Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Cruz de Mayo: Más Fotos


One of the two competing neighborhoods parading into the plaza with their band.


The other neighborhood entering the plaza.


One of the costumes worn for "Danza de los Negritos."


Presentation of the dance in front of the community.


Even some children participated!

Cruz de Mayo: Fotos


Men taking down the cross to start the celebration the first week in May.


Lowering the cross down the steep, rocky hill to the center of town.


To finish the celebration, the community brought the cross back up to the top of the hill. Members of the band were excited to get into a picture before their tiring climb carrying their heavy instruments.


At the top of the hill, we took a break to listen to the band, dance and finish the traditional celebration.


View of everyone returning down from the top of the hill.

Campamentos Ecologicos: Fotos


In the spirit of the eco-camp, we braved the cold weather to sleep outside in tents.


Participating campers having fun after an intense water collecting competition.


Campers enjoying their first time experience entering the lake in a boat.


Campers learning and practicing methods of bird monitoring.


The participants of the girls' eco-camp after triumphantly climbing to the top of the hill near the campsite.

Fotos de la Canela


My Peruvian dog "Canela" (Spanish word for cinnamon) thoroughly enjoying our long walk through the scenic countryside of my town.


Canela loves playing in the lake!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Kids-to-Kids: Join and Vote!

One of my current projects is looking to built a greenhouse at the high school to promote hands-on-experience with growing vegetables, trees and flowers - something that is very difficult given the climate without the use of a greenhouse. The principal of the high school tried to get funding unsuccessfully in previous years, so I looked for a grant opportunity. I came across a really interesting organization called Kids-to-Kids, which is a World Connect Program that connects children in the US to enable them to support projects for children in developing countries. Members of Kids-to-Kids fundraise and donate money to be complete proposed projects of various Peace Corps Volunteers in a number of different countries, deciding which project to support by a bi-annual voting process.

I decided to apply and my project is in the running for the voting process in December. If you would like to support me and my community, become a Kids-to-Kids member by visiting their website www.kidstokids.org and vote for my project "The Green Thumb Project" by searching the list. This voting cycle ends December 31st. Thank you! The children and members of my community would be very appreciate of your help!

Hasta luego,
Lauren

Project: The Green Thumb Project
Grant Request: $494
Country: Peru

Status: Vote Now
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Our community is located above the tree-line in the Andes Mountains at 4100 meters (14,000 feet) above sea-level, meaning it is extremely challenging to grow trees and vegetables without a green-house. As a result, the nearly tree-less grassland leaves no escape from the strong solar rays in the high elevation site near the equator and there are problems with malnutrition in a community that solely grows and consumes a large amount of potatoes.

The "Green-Thumb Project" aims to build a greenhouse in the high school in my community to provide the students an fun, educational opportunity to work on forestation projects and to promote health by growing a vegetable garden for a more nutritious diet.

Forestacion en el Colegio: Fotos


100 pine trees were donated from the Junin Municipality to plant as a small forestation project in my town's high school.


Students digging holes to transplant the trees.


Removing the bag to transplant the tree.


View of the trees planted within the property of the high school.

Elaboracion de Compost: Fotos


Giving a demonstration of how to turn over the compost pile.


Explaining the concept of composting to some of the high school students.


Covering the compost with plastic (to keep warmth in and protect from heavy rains).


High school students leading the middle school students in preparing another pile of compost.


Adding layers of different organic material.

Concurso de Reciclaje: Fotos


I became an expert tricycle rider to carry the recyclables to storage.


Weighing recyclables with students in the middle school.


Weighing recyclables with high school students.


Students sorting and getting creative in ways to condense recyclables to fill their bags.


Students carrying bags full of recyclables down the street.


3rd graders from the middle school won first place with 18.72 kilograms per student!