It actually started yesterday evening. At 18h we got a phone call. The father of Wilfredo (14y), Alberto (12y), Jhon (8y), Rodrigo (6y) and Jhordy (3y) tested positive for corona. Alberto did not come to the project that day, because he had a headache. Oh no! What if Alberto also has corona? Or one of his brothers? Each of our teachers has worked with one of them. In small groups, with a mouth mask and outside. But still.
I call a doctor at Diospi hospital. We can go to the hospital the next day, Friday, at 7.30 a.m. to have our staff and the 5 boys tested. Thank goodness! It is quiet in the hospital, because the quarantine rules prevent the patients, who normally travel here from all over the country for treatment, from getting there.
Of the thirteen tests that were taken, (fortunately only) two were positive. Of the two eldest sons, Wilfredo and Alberto. This hits hard. Alberto held strong for a long time, but after a while the tears came. He is scared. On Peruvian television they do a lot of scare tactics. It is terrible not to be able to give him a hug. My mother’s heart breaks.
I talk to the mother; I tell her she cannot go to work even though her test was negative. The whole family has to go into quarantine together. Now the mother also starts to cry. They have no money and she doesn’t know how she will get food for the next few days. My heart breaks again. We promise we won’t let them down.
Then we have the dad come for a check-up, because he has a headache, muscle aches, diarrhoea and he has to vomit. Their strong dad looks very weak. Fortunately, he can continue his treatment at home. We buy some more medicine to keep all the complaints under control and then we leave for home. All teachers will be tested again on Monday, just to be sure.
Even though this is, strictly speaking, not the objective of our project, at times like these we do not hesitate to support our families where necessary and where we can! We keep our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for Alberto, Wilfredo and his dad!
Diospi Suyana has been supporting the project for years, with every emergency, we can go to them and they take care of the biggest costs. Also this time again. All tests were paid for by them. We are very grateful for this much needed support!
In Belgium we regularly complain about the bubbles, mouth masks and other corona rules. Not unjustifiably, of course. It has been going on for six months now and everyone is more than fed up with it. We are not used to our freedom being compromised. But… things could be worse.
Peru has the longest lockdown in the world: on 28 August they decided to extend the state of emergency once again until 30 September 2020. The isolated life in which the population now finds itself has been going on for 28 weeks.
There have been eases compared to the first day, but especially on the economic level. On the other hand, all social matters are still closed. So, a nice drink in a pub or a good meal in a restaurant is not yet possible. Moreover, there is still a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. as early as 8 p.m. in certain regions, such as Curahuasi.
When you swear on that mouth mask that you have to wear while shopping or when you are at work, remember this: in Peru everybody has to wear a mouth mask everywhere, except at home. By everyone they really mean everyone, because babies, toddlers, preschoolers and children have to wear a mouth mask as well.
Unfortunately, that is not all. Children are only allowed to go outside for half an hour a day, 500m from their home and only when accompanied by an adult. No parks, playgrounds, sports, hobbies, excursions,.. nothing. On Sundays everyone MUST stay inside. Even a walk is not allowed.
Although the schools in Belgium have just reopened, the school year in Peru only runs from March to December. This means that the corona crisis and associated lockdown has started when schools were only just starting up. Those who know Peru, know that a school year never starts on the first of March. Schools are still closed and that means that digital education has been in place for 6 months now. However, this is a problem for a large part of the population: only 40% of the houses in Peru and 3.7% of the houses in rural Peru have access to the internet (INEI).
The numbers on child abuse, child pregnancies, domestic violence,… are going up. Together with the COVID deaths of course. The consequences on all levels, emotional, physical and social, will be enormous.
Our team is doing everything that is possible and allowed at the moment and we are already looking forward to (the new) normal. As long as our doors can open again, we are satisfied and will make the best of it!
Would you like to become the godparent of one of these little cuties or the project in general? Send us an email at contact@oyelenaperu.com. Help us help!
Feelings about the pandemic are very divided. Everyone experiences it in a different way and the consequences are different for everyone. Some are happy to be able to work from home, while for others it is quite a challenge to suddenly start working with children and without colleagues. One has more work and the other loses his job or sees his company go bankrupt. When we ask our employee Susy how she experiences this pandemic, she describes it as a nightmare from which she hopes to wake up every day.
Susy has been working on the project as a teacher for over five years. She has two adolescent sons, who unfortunately have not been able to finish their studies and are still looking for their way in life. Susy hasn’t had much luck in recent years in the field of health. Although it was never really anything very bad, these small disturbing events have made her very anxious. Also, the last few months she has been very scared. Afraid that something will happen to her and her sons will fall without her support. For four months she stayed in Cconoc, a 20-minute drive from Curahuasi, where she only had contact with the family. At the beginning of July, when home visits were allowed, she went back to work.
What do you like most about the job?
The interaction with the children and seeing their happy faces at the end of class, I think that’s great. Or listening to all their questions when you see them again, haha. That makes it all worth it.
What do you find hardest about the job?
I wouldn’t say it’s hard, but I find the distance from house to house quite exhausting. We visit 10 children a day and some of them live far, or live higher up in the village, which makes it a real climb.
What are you running into?
Because I have given the mothers a lot of confidence, they regularly tell me about their problems and ask me for advice. Sometimes I find that difficult. I try to give them answers to their complaints to increase their self-esteem, but I can’t really help them. I don’t like that feeling, because of course you want to make a difference for them.
What would you like to change on the project?
I wouldn’t change anything. Working with children is the best thing that has happened to me!
What is your favourite moment of your working day?
My favourite moment is when I’m getting ready to go to work, knowing that the children are waiting for me full of impatience and joy. That feeling that I can bring an ounce of happiness into their lives makes me very happy.
How are you coping with the pandemic?
To be honest, I’m having a pretty hard time with it. This pandemic is a disease that’s always present. Day after day. No matter how much I try to forget, it’s still crazy to see people with their mouth masks. It’s a trauma. It’s also very hard to worry about the families I visit every day. It’s like a nightmare from which one wants to wake up quickly.
Woohoo, summer has definitely started now! Although the rain of the past few days made us think differently, we can assure you that the sun will be shining in the coming week! Of course, we are very happy about that, because it means… time for cocktails! To make ourselves completely summer proof, we would like to share the recipe for the best cocktail ever: Pisco Sour!
Pisco Sour is a real Peruvian specialty. Today, however, there is a raging contest between Peruvians and Chileans about the origin of the drink. But most importantly; it’s a delicious cocktail you don’t want to miss! The name already reveals that it includes ‘pisco’, the liqueur that is used as the basis of this drink, and ‘sour’ that refers to the sour lemon juice in which the drink is mixed.
The recipe of the original Pisco Sour is very simple and easy to prepare. There are many variations but we made this recipe several times in Curahuasi and it is delicious!
For one cocktail pour 40 ml Pisco, 20 ml fresh lime juice, 20 ml liquid cane sugar, and the egg white of 1 egg into the blender. You add about 7 ice cubes and then mix everything! Just long enough so that the ice cream is crunched deliciously, but not too long because then you whip the egg too much. For the finishing touch, you can add another three drops of Amargo bitter to the drink.
Would you rather like to have something a little bit more special? Then don’t be sad… there are many variants of the famous classic Pisco Sour! Just think of the Mango Sour, Strawberry Sour, Gin Sour, Whiskey Sour, and even an Avocado Sour! What are we waiting for?!
On the 24th of June, there would have been a spectacular party in Peru. Sadly, COVID-19 threw a spanner in the works. On this day, the annual holiday Inti Raymi is usually celebrated, also called the ‘festival of the sun’. The Incas considered this to be the most important festival of the year. In the first place, one of their most worshipped gods, Inti, is worshipped. Besides, the feast is like ‘New Year’ for them because, from this day onwards, the light hours of the sun start to extend again.
The first Inti Raymi was already celebrated in 1412. During this time, the party lasted 9 days and was filled with colorful dances, processions, and animal sacrifices. They did this to thank Pachamama, the most important god for the indigenous people of the Andean region, and to guarantee a good harvest season.
Like many other Inca religious practices, the holiday was banned in 1536 by the Spanish settlers and their Catholic priests. Fortunately, this special day came back to the surface on June 24 in 1944, when a historical reconstruction of the holiday was organized. Since this day, an annual theatrical representation of Inti Raymi is performed in which various indigenous actors give the best of themselves. This attracts thousands of tourists every year.
For the poorer population, including the families with whom Oye LENA works, it is, unfortunately, more difficult to celebrate this beautiful feast as the many visitors do. When you want to visit the theatrical act at the historical location in Cuzco, the costs can be very high. An entrance ticket for the spectacle is therefore often too expensive for a large part of the people.
A day full of tradition
The ‘modern Inti Raymi’ still uses the traditional colorful costumes including the striking woven Aya Hama masks. Also, the celebrations with music and traditional dance steps are still present. The animal sacrifices, however, are no longer performed on this day.
The holiday ends with a bonfire and a procession where people, in the company of a fictitious Sun King and his wife, return to Cuzco. When they arrive there, the Sun King speaks to the people for the last time.
With regret in the heart, this holiday was canceled because of the coronavirus. Because an enormous number of people gather on this day, this would not be safe and following the measures taken to prevent further spread of the virus. One thing is certain: in 2021, it will be a fabulous edition!
Sara Defoor studied Pedagogical Sciences with a major in Special Education. In August 2015, she came to Oye LENA for the first time to do an internship of 6 months, after which she started working as a volunteer in 2016. Since February 2017, she is coordinator of the classes at Oye Lena and lives in Curahuasi with her Peruvian husband, Eddy Rios Delgado. In 2021, after 4 years, she will return permanently to Belgium. She will continue to support Oye LENA and of course visit the project again regularly. We put her to the test with some difficult questions… Curious?
What do you like most about the job?
“I like working with all the fantastic children and all the love you get from them. It gives you a lot of satisfaction when you know that you mean something to them and that you make a difference for them. Especially when the kids are at Oye LENA; you can really see that they are having fun and that they are learning and feeling good”.
What is the hardest part of the job?
“What I find the most difficult is the constant changing of volunteers. You have to adapt to a new group every few months. Then you have to explain everything all over again and start from scratch, which is a bit tricky sometimes. Besides, you often have to say goodbye to the people who have become your friends. The moment you have started to function as a team, you have to say goodbye again. That’s something I find very difficult myself.”
What’s your biggest blunder?
“I remember that the parents of the children of Oye LENA were at the project to play volleyball together. We were all on the sports field and I was also going to join, even though this is not my strongest asset. When I wanted to serve the ball, it already went wrong. The ball flew straight into the face of our student Belen, who suddenly stood in the middle of the field. Of course she immediately started crying, because she was very frightened. Luckily, there was nothing wrong in the end! This way, the ice broke immediately and it didn’t matter anymore to the parents that they didn’t play fantastic because I had already blundered anyway. Haha!
What else would you like to change on the project?
“More permanent staff to provide more consistency to the children would be very welcome. I think we all want this, but the search is difficult at the moment as there are not that many highly educated people living and wanting to live in Curahuasi. Professionals will always prefer to go to big cities like Cusco or Lima, where they can earn more money. So this will always be a bit of a challenge, unless we find someone with a big heart for the children, the job, and Curahuasi.
Besides that, we also need more classrooms. There are plans to make an extra classroom, so it would be very good if the necessary sponsorship will come. For the children with disabilities, for example, it would be better if they each have their own space to work in. Since it also rains more often than before due to climate change, you can’t sit outside so for this reason, an extra room would also be very nice”.
What’s your favorite moment of your workday?
“I enjoy it so much when I can play with the kids during the break. I think it’s great to see how they are having fun and how they can just be kids. I would recommend volunteering at Oye LENA to anyone!”
Why do you return to Belgium after all these years?
“After all these years of living in Curahausi, I notice that I have started to miss Belgium. Especially my friends and of course my family. Being together during important moments, but also after, for example, a difficult day. In Curahuasi, it is not easy to build lasting friendships. I have already made a lot of friends among the volunteers but they leave at some point and then I have to say goodbye again… Especially on holidays I have a hard time and I prefer to be with my family. Besides, you just have more possibilities in Belgium, life in a village in the Andes is more limited. It is a very difficult decision and I have doubted for a long time, but at the moment this is the right choice. But of course, I won’t let go of Oye LENA and we’ll see how I can continue to support the project from Belgium.
Last week was a very nice week for Oye LENA. Why? Since Monday, Sara and Cristhel are allowed to visit the children of the project to help them with doing homework and other activities. It was the Peruvian state that announced this corona relaxation at the beginning of last week. An update we were of course very happy about!
The lockdown and quarantine in Peru have had an impact on the education of 9.9 million Peruvian students. This because several classes were postponed or even suspended. The children of Oye LENA also felt the consequences of the breakthrough of COVID-19. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel: the distance learning, which started in April, would soon be gradually replaced by face-to-face lessons. We keep our fingers crossed that this will soon be possible again.
In the meantime, it has been three months since we had to close our project temporarily. Yet we kept busy and did everything we could to keep providing the children with all kinds of materials. Paintings, craft materials, didactic games, and more. Although we were not allowed to guide them in making these assignments, we tried to do our part by providing them with the right supplies.
Besides the learning materials the children received from Oye LENA, they also receive weekly homework from their school. Of course, we encourage this because in this way they can continue to develop themselves and keep themselves busy during the lockdown. Thanks to these teaching materials, we avoid that they fall behind and they can get back to work immediately when the schools open again.
However, it is not always easy for children to do this homework on their own without any guidance from teachers. They often receive new learning materials which they then have to teach themselves. This is of course not obvious and very hard for them. The schools also expect the children to have access to platforms such as radio, television, and the internet. If you know that only 39% of households in the whole country have access to the internet and only 5% in rural areas, then you understand that this is often impossible for our children. Many of our parents have little or no education of their own and therefore find it difficult to help their children.
Fortunately, we received good news last week: since Monday, a teacher is allowed to visit the children to guide them. Whether the local schools will do this is not yet clear, but Sara and Cristhel immediately flew in. Last week they already visited the children who need our help the most: the pupils of the primary school get homework support and some pupils with disabilities get physiotherapy. When there is still time left, our workers also visit the toddlers to continue the playful learning.
We are very happy with this relaxation and hope that in this way, the step to the reopening of the project will get closer and closer!
You probably already know Trooper from our many posts on Facebook, but do you also know the face behind this great platform? Oye LENA had the chance to meet Elisabet Lamote this week. We interviewed her via Skype (yes, that’s how it goes these days!) and asked her several questions about herself and the start of Trooper. Wondering how that went? Then read on!
Besides being a co-founder of Trooper, Elisabet is also the mother of two beautiful children. Together with her husband Klaas, who is the creator of the platform, she lives in Grimbergen. The couple works together with Jan Dejonghe, creative director at BBDO, and functions as the golden team behind Trooper. “My husband Klaas is the salesman with the big ideas, I am more the doer and take care of the practical side of the story, and Jan gets this into a beautiful story. The three of us are very complementary and this ensures that we keep pushing each other forward”, says Elisabet.
With Trooper they support associations such as youth movements, sports clubs but also charities such as Oye LENA. Because they believe that it is important for a society that people feel connected to each other, they offer those organizations the opportunity to earn a penny without having to do anything for it. “We also believe that these associations and organizations need financial means to realize all their dreams. This is how we came up with the idea of creating an income stream through sponsorship with major brands and affiliate marketing to give associations a boost”.
The start of Trooper
“When a few years ago the building of the chiro boys of Humbeek burned down, we saw the whole village looking for creative ways to raise money for reconstruction. From torchlight tours to food festivities, you name it. It was at this point that Klaas came up with the idea to start up a sponsorship system”. Their first partner was Bol.com and it soon became clear that this could bring in a lot of money in the short term. As a reaction to the success, they decided to expand and put other associations and shops on their platform as well. One thing led to another… in the meantime, more than 6000 associations are working at Trooper today!
“Although Trooper today has a very large reach, the way to get there has not always been easy,” says Elisabet. “After my job at Dauwe Egberts, I felt like I wanted to do something completely different and started teaching at college. At that time, I had more flexibility and I could still combine my work as a teacher with Trooper. Still, this meant that I often had to work very long days. We also put a lot of savings into creating a website but soon, we discovered that you still need more resources than it seems. It was especially during this period that I occasionally thought ‘damn, what have we gotten us into…’.
Not much later, they met Hans Bourlon who believes very hard in the voluntary sector and the story of Trooper. It didn’t take long before he put his back into the concept. This was the opportunity for the Trooper team to grow. Their partnership with KBC, which started in 2019, also allows them to expand even further.
Satisfaction
That Elisabet is an enormously powerful woman with a passion for what she does, soon became clear to us during the conversation. Now that she has been working fulltime for Trooper for four years, she feels the difference that her work makes at the clubs. “I’ve always said I wanted to do something good at work somehow. I want to work hard and I want to make a difference. And with Trooper, you have the perfect mix between the two.”
“It’s a path of trial and error. If something fails, get up and move on to the next one”. According to Elisabet, what she likes so much about her job is that you go home every day with a sense of satisfaction. When she crossed the one million euro mark a while ago, she realized twice as much how significant the work is that Trooper does. “When you hear those different stories from those associations, you feel that it’s enormously valuable. Sometimes, we talk about such small sums of money that can make a world of difference.”
Corona crisis
The arrival of COVID-19 certainly influenced Trooper and its associations. Now that the various organizations can no longer come together, they are losing an enormous amount of income here. Unfortunately, organizing dinner parties or school parties is not yet possible. Also the booking of trips through Trooper is not often done anymore, while this often brings in large amounts of money for the associations.
On the other hand, it is also an opportunity for Trooper. Many more people are starting to buy online and are becoming more and more used to it. In this way, it will be compensated and the corona crisis will have a positive impact on Trooper in the long run.
“Today we are connected to about 6500 associations but in Flanders, there are more than 90,000. Our goal is to be able to make a difference on the annual budget of almost all Flemish and Belgian associations, making it easier for them to realize more dreams,” says Elisabet.
For Oye LENA, Trooper has also been able to mean a lot already. At the moment, our counter stands at more than 1200 euro and all of that thanks to those who make their purchases through Trooper! So with just one click extra, you can give your favorite club a financial boost without having to pay anything extra yourself. What are we waiting for?! Follow the link to our Trooper page or scan the QR-code and start shopping!
Curious about which online shops are connected to Trooper? Here you’ll find a sneak peek!
The world was shaken up this week by a terrible incident in which the US police killed a black man. The story made headlines worldwide and sparked many protests against inequality. It is time to stop discrimination based on skin color, gender, disabilities, and any other form where human differences lead to animosity. In Peru, people also still fight daily against inequality in their society.
George Floyd is a name that is no longer unfamiliar to the world. He is now the symbol of the inequality that is still present worldwide today. It opened our eyes and is calling for change and justice. We are not born with hatred for any particular group. This is caused by society and that is exactly why something has to change now.
Although we don’t always see it, discrimination is still a global problem. Just think of the many countries where people with a different sexual orientation are still considered criminals. People with disabilities are seen as the dirt of the street. Women must live in isolation without opportunities for self-development.
The latter is also a very big problem in Peru. Every day, an enormous amount of women and children are mistreated, abused, and excluded in society. Unfortunately, also our mothers and children of the project are often confronted with domestic violence. Sadly, this has only worsened since the spread of COVID-19. From March 15 until the end of April, 7 female murders, 1,585 cases of violence against women, and 196 rapes were reported across Peru, 114 of which against children and adolescents.
Especially in the poor regions and with the Quechua community, male chauvinism is still very much present. Peruvian men consider themselves the boss and they treat their women as slaves. They are often not allowed to come outside and can only work in the household. They have not been given the opportunity to receive valuable education, which means that the vicious circle continues to run. So it’s time for a change.
It is important that we do not ignore this and take action. How? By recognizing the problem and standing up for ourselves. We must call for equal rights for men and women, and in this way also give women a fair chance for a place in society where they can develop themselves into who they want to be.
Amnesty International has launched a petition demanding that the Peruvian state implement a gender-focused policy to help reduce the vulnerability of women and children. Do you also want to help? Follow the link to sign the petition. Because only together can we make a difference! We must strive for equality as the global standard respected by all.
Although we don’t know for sure when the airports will open their doors again, we can already start dreaming about our next trip, don’t we? To give you a helping hand, we made a bucket list with addresses in Peru that are worth a visit. Are you curious? Then read on!
We will not deny that Machu Picchu, the Rainbowmountains, and the Inca Trail are a must during your trip through Peru. But would you rather be in a quieter setting without all those tourists who ‘bomb’ your holiday photo? Then give these lesser-known but at least as beautiful pearls a chance too!
Choquequirao
At the top of our list is the Choquequirao, Machu Picchu’s little brother. These ancient Inca ruins have the same structure and architecture as the Machu Picchu, but are three times bigger! What are we waiting for?!
2. Chonta Condor viewpoint
Besides the very famous Colca Canyon, there is another place that is at least equally suitable for spotting the Andescondors: Chonta Condor viewpoint. If you would like to see Peru’s largest bird of prey in the flesh without hundreds of tourists accompanying you, this is the place to be!
3. Tambopata
Although most tourists go to the north of Peru to visit the jungle, we recommend giving the Amazon forest in the south of Peru a chance as well. At least, if you don’t want to be overwhelmed by crowds. If you prefer to enjoy the peace, it is best to go to Tambopata. In this beautiful nature reserve you can spot caimans, jaguars, monkeys, and much more.
4. Kinsa Cocha
Over the years, the village of Pisac became a lot more popular. Especially its colorful market and the old ruins attract a lot of tourists. However, there are still some undiscovered places here that are definitely worth a visit. For example, you can make a beautiful trek to Kinsa Cocha, a paradise for those who love mountains and lakes.
5. Salkantay
Another beautiful destination is the lake of Humantay. To achieve this, you follow a relatively heavy trek through the beautiful Salkantay area. Although this trekking attracts many passionate hikers nowadays, it remains the ideal alternative for those who think the Inca-trail is just a little too crowded!
6. Inkilltambo
The citadel of Sacsayhuaman probably sounds familiar to you. This is also the case with the hundreds of tourists that this Inca site receives every day. Fortunately, we know a less-visited but equally beautiful alternative. Inkilltambo, an archaeological site, used to be a ceremonial place of the Incas. The history can still be read in some engraved rocks.
7. Palccoyo
Prefer a nice holiday photo at the Rainbowmountains without thousands of black spots in the background? Then the mountains of Palccoyo are something for you. These mountains look the same as the famous Vinicunca, but this trekking is less heavy and less populated.
8. Cahuachi-pyramides
Although Nazca is mainly known for its impressive geoglyphs and lines in the ground, it has much more to offer. The Cuhuachi pyramids were one of the most important ceremonial centers for the Nazca civilization. With its mummies, artifacts, and historical secrets, this is the place to be.
9. Las pocitas
Las Pocitas is located in Mancora and is Peru’s surfing paradise. The small town is located on the north coast and has the best sandy beach in Peru. With its many cafes and clubs, the nightlife is also worth a visit. Are you ready to party?
10. Chan Chan
The last pearl of Peru that shouldn’t be missing from our bucket list is Chan Chan. This archaeological zone does not originate from the time of the Incas, but from the time of the Chimu. Most of the city was built of clay baked by the sun. Although much of the city was destroyed by the rain, there are still beautiful remnants that you can visit.
Oye LENA 