Meet the Girls

Having finally managed to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together, we bring to you photos and mini bios of the newest additions to the dormitory! Just as we did in our first year, the girls wrote their own biographies (though somewhat hesitantly), and we translated them as best we could. Of course, as the school year did commence in March, our deepest apologies for having taken an astonishing seven months to get this post out to you all.

Special thanks to Anna Fawcus of the Peruvian Times for the photos and to Elizabeth Levitan for the translations! And to the rest of you, thank you for your patience, and do enjoy meeting our second class of students!

Elizabeth Sueldo Huillca

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Elizabeth Sueldo Huillca. I am from the community of Rayan and I am 14 years old. I like to play cards and I like to study science. My favorite food is fried trout and I like to listen to the music of Aguilas de America. I would like to visit Lima. In my free time I help my mother cook.

Anita Cansines Espinoza

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Anita Cansines Espinoza. I am from the community of Pilcabamba and I am 15 years old. In my free time I like to wash clothes and study English. I also like roasted chicken, and I like to listen to Huayno music. I would like to visit the United States. When I grow up I would like to study to be a tour guide and a singer.

Maribel Ccasa Carbajal

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Maribel Ccasa Carbajal and I am 13 years old. I am from Markuray. I like to play volleyball and to study communication. My favorite food is locro de zapallo. My favorite musician is Marilyn. Some day I would like to visit Cusco.

Vicentina Calizaya Yupanqui

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Vicentina Calizaya Yupanqui. I am 13 years old. I am from the community of Ttastayoq. I like to help my mother cook. My favorite food is fish. I like the music of Illari and Sonia Morales. I like to play volleyball, draw and knit scarves. One day I would like to visit Bolivia. My favorite classes are Quechua and ‘Individual & Family’.

Silvia Huanaco Surco

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Silvia Huanaco Surco and I am 14 years old. My favorite food is chilcano de ceviche and my favorite music is Macano, or anything reggaeton. When I go home I help my mom cook. I like to play volleyball and soccer. When I graduate from high school I would like to be a singer and dancer. When I am alone, I don’t feel like playing. One day, I would like to visit Bolivia.

Cliset Cuba Piñares

© Peruvian Times/Anna Fawcus 2011

My name is Cliset Cuba Piñares. I am from Ocobamba and I am 13 years old. I like to play volleyball. I would like to study to be an obstetrician or a singer. My favorite foods are ceviche and chilcano. My favorite music is Yobana Jamk’o, I also like reggaeton, salsa and cumbia. I would like to visit Machu Picchu, Chile and the United States. I like to watch soap operas like Escalera al Cielo. When I am alone in my house I like to listen to music.

-Bianca

Blogging from Lima

We’ve been seriously lagging behind in our blogging responsibilities. And for that, I (we) apologize. This lag is in no way owing to a dearth of happenings, stories and advancements. In fact, the relationship has been an inverse one: the busier we are at the dormitory, the less productive we are in the sphere of the blogging world. But enough excuses already! Let’s try to bring you all up to date.

The year has been absolutely phenomenal so far. Our new program director, Elena, hopped on a plane from Ohio to Peru and joined the crew in March. Having worked for a similar project in Nicaragua, her experience, forethought and proactive nature have proven to be a huge asset to the program. Thanks to her, our educational program has advanced greatly (she’s implemented a more targeted tutorial strategy led by several professors and has developed systems to monitor and track the advancement of each student, just to name a few), and with every passing day, we make strides towards our long-term academic objectives. Elena, of course, is quite well spoken, and well written should I add. She promises to give you all an example of her astute abilities via blog… maybe one of these days you will be hear from her directly!

Currently, I myself am in Lima, and though I am thrilled to be in a new environment of contemporary happenings, steady gray skies, family and endless traffic, I would much rather be back in Ollantaytambo with the students of the dormitory. Especially as we find ourselves in a moment replete with activities and happenings.

I am particularly excited for the arrival of the spring (fall for some of you) season that will be marked by the arrival of a slew of long-term volunteers. This September and October alone we will be welcoming volunteers John, Alicia, Ana, Cheryl & Caroline. I would divulge on how these philanthropic individuals will be aiding the dormitory, but I will let suspense build and promise to write about their work and contributions in greater length in the months to come.

One last thing I’d like to mention in this hardly brief, but much needed blog update. You all have not had the chance to be formally introduced to the six new students of the dormitory. Long overdue, indeed, but I promise to have their pictures and individually written bios available in the near to not so distant future!

Thank you all for your continued support and dedication to the program. If you would like to join our newsletter, you can sign up via our website. Also, make sure to keep up with the daily happenings of the dormitory & the state of affairs in Peru via our Facebook & Twitter!

Website: http://sacredvalleyproject.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sacredvalleyproject
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sacredvalleyorg

Wishing everyone a lovely end to the summer (or winter!),

Bianca

Year Two: Inaugurated

On Sunday, 20th of March, the Sacred Valley Project celebrated the start of its' second operational year and inauguration of our new dormitory building. This 2011 school year, with twelve students and twelve families, management will surely be a tricky issue. However, the families and students alike have impressed us with their promptness, dedication and responsibility. Everyone showed up early Sunday morning to pitch in with all the to dos before the start of our inauguration. Furniture was rearranged, our lavish inauguration meal was prepared and some last minute renovations of the new home were completed.

Though not as extravagant as our first year’s opening fete, the day was a veritable success. The young women were calm and helpful, the mothers worked wonderfully together to prepare our lunch, and even the weather cooperated. The clouds cleared, the sun shone through, and we were all left in awe of the spectacular scenery surrounding the dormitory and town of Ollantaytambo.

Helping out in the kitchen, I was given the chance, nay the privilege to learn how to clean and cook the cuyes (guinea pigs), a special treat usually reserved for large celebrations and special events. Though a bit doubtful at first, I soon learned how to season the perfect cuy, and the mother’s of the young women of the dorm now avow that I am ready to meet my husband! Indeed!

In all, the mothers and sisters pitched in to make a delectable meal of cuy, rocoto relleno (hot peppers stuffed with ground beef and vegetables), tallarin al horno (baked pasta with olives) and choclo (good ‘ole corn). The meal was enjoyed by absolutely everyone, even the newer additions to the dormitory (a puppy named Osito and our boisterous watchdog, Doky).

As with all great inaugurations in Peru, chicha was present for the thirsty, plenty of hugs and complimentary words were shared, speeches were made and our stomachs were filled until they nearly burst. The students of the dormitory sang a few songs for those in attendance, and Yesica, one of our second year students even donned a dress and courageously sang a solo for the crowd in attendance. The occasion was merry indeed, and left me on the verge of tears.

Another year to come, and though it will surely entail a slew of work, we have no doubt that with the positive collaboration of the students and their families we will be able to advance and grow!

-Bianca

City Lights

As the end of the first school year approaches, there’s naturally been a great emphasis on after school tutorials and late night study sessions. Nonetheless, we managed to sneak in a formality that neither school nor dormitory could possibly deny its students: an end of the year field trip. Last week, the girls, Maura, Alex, Eli and I hopped into a minivan and made our way out to Cusco.

Many of the girls had never been to Cusco, and for those that had, it had been years if not a lifetime since their last visit. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Cusco itself was a thrill. The girls marveled at the distinct landscapes, gawked at high altitude lakes, admired other families’ livestock and guessed at the names of passing towns.

Our arrival into one of the largest cities in Peru was both intimidating and awe inspiring for the young ladies. After a hearty menu of chicharonnes, beans, chicha morada and flan, we headed out to the Incan fortress of Sacsayhuaman which presides over the city of Cusco.

The girls had never been to the ruins, and after a brief lesson in the history of the site, they set off to chase alpacas, navigate pitch black caves and explore the massive Incan stonework. Of course, as with most adolescents (and some of us adults), the favored activity soon became gliding down the ‘Incan slides’ of Sacsayhuaman. While I doubt that the smooth rock formations were originally used as slides by the Incas, more recent generations have taken to smoothing the surfaces via continual use. For three quarters of an hour or so, we too did our part to continue the wearing process.

Once our Sacsayhuaman escapades were done and over with, we explored the city of Cusco by foot, passing through old Incan roadways and colonial squares. As the day drew to an end we made our way to Maura’s house so that the girls might meet her family. It was a truly special occasion, though a bit awkward at first. Maura’s son shared some hilarious videos of street mimes and acrobats with us while we slurped up delectable mugs of hot chocolate.

Finally, though some of the girls were nodding off and others vehemently refusing to budge from the couch, we managed to load everyone back into the minivan and head back to Ollantaytambo.

Every time I leave Cusco at twilight, I marvel at the beauty of the radiant lights of a city encircled by barren mountains. As we snaked our way out of the city, the girls themselves gasped at the impressive sight, and Nohemi made apparent exactly what they, if not I, were all thinking. ‘Pobre planeta’ she mused. Poor planet. Though it took me back a second, I couldn’t help but to marvel at how insightful a comment and how indicative of our distinct backgrounds.

-Bianca

Party Time!

It was Bianca’s birthday on Monday (Happy Birthday!) and we had a party at the dorm. Maura cooked up some fried trout, choclo (big corn), chicken noodle soup and salad. Yum! Shiva, our all-star volunteer and art teacher from earlier in the year, returned to Ollanta from her travels in time to make a chocolate cake. Double yum! The girls were super excited. When I arrived, they were busy converting Yesica and Nohemi’s room into a party den, complete with balloons and toilet paper taper. It looked great.



After blowing out the candles they pushed Bianca’s head into the cake, a Peruvian tradition. This turned into an all out food fight, not a Peruvian tradition. There was chocolate everywhere. Clothes got dirty, but there were no casualties.


After dinner we danced Huayno. It’s a traditional Andean dance in which you hold hands in a circle and stomp the ground as hard and as fast as possible. Fun was had by all. I’m proud to report that none of our girls are wallflowers.

I can sense the end of the year approaching. Our next party will be with the families, a celebration of our first year of existence. I remember our first party. Everything was so new. Some of the girls were meeting each other for the first time. We told them that this strange building would become a home – and it has. Watching this community grow this past year, and having the chance to be a part of it, has been a pleasure. This next party will be better than the first. This time, it will be full of friends and people I truly care for and love. I can’t wait!

-Eli

Our New Spot

El Devino Maestro, once Ollantaytambo’s only private school, is now abandoned. Along the river, its empty classrooms look out onto magnificent ruins. Two buildings surround a walled in courtyard that is still half covered in grass. On the walls are painted cartoon characters, faded from time. The roofs have holes in them and there is garbage strewn about. Someone is letting her chickens roam the grounds. The static space is begging to be filled with laughing kids. It’s the future home of the Sacred Valley Project.



This is definitely an upgrade. Our present dwellings, though spacious, can get claustrophobic with no outdoor space. When the sun is out it’s always a good ten degrees colder inside than it is out. Our contract for the new space, like the old one, came out of our close relationship with the Comunidad Campesina de Ollantaytambo, who owns both of the buildings and many more properties in the area. Our rent will double, but that only means it will be 200 soles (about US$70). We get the school cheap, because they like what we’re doing. It needs a lot of work, but when it’s ready it will be big enough to house the dorm for the foreseeable future. Next year, with an incoming class of six, twelve students will have space to spare. In the years to come, it will fill with each new class until there are thirty, four years from now.

This year, our first, is almost over. School ends in mid December. The final stretch has arrived. The time for year’s end reflection is almost here, but not yet, for there is still work to be done. Maura, our housemother, has begun cooking, an arrangement that works much better than getting our food from an outside source. Alex is back in The States, leading our ever-expanding web of members on a drive to raise the funds needed to fix up the school. This October, he is hosting a fund raising event in Montclair that I’ll be sore to miss. Bianca has been working feverishly on our website and still manages to spend much of her time at the dorm, where her guidance and math comprehension are still very much needed. I’ve been teaching a computation course on two computers that an American high school student generously donated. The girls like it because, well, typing games are fun. I like it because it’s a tangible skill that I think will increase options for them later on in life.

So, with the new contract singed, we are working as hard as ever, with the help all those who have made this project their own. And that’s all I have to say.

On Returning, Long Hikes and Inhospitable Territories

So, clearly there’s been quite a lull in our postings, and what’s more, at a time in which so much has transpired. I won’t attempt to recap the last two months. Truly it would be impossible. That, and I was inconveniently absent for most of it.

My summer constituted navigating a frontier lake, escorting travelers to frigid and inhospitable emergency rooms, climbing to dizzying heights and learning and performing new dances with four minutes warning.

It was a whirlwind tour, and in many ways, coming back to Ollantaytambo and to the young women of the dorm has been a greater change than I could have imagined. Everything has stopped, slowed down, a transition that at first I felt hesitant of, but which now fills me with daunt and excitement.

The girls and Maura are phenomenal and have been thriving throughout the last 2 months. A generous Rustic student from the past year made a trip down to Peru this last June to donate several computers, and Rustic students from this 2010 season collaborated, and gave the dorm the gift of Internet. The girls, of course, thrilled. Aside from our newest class, computation, which they absolutely adore, trying to pry them away from practicing their typing and surfing the web is a wearying chore in itself.

As before mentioned, there are so many things that I could note in this blog, But I should choose some direction, a daunting task, and stick to one theme.

Last weekend, Alex, Edwin (our Quechua translator) and I took off on a three-day trek with the purpose of introducing our project to certain distant communities, and continuing the search for prospective students for the upcoming 2011 year. I say continuing, because the selection process and needs assessment profiles were established by Joe and Christie this past summer. Our hike began Friday morning, circa 9:30am, out of the community of Camicancha. We made our way up a dramatic and breath-taking canyon towards the community of Angascocha. A grueling hike, with a fair vertical ascent in which I painfully learned that my pride can easily be conquered by harrowing hikes. But despite a mild urge to die, I made it to Angascocha; we made it to Angascocha, by the early afternoon. Since coming back from our trek, I have described the community of Angascocha as a harsh and barren land, likened it to being in another world, the moon per say, an inhospitable and abrasive territory.



The primary school, alone in the midst of a monotonous pampa, only benefits seven children. As we quickly found out, the people of Angascocha themselves were all eerily missing, and one individual noted that most families were migrating towards the larger and more fertile communities of Camicancha and Chillca. In all, we found no prospective students, and the few girls we came across, sheep herding, couldn’t have been more than 8 years old.



Our second day took the three of us over the 4600m pass of Wayaray. A beautiful lagoon lay beneath the snowcapped range, and I quickly found respite and relief from the delicious waters of a glacier runoff. After a much needed siesta at the pass, we set off down towards the community of Qhesqa. My first impression upon arrival was that their houses reminded me ever so slightly of Smurf homes. At any rate, the town of Qhesqa resides a few hours off the infamous Inca Trail, and is comprised of a great deal more families than Angascocha. We set off on our rounds, visiting families previously profiled by Joe and Christie, and meeting some new families and students along the way. I found the process of talking to the parents indirectly via translator to be a bit unnerving, and in all, I didn’t find our outreach to be the most successful. But it was something, and the following day managed to make me feel as though the trip was a success and served it’s purpose.



So, without further adieu, on to the next day. The following day, we were fortunate to be included in a reunion of all the families within Qhesqa. First we met with the President of Qhesqa, a modest and quiet man, explaining to him who we were, why we were there, and talking openly about the families and individuals whom would most benefit from our project. At the meeting itself, we were introduced to the community by the President, after which Alex gave an eloquent and apt speech explaining concisely who we are and what our project is dedicated to. I was fairly proud of Alex and of the positive headway we had started to make in this town and region.



In all, it was a gratifying three-day hike, with purpose. We scurried back along the Inca trail towards Km 82, jumped in a taxi, cruised into Ollanta, ate a delicious chicken and slept. For the upcoming weekend we’re thinking of taking another hike out to the communities of Pilkabamba and Marcuray. I look forward to it tremendously.

-Bianca