Kathryn Sime and Sue Edison-Swift visited projects supported by the ELCA World Hunger Appeal through partner Lutheran World Relief and local NGOs.
Date(s): November 11--15, 2006. Album by ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Photos by Sue Edison-Swift, Kathryn Sime. 1 - 142 of 142 Total.
enlarge 72KB, 640x426 1 DSC 7744Edit Trip notes: It takes $600 to help a family produce a hectare of organically certified, high-protein beans (frijoles guindos), and help them find the market to sell them. LWR staff help the farmers organize what they have to offer, cooperating together to have the quanity and quality needed for new markets.
Quinoa needs sun, altitude, and heat to grow...perfect for the Andes.
It costs $600 a hectare to build an irrigation system.
A family here may have three or four cows, getting six litres of milk per cow a day. LWR is working to increase this production to eight to 10 litres. "This is the way women make money."
$100,000 over three years funds a project to improve pastures and feed; teach faster and more hygenic milking techniques; improve sanitation; and teach cheesemaking.Edit
enlarge 69KB, 426x640 2 DSC 7745Edit Abbie Kretz (interpreter); Eduardo Contreras Ivarcena, LWR Peru Program Manager; Kathryn Sime, Director, ELCA World Hunger Appeal; Pedro Veliz Marquez, LWR Regional Representative.Edit
enlarge 64KB, 640x426 3 DSC 7746Edit Mmmm. Tail-gate lunch in the mountains of Peru. Doesn't get much better than this.Conversation in the car, cont: The role of the NGO is to ask, "what are your problems, what are your assets" to help the capensinos discover their own capabilities...not "what don't you have?"Edit
enlarge 57KB, 640x426 5 DSC 7759Edit Sixty percent of Peru's tax base comes from the mines, so the government has an incentive to be soft of regulation. There's the promise to fix a problem (for example, the sulphur or lead levels) in five years...then in another five years. There's also the threat that "if you force us to fix the problem right now, we'll just close down the plant."Edit
enlarge 36KB, 640x426 6 DSC 7761Edit The pollution resulting from mining, the only source of income for these remote communities, causes serious health issues. There are few environmental standards/laws.Edit
enlarge 109KB, 640x426 10 DSC 7758Edit On our way to Huancayo, where we'll spend the night.Edit
enlarge 48KB, 640x426 11 DSC 7765Edit We arrived at the town square/district president office early, and used the time for breakfast and an outdoor briefing. We left our hotel at 5:30 a.m. to get past an area of road construction before 7:30 a.m., when what was considered a road would be closed to traffic for 12 hours. I believe we made it through the construction zone with five minutes to spare.Edit
enlarge 67KB, 640x426 12 DSC 7768Edit The town square was busy early in the morning with children heading to school.Edit
enlarge 48KB, 640x427 18 P1010214Edit President of the Huando District [NAME]. We met in his office.Edit
enlarge 56KB, 640x480 19 P1010213Edit Edgar Ramirez Rivera, a staff person with the "San Javier del Peru," one of the NGOs participating in AMUZLEH, the "Asociacion de Municipios de la Zona Dentro de la Provincia de Huancavelica." This unique cooperative of NGOs coordinates the efforts in six districts: Palca, Huando, Nuevo Occoro, Laria, Cuenca, Izcuchaca.Edgar: San Javier focuses on bilingual education (Quechua and Spanish) and agri-business. Looks at the whole productive chain. For example, the Alpaca project: What does the animal need to eat? How do we improve the genetics? How do we improve the wool, and make the most of the handcrafts made with the wool?Edit
enlarge 50KB, 426x640 21 P1010211Edit Hilario, is the tecnic secretary of municipal gobernation.Edit "he's working with president of district Huando" View Comments...
enlarge 57KB, 640x480 22 P1010209Edit The association of NGOs have prioritized the needs. (1) WATER. Water for production/agriculture and water for drinking. If you don't have access to clean spring water, your only alternative is the polluted river. Seventy percent of the children in the area have GI troubles and parasites. (2) ECO-TOURISM. (3) EDUCATION. The San Javier NGO focuses on bilingual (Spanish and Quechua) education and training. Eighty-five percent of the district speak Quechua, primarily an oral language.Edit
enlarge 59KB, 640x426 24 DSC 7775Edit The Servant Leader: The District President coordinated the effort to get us out of the mud rut. Once our vehicle was moved to a wide enough spot, we piled into the cabs of the trucks for the rest of the way down and up the mountain.Edit
enlarge 101KB, 640x426 25 DSC 7776Edit To our left, the mountain, to our right, straight down. We would need to stay in the vehicle while others got us out.Edit
enlarge 99KB, 640x426 26 DSC 7777Edit This was the offending mud-rut that immobilized our SUV-type vehicle. The District President (in red) and the others who had briefed us earlier that morning, had led the way down the mountain path in two trucks. Once they got our vehicle to a point that we could get out, we piled into the cabs of their trucks. We LOVE these people. BTW, Pedro, one of our LWR hosts, did all our driving in Peru...he is amazing. It took 10 hours of driving to get back to Lima from this mountain...and five of those hours were on roads like this one.Edit
enlarge 72KB, 640x426 28 DSC 7781Edit We made it down the moutain to the new municipal trout farm. Sadly, just three days before, a landslide cut off the source of fresh, moving water to the fish tanks, and 25,000 trout, days away from being ready for the market, suffocated and died. It's a $15,000 loss. "What will you do?" we asked. "Start over," they replied.Edit
enlarge 124KB, 640x480 29 P1010229Edit "Living water" for the fish farm.Edit
enlarge 80KB, 640x480 30 P1010225Edit Starting again. After the landslide cut off the fresh, moving water and the trout suffocated, the tanks are filling again with fresh water from a mountain spring. This municipal fish farm is at the bottom of the mountain, near the river. The river is not a source of water for the fish farm because of its pollution.Edit
enlarge 109KB, 640x426 43 DSC 7790Edit What a LONG snout you have, Mr. Pig. What LONG hair you have, too!Edit
enlarge 107KB, 640x426 44 DSC 7791Edit We are HIGH--9,000+ feet above sea level. Even so, the 10 minute walk *down* the mountain paths to get to the reservoir wasn't too difficult. Edgar had my arm the whole way, and we took it slow.Edit
enlarge 80KB, 640x426 45 DSC 7792Edit The irrigation trench goes way down the mountain.Edit
enlarge 103KB, 640x426 46 DSC 7793Edit The 60 families did the amazing physical labor involved in the reservoir/irrigation system...the trench went down the mountain as far as my eye could see.Edit
enlarge 84KB, 640x426 49 DSC 7813Edit Soon after we arrived, school children and their teacher joined us--quite a walk. Their presence immeasureably added to the "this is a historic moment" feeling.Edit
enlarge 93KB, 640x426 50 DSC 7799Edit Staff from the NGOs that cooperated on this project were there to celebrate, too.Edit
enlarge 86KB, 640x426 51 DSC 7812Edit November is springtime--planting time--and the 60 families left their own land to work on the reservoir and irrigation system that will allow them to grow three crops of quinoa on the shared 30 hectares of land instead of one crop.Edit
enlarge 81KB, 426x640 52 DSC 7798Edit Edgar (left)Edit
enlarge 107KB, 426x640 53 DSC 7802Edit The orange tubes stick up along with way to hold the spraying mechanism.Edit
enlarge 81KB, 640x426 54 DSC 7794Edit The Little-Spring-that-Could will fill this 33,000 gallon reservoir in four days.Edit
enlarge 79KB, 426x640 55 DSC 7797Edit It's all coming together...a capital investment of just $7000 (from gifts to ELCA World Hunger Appeal through partner Lutheran World Relief), expertise of LWR staff and the association of local NGOs, and the hard work and cooperative spirit of 60 families. Wow.Edit
enlarge 96KB, 640x426 56 DSC 7800Edit Pieces of hope: turning dirt and rock into productive fields.Edit
enlarge 94KB, 426x640 57 DSC 7801Edit There must be a more noble term than "sprinkler" for this piece of the irrigation system.Edit
enlarge 90KB, 640x426 58 DSC 7803Edit The blue tubing/hose is laid in the trench.Edit
enlarge 81KB, 640x426 61 DSC 7806Edit So much work and hope is invested in the project. Three years of drought thwarted the quinoa crops; last year half the crop failed. This year, there will be irrigation.Edit
enlarge 99KB, 640x426 62 DSC 7807Edit Many family members were waiting for us on the side of the mountain.Edit
enlarge 52KB, 640x426 65 DSC 7818Edit Eduardo Contreras (green hat), the LWR Peru Program Manager, is an expert on agricultural development. I regret that I did not capture on video his descriptions of llamas, alpacas, and vicunas ("Vicunas are delicate creatures...they walk like they are on high heels").Edit
enlarge 87KB, 426x640 66 DSC 7819Edit Pedro Veliz, LWR Regional Representative, navigates around the rim of the reservoir.Edit
enlarge 90KB, 640x480 70 P1010238Edit The District President may have popped a button leading the effort to get our vehicle out of the mud rut or getting me hoisted up to see the mountain spring. What a good guy.Edit
enlarge 89KB, 640x480 71 P1010233Edit The view from the reservoir. Follow the irrigation trench from the lower left corner to the middle of the image.Edit
enlarge 70KB, 640x480 75 P1010240eEdit Amazing photo by Kathryn Sime.Edit
enlarge 52KB, 426x640 76 DSC 7817Edit Elias Fernadez Quispe is the campansino elected to speak for the community. He spoke with pride and thankfulness, "We will care for this investment...like a bank."Edit
enlarge 115KB, 640x426 77 DSC 7820Edit Pedro (LWR): "Sue, you must take a picture of the spring that will fill the reservoir." Sue (thinking there was no way she could get to the spring, even at sea level): "Here, take my camera." Pedro: "No, *you* should to take the picture."
And so, it came to be that I was hoisted four or five feet straight up, with about six inches of space for the hoisters to get footing before falling into the reservoir. I'm not sure how they did it, but I'm glad they did. There it was...a little oasis. What looked like an aquatic garden in someone's backyard will fill the reservoir that will feed the irrigation system that will grow the crops of quinoa that will feed 60 families in more ways than one. I began to hyperventilate a bit wondering how I would get down again, but I shouldn't have worried. The young men who had accompanied me with patience down to the site, showed me the back way to return to the path as we made our way up the mountain path to our vehicles.Edit
enlarge 93KB, 640x426 78 DSC 7822Edit The spring water is clear and clean...and must be amazingly consistent, for they estimate the spring will fill the 33,000 gallon reservoir in four days.Edit
enlarge 94KB, 426x640 79 DSC 7809Edit Common threads of thankfulness and partnership wove through out the speeches of those chosen to mark the occasion. "We did this together." "Thank you for working with us."Edit
enlarge 60KB, 640x480 80 P1010253Edit Elias made two speeches, one at the reservoir, and this one, as we were leaving, at the level spot where our vehicles were parked. See the short video from his second speech at http://imageevent.com/elcahunger/peru/videoEdit
enlarge 121KB, 640x480 81 P1010242Edit The District President holds up his hand: "she's stopping again." The end of the 10-minute up-hill walk is in sight, though. I can see Kathryn (and those who left for the vehicles ahead of me) and she can see me.Edit
enlarge 110KB, 640x480 83 P1010246Edit The way back up from the reservoir was a little difficult for me, breathing wise. In the spirit of true accompaniment, the group walked--and rested--at my slooooooooow pace.Edit
enlarge 74KB, 426x640 84 DSC 7825Edit Every time I would sit down to catch my breath on the walk back up from the project site, the school children would wait. I finally convinced them it was OK to walk past me.Edit
enlarge 107KB, 480x640 85 P1010247Edit And, rest. When I would stop those who started out behind me would stop and wait, too.Edit
enlarge 96KB, 640x480 87 P1010250Edit I made it, back to the level spot where our vehicles are part. I think Edgar and the other young man must be very kind to their mothers, as demostrated by their kindness to me.Edit
enlarge 81KB, 640x480 88 P1010252Edit A hit of oxygen and a shot of Coca-Cola helps keep altitude sickness at bay.Edit
enlarge 66KB, 640x426 89 DSC 7827Edit Shepherdess with baby and her flock, on a mountain road outside of Huando, Peru.Edit
enlarge 74KB, 640x426 90 DSC 7899Edit Getting ready for the 10 hour trip back to Lima.Edit
enlarge 52KB, 640x426 95 DSC 7834Edit The daughters want to learn, too. They start with making pom-poms. We asked Cynthia (right) what she liked about knitting/crocheting. "It's a good way to relax," she said.Edit
enlarge 71KB, 640x426 102 DSC 7843Edit Consuelo is the director of the workshop and is a staff person with San Javier, a local NGO, who coordinates many projects relating to alpacas, including this handcraft project.Edit
enlarge 54KB, 640x480 106 P1010262Edit The woman speaking is in charge of the distribution of materials.Edit
enlarge 57KB, 426x640 107 DSC 7847Edit Georgia demonstrates how the $500 machine makes quicker work of making yarn from alpaca wool. WHA gifts, through partner LWR and local NGO San Javier, made the purchase of this machine possible.Edit
enlarge 57KB, 426x640 108 DSC 7851Edit The workshop uses natural dyes...the leaves from this plant are used to dye wool grey and yellow. Catus bugs are used to make red and purple dyes.Edit
enlarge 50KB, 640x426 109 DSC 7852Edit There are 19 women active in the Taller Artesanal Workshop, making handcrafts, often with apalca wool (they do use other natural fibers). There are 500 women involved in handcrafts in the region, part of the association of NGOs we learned about at the beginning of the day.Edit
enlarge 55KB, 426x640 110 DSC 7853Edit "We can come here [to the workshop community room] and leave the problems at home. By working together we have better quality control and we can teach each other techniques."Edit
enlarge 51KB, 427x640 111 DSC 7854Edit Beneta Castellanos Casavilca is president of the workshop: "Thank you so much for your support, it means so much."Edit
enlarge 64KB, 640x426 112 DSC 7862Edit While the women were telling us about their handcraft workshop, these two girls went about "dressing" Kathryn to their great delight.Edit
enlarge 58KB, 426x640 114 DSC 7865Edit Kathryn and her young admirer.Edit
enlarge 57KB, 640x426 115 DSC 7869Edit We had our pictures taken with the woman who made the hat we received as a gift.Edit
enlarge 62KB, 640x426 116 DSC 7871Edit We had our pictures taken with the woman who made the hat we received as a gift.Edit
enlarge 44KB, 640x426 117 DSC 7872Edit The women create two or three products every two days. The project distributor gives out the yarn/materials. The associate returns the same weight of materials in a finished product. When the pieces are sold, a percentage of the sale price goes to the producer, a percentage to the workship and a percentage goes to the community bank.Edit
enlarge 75KB, 640x426 118 DSC 7874Edit Our time together was too short...just one more picture...but it's time to go, we have to get to our hotel for a dinner meeting before this day is over.Edit
enlarge 64KB, 640x426 125 DSC 7898Edit Our last visit of our trip was to the office of San Javier, an NGO that LWR works with closely. The focus on bilingual education (Spanish and Quechua), agriculture, and eco-business (trout farms, artisan handcrafts, natural/herbal medicines). Its founder, Dr. Luz Maria Alvarez Calderons, established the University for Andean Development, the first university offering classes in both Quechua and Spanish.Edit
enlarge 80KB, 640x426 126 DSC 7895Edit [Name, please] is one of the pet vicuna that has the heart of the San Javier staff.Edit
enlarge 101KB, 640x426 132 DSC 7896Edit San Javier's rosemary project takes seedlings to farm families in the region. "A plant lasts seven years; it can be cut twice a year. They cut it, take it to the market, and have money. Everyone works on the project...men, women, and children." Rosemary is used as an antioxidant, a stress-reliever, in aroma therapy, as a condiment, and as an oil.Edit
