Read about the latest on our Pictotani Water Project, Xeina Ccallo’s graduation from high school, our volunteer spotlight, Family Night on the Farm Fundraiser + Auction, and our documentary premiere.
GAW-Newsletter-6.3-8.5-x-11Your support makes Casa Chapi possible. Find out how to become part of the family and pledge your support for Casa Chapi here.
A Poem by Fortunato Ramos, Children’s Village Casa Chapi, Second Grade Elementary
My smile is dry and my face is serious, my broad shoulders, my hard muscles, and my hands are broken by the raw cold. I’m only eight years old, but I’m not a child.
Behind my alpacas I walk the mountain, carry my firewood down to my hut to blow the fire to make my rope, AND I DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE A KID.
The years go by and everything is the same. Dried beans with jerky, are my candies, my toy is the sheepdog, I have little time, BUT I AM NOT A CHILD.
My friend and truck is a very slow jogging donkey,
The fox steals my sheep, and I am not able to be a child.
My face is that of an old man and my walk is that of a grandfather, my calluses broken by stones from the hill, my poncho torn by the strong wind, And this tells me that I am not a child.
And there are no wise men? Aren’t there children’s days? I never had the luck to be a child!
Mi sonrisa es seca y mi rostro es serio, mis espaldas anchas, mis músculos duros, mis manos partidas por el crudo frio. Solo ocho años tengo, pero no soy un niño.
Detrás de mis alpacas ando por el cerro. Y carga´u mi leña bajo hasta mi choza, a soplar el fuego a mismiar mi soga, Y NO TENGO TIEMPO PARA SER UN NIÑO.
Los años caminan y todo es lo mismo, moti, sal con charqui son mis caramelos, mi juguete es el perro ovejero, poco tiempo tengo, PERO NO SOY UN NIÑO.
Mi avión de juguete es un pájaro viego, mi camión es un burro de trotar muy lento, mi amigo, es el zorro que roba mis ovejas, y es todo mi consuelo de poder ser un niño.
Mi rostro es de viejo y mi andar de abuelo, mis callos partidos por piedras del cerro, mi poncho rotoso por el fuerte viento. Todo eso me dice, que no soy un niño.
¿Y no hay reyes magos? ¿No hay días del niño? ¡Jamás tue suerte de poder ser un niño!
Our children at Casa Chapi are able to further their education thanks to your generous donations.
The Casa Chapi Family Tree of Giving gives each donor a range of options for expressing their love and support for Casa Chapi. 100% of what you give is spent directly on the operation of Casa Chapi.
To learn more about the Family Tree of Giving, click the link below.
Xeina is a recent high school graduate now moving onto college in Maryland. This is an interview about what the future holds for her.
Q: Now that you have completed high school, what’s next, Xeina?
A: My next steps are for me to go to college, my summer was busy but ready for college. I am either go into medicine to become a surgeon or any other type of doctor or I’ll be going to business. I am not sure yet, but whatever path I take my heart will be with it.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most while in college?
A: Well making friends, study hard to achieve what I want but also have a great experience.
Q: Why is education important for you?
A: Education is important to me because without it you limit your potential to become more than what you think. Also education is important because is this life education is everything and learning new skills.
Q: Do you have any words of encouragement for future college-bound students that may have reservations/hesitations?
A: I am not sure how college is going to be because I haven’t started yet, but trust me that college is not just study, is also the connections you make. The people you meet and the new skills you learn.
Q: Any other comments or remarks for our community at Quechua Benefit?
A: I just want to say thank you for all the people who has followed my journey until today. I am really grateful because if it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be here ready to go to college and give everything of me, study hard, but also enjoy my experience. You guys are part of my life and I hope to make each and everyone of you proud of me. Thank you again!
Inspired by Xeina’s story? Your gift today will help her, and others like her, create opportunities to make an impact in their communities. Click the link below to give the gift of higher education.
Casa Chapi’s open! In-person learning resumed at our primary school campus in Chivay on March 14, and our older students have returned to Arequipa to study.
Also in this issue, read Mike’s tribute to long-time Quechua Benefit friend and supporter Angus McColl and check out upcoming events.
QBNewsletter_v6n2_WEBYour support makes Casa Chapi possible. Find out how to become part of the family and pledge your support for Casa Chapi here.
Our Casa Chapi elementary students are back on the beautiful Casa Chapi campus in Chivay! After two years of remote learning, grades 1-6 resumed in-person classes on March 14! Can you help with a few supplies?
Roof and Facility Maintenance. Revive the thatched roofs on the classrooms, dining hall, chapel, and casitas as well as provide maintenance for the grounds.
School uniforms. Your kids have grown and need new uniforms to start the school year. All students in Peru are required to wear uniforms to school.
Health check-ups and anemia testing. Almost 50% of school-age children in Peru are afflicted with anemia, but with your help that rate drops to less than 10% for Casa Chapi kids. Kids will also have eye exams and general health screening.
Sports Equipment includes soccer and volleyball uniforms, shoes, and balls. In recent interviews, parents commented that Casa Chapi’s sports program is important to their children. Active kids are healthier and happier!
Classroom supplies for each child include pencils, paper, crayons, and notebooks. Your gift goes a long way in helping kids succeed in their studies.
Library Books for each Casita where the children live. High-interest age-appropriate books help kids learn that reading can be fun, which motivates them to read more. Good reading increases school performance, so these books will be a gift that keeps on giving.
Health and Hygiene Kits for each child will help them learn how to care for their personal hygiene and keep themselves healthy.
Ready to lend a hand?
Thank you for your kindness to our kids!
If you ever get the chance to visit the district of Yanque, you may be entranced by the beauty of this authentic village. Pre-Inca ruins scattered throughout Uyo-Uyo Archaeological Park, off the beaten path day hikes that lead to breath taking viewpoints, it’s easy to get entranced at 11, 210 ft above sea level.
Behind the mist of all this beauty lies of the history of Yanque. Much of the population is of indigenous Quechua decent. 56.28% of the population here state Quechua as their first language. In case you were curious, the Quechua language dates back to the Incan Empire.
Quechua is an oral language so much of their history is passed down through traditional fiber handicrafts, spinning various fibers and weaving fabrics for both domestic use and foreign sales. Each community uses their own distinct patterns and anthropomorphic designs.
For Vidal and his family, they see a different Yanque. Vidal is one of six kids in his family. His father was the sole income earner in the family but suffered a traumatic accident and could no longer work. Vidal’s future would have been simple and traditional: drop out of school and start working to support the family financially. As this may seem like a noble route, this perpetuates the cycle of poverty for his family.
Instead, Vidal’s parents made the brave decision to send him to Casa Chapi several years ago.
Thanks to you, our generous Quechua Benefit community, he excelled in his studies during his senior year at Paola Frassinetti High School in Arequipa.
He graduated in December 2021 and hopes to attend university to major in culinary arts and nutrition and become a chef.
“To all the kids at Casa Chapi I would tell them to continue studying, make an effort and be dedicated in every activity they do. For me, education in important because it allows me to have development opportunities such a work and a higher quality of life.”
Vidal, we are so proud of your accomplishments and cannot wait to see what you will cook up in the future.