Mosqoy 3 News!

I have been spending a lot of time working with Mosqoy 3 students. It has been great getting to know them, their stories, and their families. Sometimes, during the interviews, I hear about heartbreaking stories about alcoholism in the family, difficulty with money, or about the great responsibilities they take on early on in their lives. Other times, I hear about their dreams, their hopes, and funny stories in their lives. It is very scary that a few of them still do not have donors for August. It breaks my heart to think that they might not begin their studies with the other students, after they have been excitedly waiting for that for over a year. Make sure to visit educationgeneration.org and mosqoy.org and see how your small contributions can make a significant difference in the lives of these great young adults.

Every time I’d visit a home, I would be greeted with generous hospitality and delicious food. The other day, we had to sleep over at a student’s house as their village was quite far away and we could not return in time. They made sure we had delicious meals, comfortable beds...and together we played cards into the night.

Together we will also organizing a large community event. On July 3rd, we will be hosting an Ollantaytambo Mosqoy championship in volleyball and soccer. It is great seeing the students step up, take on leadership roles, and bond with each other!

Enjoy some of the photos below!

With Yolanda and her mother in their home. They were so incredibly welcoming. I visited their home at 9 in the morning and after our interview they showed me their crops, their animals, and taught me more about Peruvian food. Yolanda is actually the third student from this family to be in Mosqoy. Ebhert is her in Mosqoy 1, Dina is in Mosqoy 2, and Yolanda is now in Mosqoy 3. They are a great family! Yolanda with her mom in their kitchen.

Elizabeth with her mother and 5 of her 10 siblings (and one cousin)!

With the family of Fiorela and Emy Luz. We visited them for two days. To get to Soqma, their village, we needed to hike for around two hours into the mountain. It was a beautiful hike and some exercise finally!

Fiorela and Emy Luz are incredibly energetic and positive girls. They were giggling the whole time and we had a great time in Soqma!

They also took us to beautiful waterfalls near their village. It was around an hour to hike to them, but the water was stunning. Water always relaxes me.

On the hike back from the waterfalls.

The Graduation Ceremony

I feel really happy. I feel so honoured to have witnessed this. It was the graduation ceremony of the first generation of Mosqoy students- Mosqoy 1. A few words that come to mind when I think of the ceremony are: beautiful, inspiring and proud.

Mosqoy, which means dream in Quechua, has achieved its dream and has fully funded the first generation of students. Nineteen dedicated students have completed the Mosqoy program; have completed three years of studies in Cusco; and have achieved their dreams. Yesterday’s ceremony was a celebration of their hard work and all of the hard work and support of their families and friends.

The event was very unique as it was mostly organized by the students and the families themselves. When we had arrived to Ollantaytambo, we had found out that the families have already been divided into groups, with each group assigned a certain food to make. The decorations of the room were done by Mosqoy 3, while the invitations were made by Mosqoy 2. Everybody from families and friends, to the mayor, professors, and community doctors were invited. We didn’t know what to expect, or how many people will show up, but we were armed with good spirits, positive attitude, and excited expectations.

The graduation event officially started at 3PM, but as with most things here, taking into account the Peruvian time, most of the people (and sound system) showed up around 4PM. The room slowly started filling up with people and quickly the delicious food had filled three large tables. Most of the students (from all of the generations had showed up) and with them were their families. In the end, over a hundred people were at the event, and it was so great to see all of the proud faces- whether it was the ecstatic students or the equally thrilled parents.

The official proceedings began with speeches from Raul (the cofounder), Ashley (director and cofounder) and Jasmine (assistant director). There were beautiful words, some tears shed, and much applause. The whole room was beaming with excitement and pride. I cannot describe how I felt. It was a mixture of joy, inspiration...and...I was just very moved. Each student was called up to the stage and presented with a certificate, a grad package, and a graduating class photo. The unique thing was that not only the students were invited, but the families as well. Together they crossed the stage; they posed for photos; and together they shared the joy. It was a family event. It was a family accomplishment. It was beautiful to see. A few parents took the microphone and thanked Mosqoy, thanked all the volunteers, and thanked all the donors.

I couldn’t help, but hold back a few tears. It was an event in which students and parents from Peru; volunteers in Canada, US, and Peru; and donors from all over the world have came together to celebrate the hard work and the realization of dreams that seemed far away four years ago. It was a remarkable experience and an experience that I will never forget.

Welcome to the Graduation!The students gathering around the thank you letters!
Parents and the really really delicious food.
Elvira, the Mosqoy 1 Student, Casa Mosqoy Leader, and overall awesome person, waves at us!Ashley, Ruben, Jasmine, and Raul await the ceremony!

Posing with Elvira, her mom, and the mayor of Ollantaytambo. The mayor was incredibly supportive of the organization during the ceremony and has even promised some help to Mosqoy from the town!

The students showing off their certificates!!

The presentation of Mosqoy 3 students that start in August. (the other half is on the other side of the stage)
Ashley presenting a present to the Mayor.

The parents (and the food) watch.
The graduating class!!!

Parobamba- A village in the sky

It’s around 5:30 PM. It is already quite dark outside. I am sitting on Alpaca wool which is covering a wooden bench. I am in the family kitchen- a building separate from the house. In the right corner, there is a fire spewing, cooking our dinner for the night. There is very little electricity in the town, and the fire is illuminating the room. In front of it is the mother of the family- wearing a gray skirt, an orange cardigan, and her hair in braids covered by a traditional hat. Over her shoulder, skilfully wrapped in colourful weaving, is her granddaughter. I am talking to the father of the family, and the mayor of the village, about life in Canada and the cultural differences between Canada and Peru. Although with some difficulty on my part, we are having a serious conversation in Spanish. Three young daughters, of their nine children, are running around the kitchen, chasing the many guinea pigs and chickens which are running free. With a quick look outside, I can see the clouds settling below us and around us. I am in Parobamba. A village high in the Andean mountains. A village with stunning surrounding views. A village which regularly touches the clouds. A Peruvian village in the sky.

I cannot believe I am here.

I spent the last four days in Parobamba, teaching English to the kids in the community and learning more about the Quechua culture- the indigenous culture of Peru. It was an unbelievable interesting experience. To get to the village, I set out on a journey at 5 AM from Cusco and arrived around noon to Parobamba. It included many bus transfers and ended with a hike to the village. My way back was exhausting as there were no cars or busses from Parobamba (or anywhere near it), and as a result I had to hike for four hours to the nearest town to take the bus. The first hour of the hike requires the hiker to hike up the mountain and out of the village...which was excruciatingly tiring. The son of the family, who accompanied me, was perfectly fine, while I could not breathe how tired I was. I am going to scapegoat and blame the altitude. And not the fact that I’m also probably out of shape.

During my stay, I taught four classes of English. The first day, walking into the school was incredibly awkward. As I stepped into the school yard, all the kids stopped playing and looked up. Some ran up and surrounded me, while others looked and pointed from afar. As I sat in the classroom, waiting to speak to the teacher, the children crowded around windows, trying to peek in. The initially awkward experience was offset by the eager children who were very excited to learn English. We chanted ‘What is your name?’ together, and laughed at the pronunciation of ‘potato’ together. I explained the concepts of articles and the verb ‘to be’ in Spanish. It was definitely a very memorable experience.

The village was incredibly kind. The father of one of the students invited me for both dinner and breakfast during the weekend, while my host family was incredibly friendly, inviting and made sure I was comfortable during my stay. I saw the beautiful weavings of the village, learned a little Quechua, and played with the children. After one of the classes, I played a game of soccer with the kids- all while stunned that I am on top of a Peruvian mountain, with clouds below me, playing a friendly match of soccer with the kids.

For a few short days, living in a Peruvian village....it was an unforgettable experience. Going to bed at 7:30 PM and waking up at 5:30 AM, the warm hellos, the curious stares, the kind families, the rich culture, the beautiful environment, and the deathly tiring hikes....it was my experience in the village in the sky.

On the hike to the village- the llamas walking off into the clouds.

More llamas!!

You could not hear a single thing here. It was complete silence. I haven´t experiencedthat for years.

The clouds above the mountains.

After one of the English classes.

The chicken overlooks the village.

The last morning. The clouds settle over the valley which Parobamba looks over.

In Cusco for a Week!

I’m a little late with this blog...but here it is! Ashley, Jasmine, and I went to Cusco last week with an agenda to finish a lot of administrative stuff and make over the new Casa Mosqoy. The week ended up being full of meetings, planning, and, of course, some Extreme Makover: Home Edition Casa Mosqoy decorating (Extreme Makeover people, if you are reading...we wouldn’t mind a new, decked out Casa Mosqoy! Gracias!

I love Cusco and it was great being back in the city. I had the chance to visit Fairplay again, hang out with Cusco friends, and enjoy the city. Living in the house with Mosqoy 1 and Mosqoy 2 students finally gave me the chance to hang out and get to know them more. They’re all around my age, mature, and friendly. One of the nights, we took them out to a Cinema Cafe and watched “Stranger Than Fiction”!

One of the main missions of the week in Cusco was to fix up and decorate the new Casa Mosqoy. Casa Mosqoy is a house in which the Mosqoy students live in during their studies in Cusco. As most of them are from Ollantaytambo and the surroundings villages, they do not have a place or the money to live in Cusco. Casa Mosqoy is part of the Mosqoy program and scholarship, where all the generations of Mosqoy live together in Cusco. They had just moved to a new and bigger house, and there are still plenty of things to fix up and, of course, decorate! Unfortunately, this also includes tedious landlord negotiations about water, rooms, etc (which isn’t too easy in Peru)...but also includes the more fun aspect- like all the supplies and decorations shopping.

We dedicated one day to getting all the kitchen, house, and cleaning supplies, along with posters, poster paper, and many other things. We began decorating the common room when I had left for Parobamba, and the rest was up to Jasmine, Ashley, and the students! I’m excited to see the final product.

Enjoy some photos below! (Note: They are very distorted and it is driving me crazy! But blogger and this net cafe are not being very cooperative!)

Morning meeting with the beautiful catherdral as our window backdrop.

We found a great cafe in Cusco with free wireless internet. Ashley is working away, while the coca tea is my trusty companion.

The streets are closed for the many fiestas happening in Cusco in June. Perfect time for a tourist shot!

Shopping with the students for house supplies.

Ebhert showing of our newly decorated ´English Wall´in the common room. We had a class afterwards!

Interviews, Plans, Meetings in PERU

Work is well underway currently and we have been busy planning, organizing, and meeting with students!

I have finally begun my interviews with the students and it is definitely a remarkable experience. The interviews are also completely in Spanish, and it is a complete thrill to conduct a full 30 minute interview in a foreign language!! The interviews are done with the intention to get to know the students more, hear their stories, their fears and hopes, challenges and triumphs...This material is very valuable because we get to know the students, we are able to let their sponsors get to know them better, but we are also able to convey their stories to the world at large. In the developed world it is so easy to get caught up in our lives, in our comfort (and hot water... which I dearly miss) and to not even realize what is going on in other parts of the world. These interviews, and these student stories, will hopefully paint the pictures of their lives, the images which many of us are unfamiliar with... and inspire us to help. The interview material will be used for projects after the fellowship, but to keep all of you in the know, I will be posting shortened and rough transcripts of each interview on the blog! It’s a little hectic right now, but I will catch up on the interview posting next week!

I had two wonderful interviews in the past week that left me smiling for hours afterwards. I can’t wait to share their stories with everybody!

Meanwhile, enjoy some of the photos below:

Lisbeth, a student I interviewed, and her brother in front of their home.

Running after buses trying to catch one to Cusco.

Hiking around the Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo.

On Sunday, we held a large Mosqoy meeting. All of the Mosqoy generations (1 through 3) were invited, as well as their parents. It was actually quite great as the meeting itself was organized by Mosqoy 1 students, Elvira and Ebhert. The intent of the Mosqoy program is to educate and create leaders in the community, so it’s always fantastic to see that the students are being proactive. We talked about the upcoming Mosqoy 1 graduation ceremony, administrative things, and addressing any questions and concerns that the parents had. It’s interesting to see to what degree the whole family is involved. This program not only gives hope to the student, but to the family as well. Everybody is involved and hopes that the promised education occurs.

Our fearless leader Ashley leading the way in a quiet afternoon hike through Ollantaytambo.

Overlooking Ollantaytambo and the Inca ruins in the back.

The Inspiring Students

Today we held the first meeting for Mosqoy 3. Mosqoy 3 is the third generation of Mosqoy students, one that will hopefully begin their studies in Cusco in August. It is not yet guaranteed that they will begin in August, as not all sponsors have been found.

Today´s meeting made all our work more real. It also made me realize the emotional roller coaster that this experience will be. I can hear thousands of blurbs about the students, read thousands of reports about why it would be beneficial to sponsor students...but nothing compares to seeing their faces, learning about them, and hearing the worry and hope in their voices as they talk about their future.

The meeting was short and informal. We had wanted to let them know of a few things and make sure that they are all aware that we have a big meeting on Sunday (with all the Mosqoy generations). It is very funny how these meetings are organized here- something like this would never work in Canada. It is all by word of mouth as not all students have emails and phone numbers. We had let the word spread that we had arrived to Ollantaytambo and would like to meet, and incredibly most of the students showed up on Wednesday morning.

In order for all the donors and world at large to hear the words of the students, I will be conducting interviews with all of their Mosqoy 3 students and documenting their stories. Today, we had booked the interviews and I begin my interviews (in Spanish!!! Slightly nervous about this) tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to this as these students have very interesting stories to share. Just in the short meeting today, I was so inspired both to help them and be better in my own life...as their anticipation, worry, and clear hope to help their communities and improve their lives through their own education and personal development was so raw and real. Sometimes, that rawness gets lost in our own lives.

Another very significant moment occured today while I was practicing English with one of the Mosqoy 3 students. We were playing around on Google Earth and he was wondering what my house had looked like. I had located my home and he looked at it a little bit. Finally, he started pointing to the different areas of my house and longingly said how one day he hopes his home has roofs like mine, and how he hopes his home has windows like mine as well. I don´t know how exactly to describe what I felt after that- I guess ´sad´kind of works. I was confused. I felt unfairly privileged. I felt like I needed to help. I felt like I CAN help. I felt like I could be more thankful, more aware, more ...

Mosqoy 3 meeting

The Fiesta That Never Ends

I am experiencing, feeling, seeing, and doing things that I have never done before in my life. This trip to Peru and this fellowship have both been incredible experiences...ones that I could not have prepared for before.

Fiesta Choquekillka has finally wrapped up which means that my earplugs can be put to rest. I no longer have to listen to the music every night until 5 AM. But this also means that the grand fiesta is now over. I can best describe the feelings of the town as something similar to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. To those that were not there, I am referring to the spirit that encompassed the whole town. But this description does not do the Ollantaytambo festival justice. As I mentioned before, the WHOLE town shuts down. Stores are closed, hostels have their doors locked, and there is not a restaurant open in town.

Perhaps the most amazing part of the festival was the accepting and friendly nature of all the locals. We would watch and say hello to our students who were keen to take us into their dances and introduce us to their friends. We would often times join the group by the name of Qhapaq Negro to which Raul, the co-founder and co-director of Mosqoy, belonged to. Offers of food and beer could never be refused, and the dancers always made sure we were welcome, dancing, and were well fed. The last night of the festival, there is always a huge procession from the church to the center (where an all night rock concert occurs after). Each group dances along the way showing off, for the last time, their proud steps. Ashley, Jasmine, and I were quickly swept up in the dances, given their heavy hats (which included jewels, sequins, and ... lots more) and we danced the procession away. It was incredible. Along the way, we managed to scoop up a TV reporter, dress her up in the costumes, and dance along the cobblestone streets with our very own marching band behind us.

The whole time I was laughing...in disbelief at the beauty of life, and realizing that it is the relationships in one´s life that make a person happy.

Ebhert, Mosqoy 1 student, and star of the festival!

Dina and Yolanda, sisters and Mosqoy 2 and Mosqoy 3 students.

Ashley, Jasmine, and I with Mosqoy students and festival dancers. I love this photo. The students are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and nice.

Ashley joined in on the dances. Jasmine and I did as well, but unfortunately there is no photographic evidence of this. Needless to say, I looked very tall.

The many props we had tried out.