Team Peru’s first site visit, on the way to Tiracancha. Photo credit Caitlin Casey
We have spent a good chunk of the first half of the summer traveling around to different towns (as Monica noted in her post below) posing some very pointed questions to leaders of various NGOs. Now that we’ve had time to aggregate a good amount of variety in our interviews, some overarching themes have evolved from the woodwork. The vast majority of individuals we’ve spoken with have said that the most significant benefit of a network is information sharing. They want to know about other organizations, where they’re working, and how they’re doing it. Furthermore, they want a reliable, simple, user-friendly platform where this information will be accessible.
To that end, we recently reevaluated our approach to the project for the remainder of the summer. Rather than continue spending the next few weeks gathering information from our survey, we will now turn to the planning and implementation phase of the project. In one of our meetings this week, we identified six key areas for which we want to design functioning frameworks; from there we will proceed with the planning process and establish a more tangible schedule for the network in the coming months. Our six identified areas are: 1) forum discussions, 2) a newsletter, 3) site visits, 4) workshops, 5) conferences, and 6) social events. We feel that by prioritizing these areas we will address organizations’ interest in information sharing, and will also move toward providing more substantial benefits for network participants. To address the desire for a platform for information sharing, we also plan on strengthening the NING site to facilitate informal (and private) information sharing among organizations, and hope to launch a public website for the network by the end of the summer. ~Nadine Custis
Posted in BLOG ,NGO Network ,Team Peru Reports Tagged: collaboration, information sharing, network, NGO, NGO Network, Peru, summer, tiricancha July 30, 2012
In choosing to begin a graduate program in International Development, I felt particularly drawn to the Monterey Institute of International Studies due to the special emphasis placed on language. For a while now, I’ve sensed this growing desire to use my Spanish professionally and in a way that would satisfy some need for an organization, group of people or individual.
Recently, I met a huge professional milestone with regard to this. In making our first summer venture to Choquecancha in the highlands of Peru, I had my first ever opportunity to translate professionally while serving as the Women’s Social Enterprise Team’s spokesperson and translator. Together with one of the community members who translated from Quechua into Spanish, we communicated between a group of indigenous women from the highlands of Peru and a group of graduate students from Monterey, CA. These two groups – representing two radically different worldviews, perspectives, and skill sets – sat together and talked about the immediate future of the INKAcase project as the new team of graduate students and the group of indigenous women connected around this project.
I felt honored to have been trusted to be at the center of this communication stream and to have facilitated this important meeting. Since that trip, we have made another trip to Choquecancha and conducted various other meetings in which I have had similar opportunities to facilitate communication. I cannot express my excitement in having had these opportunities to utilize this skill professionally, especially for such an important project! ~Katie Holmberg
Posted in BLOG ,Community Health Team ,Uncategorized Tagged: Choquecancha, development, milestone, Peru, profesional development, professional, professional growth, professional skill, Quechua, Social Enterprise, Spanish, Team Peru, textiles, translation, translator, weaving, women weavers, women's empowerment July 19, 2012
Over the past several weeks I’ve had the chance to do some traveling, sight-seeing, and exploring throughout the Sacred Valley during my off days. Being the history nerd I am, this has consisted of a fair amount of ruins, museums, and other cultural events (thanks particularly to my bolleto touristico).
We’ve been in the right place at the right time for huge celebrations at nearly all the sites visited; the anniversary of Calca, the celebration of Inti Raymi (an Incan celebration to the sun god) while in Cusco, and the anniversary of the “discovery” of Machu Picchu, just to name a few.
My favorite places have to be the ruins, though we’ve decided that is a derogatory term since they are magnificent and in much better condition than our buildings will be in a millennium. I don’t think I will ever get bored exploring these complex cities built into mountains with precision that today’s technology has trouble matching.
I love to take photos like these, framed through a doorway or window. They exponentially increase my sense of awe and wonder when I think that a thousand years ago someone woke up every morning to start their day and had such a spectacular view. Every time I did though, there was a bit of envy and jealousness thinking about how lucky they were, wondering if they appreciated it. After my fourth straight day of exploring these cities though, I realized I’m that lucky bastard…
~Chris Miller
Posted in Team Peru Reports Tagged: immersive learning, Inca, Inca ruins, Peru, ruins, Sacred Valley, Team Peru, travel July 13, 2012
Continuing from the work that January’s Team Peru students completed for the NGO Network, Katie, Caitlin, Nadine, and I have immersed ourselves in this ongoing, multilayered project. After a year of network events, conferences, and dialogue, our mission this summer is to determine the next tangible step for the Sacred Valley Network. Traveling to Cuzco, Lamay, Urubamba and Ollyantantambo, we’ve asked organizations probing questions about the value of the network and how they envision it in the future. The NGO Network project, in my opinion, may be the most challenging and ambiguous project that AASD has taken on. The main question this summer will be how do we continue creating incentive for non-profits and local organizations to meet, network, and partner together – a concept taken for granted in the U.S. but which seems to play a smaller role in organizations here.
It’s amazing to think we are halfway through our stint this summer; after weeks of surveying organizations spread throughout the Valley, we are creating an action plan for the rest of the year, if not for the next couple years. We’re excited to expand on our online platform and different methods of social media, and we’re getting down to the nitty gritty of outlining and planning workshops, site visits, and social events that appeal to a broad range of organizations. AASD has tackled an important problem in addressing the efficiency of NGOs and non-profits working in this area. Whether it’s through alliances and partnering, or merely sharing of best practices, efficiency, and knowledge, AASD hopes to initiate and sustain open lines of communication and awareness of neighbor organizations in this region of Peru. ~Monica Kelsh
Posted in BLOG ,Immersive Education ,NGO Network ,Team Peru Reports Tagged: collaboration, collective intelligence, conference, immersive learning, networking, NGO Network, non-profit, Peru, Sacred Valley, site visits, social events, Team Peru July 10, 2012
The day started at 5am, when I got up to catch the bus to Pampacorral. To say the ride was smooth would be a lie, as the roads as incredibly bumpy, but the beautiful scenery of green hills, alpacas and tall mountains full of snow made up for it! At one point the cage of chickens fell of the roof of the minibus, so we had to stop and collect them. I got a good laugh out of watching all the men running around trying to catch the escaped chickens!
Around 9am we finally arrived in Pampacorral where Eric and I teach photography to the students of the school. It seems to us like no such thing as a schedule exists, and the teachers are happy to let us borrow their students for an hour a few times a week. Sometimes we teach the oldest students (13-18), who took part in the same program with Eric last year, and sometimes we teach the younger kids too. It is a lot of fun, and I love collecting the cameras from the students to see the shots they have captured in the last few days. In addition to the classes we hope to be able to exhibit the best photos both here and at home.
Today was a special day at the school. Tomorrow is teacher’s day in Peru, and because they get the day off the celebration took place today. As Eric and I are teachers too, we got VIP seats to see all the dances, songs and poems the children performed. We were showered with flowers and confetti and were invited up to take part in the dance. Then it was time to play games, and the teachers were the participants! So we jumped in sacks, balanced balls on spoons while running and took part in the cracker-eating contest. I even won first prize in the spoon game; a bag of potatoes! When the show was over, we were invited to have lunch with the other professors. Guess what it was?!? A plate with a whole fried trout and seven potatoes! I was a little scared at first, but it turned out to be delicious and a good ending to an amazing day in Pampacorral.
Interested in knowing more about how the photo project started? Check out the photos from last summer on our website or read about the experience last summer here.
~Benedicte
Posted in BLOG ,Team Peru Reports Tagged: Andean Alliance for sustainable development, Andes, artistic expression, lens, Pampacorral, photo project, photography, photography project, Team Peru July 9, 2012
Oh the Sacred Valley…its no surprise why its been called that. I have been here almost one week and have started working and getting accustomed to my new summer home. Despite fighting the flu and altitude sickness, I have been welcomed by gorgeous mountains, colorful array of fresh produce and friendly housemates.
I have been spending portions of my days concentrating on the next steps of the INKAcase project and getting up to date with previous efforts. The rest of the day is open for strolls in the market, talking with new friends, spider slaying and playing with Buttons, our house dog. In fact, Buttons is usually involved with all the above activities. 😉
Even after just one week, so much has happened in Calca. The town had a 4 day festival, I killed a spider that shot black ink at me, and my landlord took me on a moto bike ride showing me the town. In fact, I would say that that ride in particular was the highlight of my week. When I needed copies of keys for the house, we went on his bike to get them made. While waiting, he showed me the large market, different stores and his own costume shop that he runs. Our last stop was his home. After he showed me mostly everything, we entered the kitchen and a room off of it. I walked into the room to find (and can only be described as a moving floor of guinea pigs or Cuy as they call it.
Well I quickly put things together and although this vegetarian is accepting, I was stunned. I apparently did not read the guinea pig chapter in my Peruvian culture book. He told me how he prepares them and even pulled out a bowl of extracted eyeballs, I think for effect. Although this may not be something that I would eat, I appreciate the culture and embrace all that comes with it. I am so thrilled to be here and am eager to learn much more!
~Ashely Anderson
Posted in BLOG ,Uncategorized Tagged: Calca, Incas, INKAcase, Peru, Sacred Valley, Team Peru July 5, 2012
Any seasoned traveler is well aware that there’s rarely such thing as a trip without complications, and that getting from Point A to Point B is not as simple as it sounds. Our bus ride back to Calca from Cusco this past weekend epitomized this immutable travel trend.
After a weekend of experiencing Peruvian national pride through the Inti Raymi festival, making chocolate at the chocolate museum, and exploring the city, we were ready to head home to Calca. Our travel woes started when our group of seven split into two to take taxis to the bus station. Ashley, Benedicte and I arrived at the terminal de buses and soon realized it was not the one we had arrived at the day before. After trying another bus terminal or two, we found a bus to Calca and hoped that the other group had decided not to wait for us, as we had no way of getting in touch with them and furthermore, no way of knowing which of the multiple bus terminals their taxi driver had chosen to take them to.
Our overloaded bus chugged along up the hill past the Cristo Blanco and the ruins at Sacsayhuaman (sexy woman!) and after navigating through the Inti Raymi crowds and the sea of traffic, we were on the open road. Well, at least for a few minutes, until a tire blew out. As the driver and a handful of skillful volunteers evaluated the situation and changed the tire, we made some new friends that made our travel predicaments not only bearable, but downright enjoyable. Three little girls took quite a liking to us, asking about where we were from, if we had jobs, sitting on our laps, trying on our jewelry, and engaging in a little photo contest with us. Ashley asked Sarita, our new two-year-old friend, to smile as wide as she could. For being two years old, she was quite witty and had us (and the whole back of the bus) in hysterics. When the bus got moving again and we reached their stop (which was really just the side of the road, seemingly with nothing around), we were pretty bummed to say good-bye to our amigas and their family.
Sarita and her mother.
Sarita’s idea of “una sonrisa muy grande”
The point is, we all know that when you’re traveling you have to expect the unexpected. (Please forgive the cliché.) However, it’s easy to forget that sometimes the best stories and experiences are born out of the most inconvenient situations. This interaction for us was a reminder to make the most of those frustrating situations. If our tire hadn’t blown out and taken forever to fix, our bus ride wouldn’t have been anywhere near as enjoyable and entertaining. In other words, more often than not it’s worth it to embrace an onerous situation and look at it not as a hindrance, but as an opportunity. ~Nadine Custis
Posted in BLOG Tagged: bus ride, Calca, immersive education, Incas, Inti Raymi, Peru, Sacred Valley, Sacsayhuaman, Team Peru, travel June 27, 2012
I arrived in Calca on Tuesday, and I am already starting to feel at home. Calca is a beautiful town full of colors; pink, blue, yellow and orange houses, people in traditional attire, green hills and tall mountains surrounding it.
On the day I arrived there was a coffee market on the main square, where coffee farmers and cooperatives from all over the region had brought their coffee to be judged in a competition. Ashley and I walked from booth to booth to look at the green coffee beans and taste some coffee. Did you know coffee comes from red berries? The coffee bean is inside the berry, and when it is taken out it is fermented, dried. The green coffee beans are then sold to roasters in country or abroad who roast it so that it becomes the brown coffee bean we are all familiar with. Most people don’t realize how much work goes into their daily cup of coffee! I became a coffee nerd when I wrote my bachelor’s thesis on sustainable coffee trade. I found that the supply chain is long and complicated, and that very little of the profit goes back to the coffee farmer, even for many of the certified coffees. Imagine my excitement about buying coffee directly from the producer association at the market and then brewing it the next morning for breakfast (using a strainer and napkins as we don’t have a coffee maker).
The day after the coffee fair, I walked into town to find another huge event was going on; the celebration of Calca’s birthday. I heard some music and drumming from the house earlier that morning, but it was only when I walked into town on I knew something was going on. I was met with huge crowds of people; kids and adults, some in traditional ponchos, dresses and hats, others dressed up in blue and white; the colors of Calca. They were all taking part in a parade and a large group of people was gathered in the streets and at the main square to see them. There was hardly a tourist in sight, and some people stared at me with my blonde hair, fair skin and camera. I found that there is a great advantage to being tall in Peru; I could see the parade from behind the crowds of people, as even the men are much shorter than me!
I have enjoyed seeing the town come alive with festivals, but even if every day does not come with a celebration of some sort, I am really looking forward to spending my summer in sleepy Calca. I will be working on the photo project; teaching photography to teenagers at a school in Pampacorral, and I can’t wait to get started on it next week. ~ Benedicte Gyllensten
Posted in BLOG ,Team Peru Reports Tagged: Calca, coffee fair, coffee festival, fair trade, immersive education, Peru, Team Peru June 25, 2012
This first week in Peru has been fantastic in every way. From the amazing family that has taken us into their home, the delicious indigenous Peruvian food, and the awe-inspiring views from below and atop the mountains of the Sacred Valley. I can safely speak for everyone when I say we are blessed to be here. For more on these aspects of our time read Caitlin “Garlic” Casey’s previous post and stay tuned to the Andean Alliance blog all summer.
It hasn’t been all fun and games, however, we are doing some work while here as well (though the work is quite enjoyable too!). Between the eight current MIIS students down here working with Team Peru and the Andean Alliance we are working on five projects, but for now I’ll focus on the Agriculture Program that I’m most involved with. The program has three main components; school greenhouses, family greenhouses, and a new and ever-improving demonstration chakra (farm, but I like the Spanish better), all riding a tandem bike to food sovereignty in the Sacred Valley.
This week has involved a lot of back-breaking, but exciting and necessary work to prepare the chakra for workshops later this year. These workshops are designed to establish a two way information exchange of best ag practices in the region. Aaron, Adam, and Kat have been my patient yet demanding Mr. Miagi, showing me the ropes as they push me into the fire. My first day involved a chakra tour, which left me amazed by the ingenuity and longevity of the Incan irrigation system still in use today. Then it was right to work, fighting with shovels, rocks, and chicken wire (sooo many cuts) to sift and double dig two more beds for planting, but I enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, and manual labor (thank god I’m a country boy!).
What I’ve done pales in comparison to the jaw-dropping, non-stop work our gracious neighbors Javier and Placido have done to help us get our greenhouse near completion. Fueled by chicha and coca, they have worked dawn to dusk to clear, dig, and lay the foundation, which let me tell you, is a hell of a task with the insane amount of rocks throughout the terrain. It’s no wonder the Incas had so many amazing rock structures; they had to put them somewhere in order to farm! ~Chris Miller
Posted in Agriculture Projects ,BLOG Tagged: Demonstration Farm, double digging, immersive education, Peru, planting, sustainable agriculture, Team Peru June 23, 2012
It is hard to believe that we have already been in Peru for a week! It is clear that our time in Calca this summer is going to go by quickly. As excited as I am about our projects (which are off to a great start…more details to come in my next post), this week has been an awesome introduction to life in the Sacred Valley.
Sunday was our first day free to explore the region and its culture. All of us headed to Pisac, a thirty-minute bus ride from Calca to see its famous Sunday market and Incan ruins. The market was filled with colorful textiles and tourists galore. Calca is the opposite of touristy (perhaps because it’s described by Lonely Planet as a “large-ish, uninteresting town,” but you won’t hear us complaining), so it was interesting to find ourselves in a town that caters to tourists. Still, it was fun to wander the stalls and check out the astounding number of uses for alpaca wool.
The Pisac Sunday market
My Peruvian exploration dreams came true in the afternoon when Chris, Katie, and I took a taxi up to the Incan ruins that rest on the mountains high above the city. We spent three hours climbing into hidden nooks of old Incan houses and military barracks, astounded by the maze of buildings and the engineering feats required to run an empire from Andean peaks (running water in their bathrooms!). Without a tour guide we perhaps missed out on some crucial facts about the terraced farms and tombs hidden in the hillside, but the feeling of independent discovery and adventure as we hiked through the site was unforgettable. And the views weren’t too bad either. We worked our way through the site before beginning the steep descent back into Pisac.
Caitlin, Katy, and Chris on the Pisac ruins
Our day of Sacred Valley adventure ended with a watia hosted by Lucho and Maritza, the wonderful couple who have opened their family home to us. It was also Father’s Day in Peru, and we had to celebrate their son Jamil’s 12th birthday! Their whole family came together at the house to eat potatoes and enjoy each other’s company—We were lucky to be a part of it! First Lucho built an earthen adobe oven and heated it up before dropping the potatoes inside and collapsing the oven around them. The potatoes cooked for half an hour before we fished them out in the ultimate game of hot potato. It was a delicious and fun to be included in a Peruvian family’s own celebrations. ~Caitlin Casey
Lucho, Jacil, Jamil, and Chris search for potatoes while Nadine, Katie, and Monica look on.
Posted in BLOG ,Immersive Education ,Team Peru Reports Tagged: Inca, Peru, Pisac, ruins, Team Peru June 19, 2012
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