Educate 120 Girls in Cusco for Economic Survival

Good news from Chicuchas Wasi School 

Incredible CW School Support:
In a recent school assembly for parents, Ruth requested a 'FAENA' (family work day) to cultivate food for the meal program. Mothers responded to the urgent need to harvest the early veggies: lima beans, beets, corn ad peas. Next day the fathers gather to harvest CW potatoes (5 months worth) and store them in the cellar they created. We are all are watching the intense weather changes as torrential rain-hail-drought change quickly and effect crops. Next our parents prepared the earth for the next planting. CW provided a lunch of tasty pasta, when finished the fathers all headed to the kitchen to wash up the plates without a word.

CW's yearly special three-day academic in-service class was donated to CW by a progressive trainer from Lima. The entire team of teachers was energized and enthusiastic to implement the new ideas. for the teaching staff.

Our new Psychologist held a special interactive workshop for CW teachers to best support our girls when domestic issues are a suspected problem.

Problematic Issues 

Covid returned to CW in April infecting 80% of our girls and families, and CW staff all tested positive for Covid. Symptoms were a low fever, cough and sniffles needing only about three days at home thanks to the vaccine. All CW classes resumed as students returned and studies quickly continued without more than a hiccough. 

The Peruvian health department requires CW to report all cases and have all infected covid tested. Ruth was told that this will be the new Covid. The annual vaccines will protect against more serious outcomes. 

Maria School opening was delayed again. 

When Ruth received the final permission letter the end of March that Maria School could begin receiving Maria's first students, Peruvian school classes has been in session for nearly one month. Parent registrations were in February and long past to gain entry. Due to the closed ministry offices during the presidential impeachment-again Maria school missed the boat! Our frustration is beyond expression. We were counting on the tuition income to begin to fund our schools. 

Ruth is the eternal optimist, with me lagging behind her lately. She is out talking to friends and potential Maria parents who were forced to register their children in any school they could find with the political chaos of the moment, so they grabbed what was available. She plans to begin to register parents this June so they can transfer their students to Maria ahead of the July/August semester break. Parents are allowed to transfer their students to our Maria school at that time; we plan to open two classes (Kinder grade and first grade) and be able to pay the two teachers already chosen to open Maria classes.

Please send prayers and DONATE to see us past this final delay and hurdle. Maria school is beautiful and painted in popular modern colors to welcome students. Please DONATE on link:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/

POSITIVE UPDATE

Our local municipal region annually sends a medical team of one MD and three nurses to the CW school to monitor the growth and development of CW girls and to deliver and update immunizations during the annual childhood vaccine program (TB, polio, measles covid and pneumococcus against ovarian cancer) to our girls.

Also the University Dental School again sent students to apply fluoride, make brief oral evaluations and explain to the students how to do good oral hygiene. They demonstrate and helped the younger girls learn how to brush their teeth and gave them a toothbrush.

My N. Hemispheric spring is warm and sunny with rain here and there and the Cusco weather is about the same for now. All classes are in full operation with 100 students averaging 14 per class. The entire CW student body activities are happening outside on our patio, depending on the unpredictable weather lately. We seriously look forward to the patio roof cover that Gulf4Good.org has promised to fund this year with their fundraising adventure challenge to Machu Picchu, open and inviting again. After the long delay due to Covid and Peru's political unrest the last four years, we are grateful that this will still happen. Thank You G4G! 

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE MARIA SCHOOL PLAN: 
Unfortunately, unpredictable delays to enroll NEW MARIA students have raised concerns about securing funds towards the annual budget for the FREE CW school for girls and to pay the start up operation expenses (2 teacher salaries) and utilities depending on how many students transfer to Maria for August.
 
HOW THIS PLAN WILL WORK

First the lower grades will begin to fill with new students. These students will progress up to the next grade level every year. The funds raised from tuition paying students will help us achieve a vibrant co-ed quality primary school and achieve economic independence for years to come.  

PLEASE DONATE

HELP this transition period that has finally arrived to achieve financial independence for CW free education for poor girls for many generations and the new co-ed school Maria plan. Please DONATE below on link:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/

REALITY TODAY

I have five months to raise $78K to fund CW School budget through Dec 2023. Donations are down and a possible funding shortfall to meet the CW budget this year will make us cut more corners. The new school tuition ($7,500 per teacher, per year) should cover the two teachers for the entry students (one semester this year)

Thank you all for standing with us and the CW students as we together climbed over the hurdle of the last three years. We have the best teachers and CW team who have become incredibly empowered women, really impressing us all with their united solidarity to confront the many obstacles that we have had. We expect to achieve the same success at the Maria School. Several CW lead teachers have offered to help start up the Maris School with their leadership skills to prepare our new teachers in our empowerment based style of education.

Maria School business plan to support CW school for girls 

Soon we will generate good income to support the Maria school as well as the Chicuchas Wasi school for girls as it reaches full student enrollment. 

Cusco parents who demand quality private school education for their college bound children, plan to educate them at very competitive foreign and national universities. We really need your donations for this start-up move for longevity success in Peru. This is the perfect business for CW.org as the demand is high here. Covid permanently closed down many private schools that were functioning unregulated in small rented buildings before Covid. The CW Maria school is a beautiful modern and colorful primary school built to deliver quality education and welcomed by the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile please help us keep the CW girls school open. Until the Maria School enrollment is generating enough income, we will still need your support to maintain the Chicuchas Wasi School for girls that we continue to deliver at no charge to our poor families. Please see PIE and donate. Thank you so much for the gift of education for girls. See images of CW Girls school and the new Maria School

Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls says
THANK YOU 
Your continued support makes the difference!

CW's future when the (tuition-based ) 'Maria Tuition School' classes are filled, will be self-supporting. Covid upset our plans to open the Maria school in 2020 due to strict lock-down. We will begin enrolling Maria School's new students ASAP this year 2023.

NOTE: Thank you all for hanging in there with us. We have a little way to go yet but the impact of our work is self evident in the success of our girls...some are at the university today. Please DONATE any amount - it will add up.

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi website

THE FABULOUS Maria School news:

Monday, our Dynamo CW Administrator Ruth (Pictured here) who has been pounding on the Cusco Ministry of Education office door DAILY for several months, finally spoke to the new boss, and to avoid more delays, she drove him and his 4 gov. officials to our Maria school to see how it more than meets the state requirements and must open. He signed the document of Permission to open the school. Official school year opened on March 1, 2023. After 3 years of lock-down for Covid and presidential impeachment and more political strikes and unrest – we can now enroll our first students, albeit a month late this school year. Patience and persistence paid off.
 
NOW (though late) the publicity to attract parents to our private tuition school to best prepare their children for national and international universities. However, once again CW is challenged to leap over new obstacls to register students already 3 weeks past deadline now in other schools. We hope to re-register students in our Tuition-based Maria school. Ruth and team, friends, her family and others who have been calling and asking when? Are busy contacting them parents and hope they will switch to our Maria school.

Political mood today: the military, their rifles and water tanks have left the city of Cusco and people are now allowed to leave their homes for work, shopping and food. Children can calmly go to school. The chaos has calmed down, though no new election is scheduled to elect another President. Peruvian citizens are accustomed to no decent leadership - 6 presidents in 6 years tells this story.

Tourism is the main economic driver of this ancient historic Incan city and there are few tourists in Cusco still. Our long-term CW member, Efrain an active CW board member says that most countries have a travel warning posted on their websites and his tour business has a bare trickle of travelers, but number growing. The shops are open as is Machu Picchu waiting for tourists again.

The Chicuchas Wasi tuition-free school for poor girls reopened March 1. After the last few years studying mostly home school, our 110+ girls are really happy to be back in their classrooms with their friends. The CW Alumnae girls trickle in here and there to talk to their old teachers and admin. and often to receive advice.
 
START-UP FUNDS ARE REALLY NEEDED NOW to pay the 3 teachers (3 grades) to jump start our tuition-based college prep Maria School. As we fill the grades the tuition income will pay the teachers and grow as enrollment does to eventually pay for the operating budget for both, the CW tuition free Girls school and the tuition-based Maria school.         
                         
                  PLEASE DONATE 

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/
 
Gloria Vera is the Maria school Director and has been assist. director under Ruth for 23 years and ready to take on this position. Ruth will be the administrator of both schools and remain Director for the CW girl’s school.

Thank you all for standing with us and the CW students as we together climbed over the hurdles of the last 3 years. We have the best teachers and CW team who have become incredibly empowered women, really impressing us all with their united solidarity to confront the many obstacles that we have had. We expect to achieve the same success at the Maria School. Several CW lead teachers have offered to help start up the Maria School with their leadership skills to prepare our new teachers in our empowerment based style of education.

Please donate to this transition period that has finally arrived. With your financial support we will get this school year off and running to the successful long term academic program ONLY CW provides in Cusco. We will be financially self-sufficient to provide quality longevity education for Cusco children.

Maria School business plan to support CW school for girls 

Soon we will generate good income to support the Maria school as well as the Chicuchas Wasi school for girls as it reaches full student enrollment. 

Cusco parents who demand quality private school education for their college bound children, plan to educate them at very competitive foreign and national universities. We really need your donations for this start-up move for longevity success in Peru. This is the perfect business for CW.org as the demand is high here. Covid permanently closed down many private schools that were functioning unregulated in small rented buildings before Covid. The CW Maria school is a beautiful modern and colorful primary school built to deliver quality education and welcomed by the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile please help us keep the CW girls school open. Until the Maria School enrollment is generating enough income, we will still need your support to maintain the Chicuchas Wasi School for girls that we continue to deliver at no charge to our poor families. Please see PIE and donate. Thank you so much for the gift of education for girls. See images of CW Girls school and the new Maria School

Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls says THANK YOU !!
Your continued support makes the difference!

CW's future when the (tuition-based ) 'Maria Tuition School' classes are filled, will be self-supporting. Covid upset our plans to open the Maria school in 2020 due to strict lock-down. We will begin enrolling Maria School's new students ASAP this year 2023.

NOTE: Thank you all for hanging in there with us. We have a little way to go yet but the impact of our work is self evident in the success of our girls...some are at the university today. 

PLEASE DONATE       
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/
THANK YOU

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi website-over 30 years

 This week, CW has especially good news for you :

 FIRST: All schools just celebrated the opening of the 2023 Peruvian school year. Our CW girls (110-120 now) are happily back in school again, all dressed up their signature red school uniforms.

SECOND: School parents met last week to agree on plans for a little needed TLC, like patching the worn areas on walls of the school with fresh paint; paint individual wooden desks in need of a lift. Our parents organized the work parties and assigned the groups to do the work (see image of father with megaphone), and then got busy. 

THIRD: Our parents manage and are skilled in agriculture and several years ago they cultivated the school grounds to grow the food for the school daily meal program for their daughters. The harvest will take another month and has provided a large harvest for our kitchen in the past.

FORTH: The biggest surprise is that the Ministry of Education is being investigated by Congress for misuse of funds. Several public school buildings will now close for non-use and be repurposed. The 65 desks, chairs, cabinets, teacher desks, and 11 computers must be donated to an approved school. Our 35 year CW member Efrain, is an active board member today, He found all the contacts and helped Ruth acquire all the furniture for our CW org schools. It took 3 large trucks to haul all the furniture to the school, happy happy and smiling all the way. 

In Peru, politics really never takes a vacation.
 Our school bus is busy every am to pick up and after school to return home 110 plus energetic girls to school every day now and away from the protests. The military stroll the streets, mostly empty with small protests around the center of Cusco. Citizens can go to work or buy groceries and turn home. Tourism is quiet - only local tourists from Peru venture to Machu Picchu for now. Government offices are open and employees show up, but do nothing waiting for a new presidental election to happen.

Reality for Ruth and team:
The Maria School has been ready to enroll primary grade boys and girls for more than 2 years. However, 2 yrs of covid at-home school, political strikes and angry protests after the impeachment of a new president, effectively has eliminated a functional Ministry of Education. The renewal of the approved formal  permissions (resubmitted 3 months ago) for Maria are still not signed. Ruth shows up every am at the Min. of Ed hoping to retrieve the signed renewal by the new administrator and is told he is absent-again. Ruth is confident that the will receive this signed renewal and I pray it is so.

Meanwhile Ruth is talking to a list of parents seeking to have their children study at our private tuition-based Maria school asap. Peruvians have had 6 presidents in 6 years, so they understand the political chaos of the moment and why public schools are rated so low - they want their children in a quality private school. You remember that our tuition-based Maria school will financially support both Maria and the CW school for girls for a long successful future going forward and won't be affected by the political hiccoughs.

Normal business in Cusco has been at a standstill since tourism is slow until a new president is elected in Peru. The main economy in Cusco is tourism and therefore the protests and military presence should not last much longer. Our teachers, admin team and students are all safe and have had too much experience navigating the streets safely during a lock-down. The market image shows the market crowd allowed to food shop and Ruth and Gloria are shoping.

                  PLEASE DONATE       
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/                          THANK YOU

THANKS TO YOU - our supporters - we have kept our school for girls functioning during 2022 and now in 2023. All salaries paid, gas in the school bus and the daily hot meal program filling the tummies of our girls. 

Links:

• Official website of ChicuchasWasi covers 32 years

There are so many changes in the air that it is hard to keep track of them all. All schools in Peru are on summer break until March 2023. Students are home, but on gov ordered lock-down.Thank goodness schools on summer break right now. 

Chicuchas Wasi never skips a beat, even in a political crisis like this one. 

Our teachers were already making home visits to see how our students and families were doing when their Pres. Castillo was impeached. They decided to continue to quietly visit their student homes. Teachers helped mothers with paperwork and deepened the connection with families during visit.

Many neighboring countries in political upheaval:
It is no surprise that Peru is in a major political battle currently too. To copy neighbor south American country's dysfunction seems to be contagious. Peru too is in chaos now! This time not Covid, although it is still around and masks are being used in crowds.
Peru's President Castillo arrested:
He was about to fire the corrupt congress when they impeached him and hauled him away in hand cuffs-charged with corruption. His VP was sworn in as temporary President. 
Protests:
The mountain indigenous peasants who elected Castillo have taken to the streets throwing rocks and sticks in protest in their high mountain villages, spreading to the capital Lima and Cusco to gain attention. The armed military are maintaining control, but the situation is violent. Marshal law with serious evening curfew is in effect. Cusco, Puno, Lima and Arequipa airports are mostly closed, though might have an occasional flight.

Please remember the Chicuchas Wasi girls and DONATE to their education.

 https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-120-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/ 

Reality for Ruth and team:
Ruth was able to get the last flight for her daughters to return to the University in Lima and to buy food for her home under the radar and is now staying home. Violence is having an ugly moment with rocks thrown at government buildings. All GOV employees are staying home, so no work is able to be processed. After 5 months of this, CW is still waiting for our signed and stamped documents. They are on some desk somewhere and NOTHING is moving. Upsetting to us, but sadly Peru has had many episodes of political discord over the years -with 5 presidents in 5 years. A new election is what the protestors want and that should happen soon. Better times coming! 

The entire Cusco CW team is safe, our 100+ families are home and using the cell phones again to communicate with their teachers. Ruth and teachers work at home to create the school workbooks for every student subject and grade level to be ready for March 2023 school opening.

Parents managed to go to the school to water their food garden that will be ready for the school lunch in March. Peru suddenly has no rain to water their huge food project so a water tank on wheels was hired. Our garden will again feed our girls.

California effort:
I continue to fundraise here in California - we must keep the CW school on schedule and the Maria school ready to open with the first 2 grades. Ruth is talking to interested parents and spreading the word by phone to stay under the radar until all the documents get signed and in our hands when the Ministry of Ed opens again. It has been 2 years of frustration (The Maria school 2 yr certification document expired during Covid) dealing with strikes, closed Gov. offices and even when open no one is working -a form of protest. I am grateful to our supporters membership and GlobalGiving that we have survived all these ups and downs over 35 years with amazing success for our students.
Thank YOU for supporting education for girls. Many Blessings to us all  

Maria School business plan to support CW school for girls Soon we will generate good income to support the Maria school as well as the Chicuchas Wasi school for girls as it reaches full student enrollment. 

Cusco parents who demand quality private school education for their college bound children, plan to educate them at very competitive foreign and national universities. We really need your donations for this start-up move for longevity success in Peru. This is the perfect business for CW.org as the demand is high here. Covid permanently closed down many private schools that were functioning unregulated in small rented buildings before Covid. The CW Maria school is a beautiful modern and colorful primary school built to deliver quality education and welcomed by the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile please help us keep the CW girls school open. Until the Maria School enrollment is generating enough income, we will still need your support to maintain the Chicuchas Wasi School for girls that we continue to deliver at no charge to our poor families. Please see PIE and donate. Thank you so much for the gift of education for girls. See images of CW Girls school and the new Maria School

Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls says
THANK YOU
Your continued support makes the difference!

CW's future when the (tuition-based ) 'Maria Tuition School' classes are filled, will be self-supporting. Covid upset our plans to open the Maria school in 2020 due to strict lock-down. We will begin enrolling Maria School's new students after Christmas for the new school year 2023.

NOTE: Thank you all for hanging in there with us. We have a little way to go yet but the impact of our work is self evident in the success of our girls...some are at the university today.

Read the CW STORY
"JUMP ON THE LOVE TRAIN"
a fundraiser to EDUCATE GIRLS
WWW.chicuchaswasi.org/book/
100% of the proceeds go to the school
Thank you

Links:

• Official website for Chicuchas Wasi School

Peru's Year-end roller coaster ride ends 2022 school year.                                          

May your holiday season be blessed with joy and love to fill every hearts.

The HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONs line up
After two years of lock-down and home school in Peru, our girls have been so excited to have a real Christmas celebration this year, and to celebrate CW 6th grade student graduating to public high school to end the school 2022 - until yesterday.

Peruvian NATIONAL EMERGENCY - BUT GOV change of plans 
Last week closed schools again. Peru declared a national emergency with lock-down and curfew after the impeachment of the Peruvian President. The protestors who elected him gathered in anger in Andean city streets to demand a new election. The VP was sworn in to office and order was established again with the promise of a new election and more support for the rural poor.

THE HAPPY NEWS wins the day
BUT then a calm window opened up and yesterday our amazing director Ruth quickly gathered all the teachers and students to honor her promise of holiday celebrations and delivered most of the students to the CW school for the promised celebrations and end the year on a happier note.

Traditional Andean Christmas includes

A delicious patio lunch followed by hot chocolate and Pantone sweet bread. The giggles and laughter returned to the our girls as they were given their Christmas gift.

End of school diplomas were handed to every girls moving to the next grade. Final diplomas were given to the graduating 6th grade girls moving on high school. Fifth grade fathers place the honor guard banner on their incoming 5th grade seniors. The CW high school girls will now be added to the CW Alumnae club for follow up mentoring and support.

Please see the photos lined up to show how a happy end to 2022 was experienced at the CW School for Girls in Cusco, Peru.  THANK YOU FOR EDUCATING POOR GIRLS

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all from the CW girls and team.

Please remember the Chicuchas Wasi girls this holiday season 

donate before Dec. 31 for your Tax benefit 

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-110-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/

                   Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls says
                                    THANK YOU 
              Your continued support makes the difference!

Please NOTE: CW's future when the (tuition-based ) 'Maria Tuition School' classes are filled, will be self-supporting. CoVid upset our plans to open the Maria school in 2020 due to strict lock-down. We will begin enrolling Maria School's new students after Christmas for the new school year 2023.

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi website