes first place in her age group!

Jose Antonio finishing strong to dominate in his race.

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La Aldea Infantil: A Positive Attitude is Contagious

Elliot, an intern at La Aldea Infantil, gives us some positive thoughts about his experiences from last week:

One thing that has stood out to me was how positive the kids are. Despite all of the trials and difficulties that they have they always seem to laugh and have a good time. One of those children who has an extreme ability to be positive is Gabriel (above). He is always laughing and most importantly he makes those kids around him feel better. Everyone loves to be around him and he has a large heart. One night while making pizza at his house, he told me that we should go and check on Fabricio (below) because he was probably lonely.

Fabricio is a baby that is 1 ½ years old and suffers from many illnesses. Some of the few illnesses that he has are epilepsy, blind, brain damage, and lame. Amongst all these issues Fabricio still manages to have a smile on his face. He is especially ticklish under his neck and around his waist. He is always laughing and having a good time. We take him to Trujillo for physical therapy twice a week for his legs and eyes. Although he is not very talkative his good heart makes him always someone you want to be around. It is a blessing to know that even amongst all the trials we have in life (and in the USA we have very few compared to 3^rd world countries) that these children can still find joy and happiness. Just another witness to me that happiness, joy, and fulfillment in life comes from within ourselves, it is something we decide.

How to help a child like Fabricio.

More info on La Aldea Infantil.

More posts on La Aldea Infantil.

Iltaqui: Spotlight on Andres

Claryssa, an intern at Iltaqui, gives us a spotlight on Andres:

The classes are going great! The students can now have a basic conversation in English including phrases like "My name is", "I am from", "I am _ years old". They are catching on quickly and love to practice with their partners.

Luis Andres Panama is pictured above. Andres is an AMAZING student who loves learning English! He is very bright and continues to surprise me every day. Andres is 11 years old and has a twin brother whose name is Luis Angel and a younger brother whose name is Abelardo. The three of them have not missed a day of classes! Andres comes to class everyday with a smile and full of enthusiasm. He has an excellent memory and can recall almost every vocabulary word the students have learned without looking at his notes. I can't say enough about Andres. Not only is he an excellent student but also an amazing soccer player and artist. If he were given the opportunity to continue studying English, I am positive that he would master the language in no time at all!

How to help a child like Andres.

More info on Iltaqui.

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Semillas de Amor: Donate at Tipping Bucket

We are so close to our $2500 goal on the Tipping Bucket!

We have just under 10 hours left to obtain the last $400 we need!

If you haven't already, please donate at the Tipping Bucket for Eagle Condor Humanitarian.

The funds will go directly to Semillas de Amor to build the refugee center!

And if we get our goal, The Little Heroes Foundation will match it!

Please donate now, before it is too late!

More posts about Semillas de Amor.

**Aug 8 Update: Thanks for all the donations! We met our goal of $2500 with YOUR help! We also received some last minute donations amounting to $3919 in total! A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated and spread the word to their friends! Keep checking back for updates as the center is built!**

El Bichito: Field Trip to a Hospital

Eliana, an intern at El Bichito, tells us about another field trip the kids went on to learn more about possible careers:

The children were able to see the facilities of the hospital and the work being done in each area. They also learned of various ways to care for patients, and careers and professions that are needed to work in different areas. The tour manager was very friendly and explained everything so well. The kids had a great experience and learned a lot!

La Aldea Infantil: Vacation Week

Katy tells us about this past week, while the kids were out of school at the Aldea:

This week at the Aldea, the kids were out of school for vacations. This allowed for lots of fun and learning in the outdoors. We spent time playing in the trees and moving our bodies. Some of the tias held picnics outside and other activities. Two more interns arrived this week (Elliott and Ali) and the interactions have been great! We have continued the trail project and gotten the kids involved with that as well.

Fun in the avocado tree!

Elliott was teaching all the kids to compartir (share and take turns) and he did an impressive with 12 of the kids as they waited to swing and jump off the rope swing hanging in a tree.

Vacation time so we painted our nails!

Iltaqui: Spotlight on Diana

Child spotlight from Claryssa, an intern at Iltaqui:

This is Diana Maribel Marcillo. She was born on November 28, 2000 and is 10 years old. She is in seventh grade. Her parents are Alberto Marcillo Panama and Maria Angelina Oyagata Panama. Diana has been a very diligent student and so far has not missed a day of classes. She has two younger sisters who come with her, Selena who is 8 years old and Ñusta who is 5 years old. Diana catches on quickly and always makes sure she correctly pronounces every word in English. She has learned how to say what her favorite fruit is (kiwi) and also what her favorite sport is (soccer). Diana is also very helpful in the classroom. She makes sure everyone is quiet and ready to learn. When her mom has to work Diana has to bring her youngest brother to class. He is only a little more than a year old so sometimes she has to take him outside and misses part of the lesson. Despite this challenge, Diana continues to master everything we learn in class. She will come to me for extra help and will also review with her friends and sisters what they have learned that day. Overall she is an excellent student with tons of potential!

La Aldea Infantil: Elliot's First Week

Elliot tells us about his first week at the Aldea:

What a wonderful week at the Aldea!!! So much has happened and the children have been great. One thing that I have noticed are the big hearts the kids have. They want to have fun and most of all to have new experiences. Each age group has those small things that they love to do. The older kids love to play soccer so we tend to play in the morning and then spend a little more time with the little kids in the afternoon. One of the greatest things that happened this week was that we were able to have the kids work together more. We started playing and jumping off the swing.

They were able to stand in a line for the first time since being at the Aldea although knowing kids they could not keep their hands off each other. We even created a little line made out of logs that we gathered. They sat on them and we loved just playing and working with each other.

The greatest was Miguel (5) who would make bird noises while swinging. Afterwards he told me that it was because he said if he did it enough he would start to fly. Now although he did not start to fly he did get pretty high in the swing. The kids are doing great and really making progress in their developmental process.