Category Archives: Aaron Ebner

Coordinating Our Efforts with Local Governments

Throughout the years it has always been a priority to coordinate our efforts with the local governments in the areas we work. In previous years this undertaking has been difficult, but fortunately a new administration was elected in January and we have a serious working relationship with the Lares government. This administration headed by Mayor Urbano Yupanki has put a lot of effort into assisting us and making sure we have the resources we need. In May the mayor dedicated two of his vehicles to help The Becky Fund distribute school supplies throughout the Lares region. During greenhouse construction our group enjoyed the availability of trucks to transport thousands of rocks and even the occasional motorcycle to help me get to remote communities. The mayor of Lares oversees a vast territory with approximately 40,000 people. By road it takes him round trip around 13 hours to reach the furthest communities. The Lares district is the third poorest district in the whole country; there are hundreds of districts in the country. They are under funded, under resourced, under staffed, under educated, and lack capacity. What they lack in resources they make up for in their commitment to improve the lives of the indigenous people who populate the district. They have witnessed the organized, responsible activities carried out by our group of graduate students and they value what we bring to the table. The Andean Alliance and Mayor Urbano signed their first two formal agreements in January of 2011. These two agreements committed both sides to working together to establish two agriculture projects including construction for four greenhouses and the distribution of school supplies to thousands of children. Team Peru’s relationship with the local government is crucial to the success of the projects. Our graduate students have a lot to offer and we can maximize our impact by working together with local leaders. We are only 6 months into our relationship but I envision many years ahead filled with challenges, opportunities and shared success. ~Aaron