Educate 120 Girls in Cusco for Economic Survival

Happy New Year 2015
                                          - By Rae Lewis, Founder & President

This is the time of year when some people make a New Year's resolution. Some of us make a the resolution and keep it and some make one, then promptly forget it. Others don't bother, knowing they won't keep it. I am one of the latter. 

When I reflect on another year coming to an end, I find this process takes me further back to 1987 when CW began and my life changed. I honestly had no idea how deep my commitment actually was or where it might lead. A catalyst yes, but it takes more than planting a seed to harvest an abundant crop. Many people like you came forward to help.YOU joined a growing army of kind, generous and thoughtful individuals who gave time, money and energy to help CW grow and have the incredible life-changing effect on the girls we serve today. Ruth joined in1998 and together we made observations and saw the changes that were needed. By 1996 we had learned that uneducated girls only could look forward to a live of misery and too many babies they could not feed. Decided by 1997, we founded the CW school for girls, though it is Ruth who is the educator and creator of the school.

Both Ruth and my thoughts have never been very far from CW for 27 years, so there must be an annual resolution in there somewhere, and we both keep our focus on CW even if not identified as a New Years resolution. What about you?

Chicuchas Wasi wishes for us all a 2015 with global peace, health, joy, and shared love for everyone. It is possible. Everything is possible.

As we leave the festivities of the holidays, we in the USA (and other countries surely) move into that dreaded time, called TAX TIME - time to pay our annual taxes.Please remember CW offers a 100% tax exemption for all donations made before midnight December 31, 2014. You can take the sting out of tax time knowing that you donate to a cause you trust and know that 99% of your donation will go directly to the school girls.

Our students wish to thank YOU for their 8 years of CW education. They are moving on in 2105 from 6th grade to public high school. Once again, our girls are ready and will make us all proud of their achievements, and I promise I will share them with you as they come up next year. YOUR donations gave them 8 years of a special school created and designed for them. Please click to see their video for you.                                                                                                  THANK YOU

The CW school is closed for the summer, but before we ended the school year we had our Christmas party and we watched with mixed emotion as we sent off our 10 sixth grade graduates to public high school. We will miss these cheerful and hard working girls around the school next March when school begins for 2015. However, we know they will be moving on with confidence and academic readiness.       GO Chicuchas Wasi Girls!

By now you all know that Efrain Valles is not only an active board member of the school, but a 27 year member of the CW family having joined as a child. Efrain gave a moving graduation speech to the girls, full of hope and encouragement for their futures. He reminded them that they are well prepared young women, ready to leave the protective arms of CW and move into the reality of Cusco public school, and they will do well. We expect to have frequent visits from these girls next year to tell us of their experiences and challenges - their faces nodded in smiling agreement. In the last photo the students are lined up, Efrain, Ruth and the teachers behind them. See photos below. Girls thank you video for you.

  May I present the 2014 - SECOND graduation class of the CW school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBJu_mIPyw&list=UUho5ACEfAjwPlB1vr0du6RQ

                             Give the Gift of education for girls 

“When we liberate girls with an education, they liberate those around them."

CW School celebrated a joyful Christmas party full of laughter, smiling happy faces, a gift of a large angel for every girl and a traditional 'chocolatada' (hot chocolate and panetone bread) You can see some parents came to watch the fun their daughters were having. We try to make this a happy celebration of our girls all together, so a positive school image to remember during the long 3 months that school will be closed. 

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi website