El Bichito: More about the rocket stove

Since so many of our readers wanted to see more photos from this project, we are posting more!

The original posts can be found here and here. Enjoy!

In case you missed it, one of our interns at El Bichito in the Puylucana community of Peru saw a need in a local student's home and did something about it! She helped to install what is called a "rocket stove" in their home to be used for cooking. It is more stable and safe than the home's previous method of cooking.

 The finished product!

Thanks to Eliana and all of our donors who make projects like this possible!

P.S. On the left in the photo above is Alida. Read more about her here.

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.

More posts about El Bichito.

More info about El Bichito.

How to help a child like Alida.

Admirable Alida (Eliana)

Eliana, one of our interns at El Bichito in Cajamarca, introduces us to Alida:

Alida is a great example for everyone here. She is in charge of her 5 younger siblings. She is 15 years old and despite her age, she is very responsible. Alida takes very good care of her siblings and always makes sure that they have a happy day. She loves school and is very excited about spending time in El Bichito doing homework and activities with the others. One day, she wants to go to the university of Cajamarca and become a lawyer. Alida loves to play volleyball and likes a lot of ice cream and chocolate.

Learn more about Alida here and here.

Interested in sponsoring a child like Alida? Click here for more info!

After Surgery (Michael)

Here are the after shots of Alida's eye. It looks a lot better than it did before the surgery!

Alida (Chris)

We had a great time with Cameron and the group. Unfortunately I have a bad internet signal right now but i wanted to send you the pictures of Álida. We made collages with the kids and we will have to send you a better email soon. Also, if you zoom in on Maria´s right eye I think she has a cataract or a stye. She´s new and if there´s anyway we can get someone to look at it it would be great. Like I wrote before she is the oldest of 6 and she watches her siblings while her mom´s gone away for long periods of time.

Alida (Nancy)

Here in Cajamarca, the city ranges from paved roads with open plazas, to cobblestone streets crowded by cement and brick houses. Oh, and people. Lots of people, weaving in and out of the buses, motor-taxis, and cars. Just outside the city, the roads turn to dirt and switchback up the mountain to the countryside. Cajamarca is nestled high in the Andes mountains. As you go further out of the city, the cramped bus ride out to the surrounding villages is like riding back in time to an Inca village.

We travel every day to the area just outside of Cajamarca, "Los Banos". And we work in a drop-in center called "El Bichito," or little bug. For a few years now, poor kids from the country villages have raced there after school to pick up what is probably their only square meal of the day. Now, my husband Jared and I and another couple, the Jensens are working hard to keep the kids there longer, to tutor them with their homework and play games with them. The kids are amazing. Lots and lots of energy and so loving.

Today we want to introduce you to Alida. She is fourteen and a little bashful at times, but does not back down to anyone. She's very happy, a little mischievous, and eager to learn. When we tried to get her picture today, she would not look at the camera. I think it is because she is embarrassed of the growth she has on her eye. She has had it since birth, but it is getting bigger, and our new goal is to raise the money that could fund her operation, literally saving her from blindness. When she thinks no one is looking though, she has the brightest smile.

That's all for now. Thanks for everyone's help!

Nancy

Enrique (Nancy and Jared)

We have an intern in Por Con! His name is Enrique, he's 15ish, and he is there this week to learn artenesia trades...weaving, painting, etc. Yesterday Jared and I took him to Por Con and dropped him off to the Murrows. They'll bring him back on Saturday. We were getting frustrated because none of the kids were interested, but then we had a Parent's Day last week and the Murrows announced the Por Con Internship and Enrique told us after that he wanted to go. We all went to dinner together last night, and we had alpaca steaks! It was the best thing I've eaten in Peru so far.

Hopefully we will get Alida to the other doctor this friday and see how much an operation would cost.

We were all thinking that it would be cool to take some of the kids on a field trip to Por Con. The two ladies who work at El Bichito, Malchura and Feliciana, told us that it would be 280 soles to rent a bus for the day, and they would organize it.

A few weeks ago some students from the University came and donated crates-full of fruit, eggs, and potatoes. They have been coming over now and then to help us with the kids, and yesterday, we had movie day. They brought a DVD player, projector, big speakers, and we played a movie for the kids on the wall. I can't remember what it was called, but it had guinea pigs in it. Ivan is the one who has helped the most, but he always brings friends with him. It's great to have help.

Take care,

Nancy and Jared

Maria (Nancy)

[Here in Cajamarca, the city ranges from paved roads with open plazas, to cobblestone streets crowded by cement and brick houses. Oh, and people. Lots of people, weaving in and out of the buses, motor-taxis, and cars. Just outside the city, the roads turn to dirt and switchback up the mountain to the countryside. Cajamarca is nestled high in the Andes mountains. As you go further out of the city, the cramped bus ride out to the surrounding villages is like riding back in time to an Inca village.

We travel every day to the area just outside of Cajamarca, "Los Banos". And we work in a drop-in center called "El Bichito," or little bug. For a few years now, poor kids from the country villages have raced there after school to pick up what is probably their only square meal of the day. Now, my husband Jared and I and another couple, the Jensens are working hard to keep the kids there longer, to tutor them with their homework and play games with them. The kids are amazing. Lots and lots of energy and so loving.

Today we want to introduce you to Maria Alida Mantilla. She is fourteen and a little bashful at times, but does not back down to anyone. She's very happy, a little mischievous, and eager to learn. When we tried to get her picture today, she would not look at the camera. I think it is because she is embarrassed of the growth she has on her eye. She has had it since birth, but it is getting bigger, and our new goal is to raise the money that could fund her operation, literally saving her from blindness. When she thinks no one is looking though, she has the brightest smile.

That's all for now. Thanks for everyone's help!