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Published: November 21st 2006
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Kids In Class
Yes it generally looked this Cahotic After spending a couple of days in Cochabamba wandering around its never ending market (2km square of stalls) that sold everything from puppies to microwaves everything that is apart from what we were looking for. We headed off down hill towards the Foundation Angeles of Hope, in Villa Tunari, where we spent a month doing some voluntary work.
Villa Tunari lies just beyond the last wrinkle of the Andes and inbetween two major rivers that run toward the amazon basin. As we found on our first night of arrival this location makes some monstrous thunder and rain storms as the hot and humid jungle air clashes with the cold air coming down the mountains.
Foundation Angeles De Esperanza ( Angels of hope) consists of a school, medical centre and Dentists surgery and is involved in outreach work in the local communities of the Chapare region.
This region is (in)famously known for growing coca leaves and the cocaine paste that is made from these. In the eighties many people profitted from the cocaine industry here but in recent years a heavy american DEA presence and the installation of the police drug checkpoints has curbed this trade. The cocolero
Kids on the Bus
130 kids on a 40 seater, no wonder they hung out of the windows culture continues as the region is incredibly poor eventhough the region is also famous for the copious amounts of fruit grown. I visited one of the fruit farms to collect some fruit trees to plant at the school. There were literally thousands of trees and so much choice; star fruits, mangos, Bananas (which grow everywere like weeds), 3 types of oranges, 5 types of mandarins, grapefruits....
Growing Coco leaves is a far more profitable income. Farmers here can only expect to earn 60 cents US for every 100 oranges/ $2 for 700 bananas where growing a 40m x 40m plot of coco leaves will bring in a steady income of $100 a month.
The particular communities that the foundation work with consist of people who live either side of the police check point. Off the main road to Santa Cruz,Villa Tunari is a relatively affluent tourist town where Cochabambians come to holiday in the warm jungle climate. The other side of the checkpoint two cobbled roads lead into the jungle and the largely indian communities consist of small villages and chacos (farms).
Evo Morales is from Chimore a small cocolero village 10km from the foundation. Our spanish teacher once broke his nose playing racket ball with him!!
The foundation runs a school for approx 130 2-6 year olds (snotgoblins) from both sides of the checkpoint to bring the 2 communities together and provide equal access for their families to the medical and dentistry facilities provided.
We lived in the Castillo an old hostel opposite the checkpoint, literally 5m outside the front door. Although we didnt chat to the police much they enjoyed an impromptu cabaret put on by the volunteers late one drunken saturday night on the way back from the local disco which they seemed to enjoy immensley and after which they always said hello!
Working at the Foundation involved all sorts of tasks; we dug a sceptic tank, built, painted and sanded classrooms, planted a fruit rove, did a bit of weeding (with a machete), served dinner and snacks, washed the dishes, sung songs, did the hockey cokey and of course helped with crowd control on the school bus.
THE BUS. At the end of every school day 2 volunteers boarded the bus with 100+ writhing, sticky, noisy little bodies all of whom i swear were solar powered. Luckily for me most of the days i went on the bus were cool days so they were like little cherubs sleeping everywhere: flopping over the seat handles, on the floor across, ontop and undernaeth each other. Lots of the others were quite happy to pass the time playing thumb war and patter cake. However i gather other volunteers had a much more hectic time of it. Pete being one.........
No Secar Cabeza Pour le Ventana (Don't put your heads out of the window) Is what I had to say most of the time, compared to Carolines Patter Cake Games. My firat day on the bus was a nightmare, it was red hot and the Solar powered kids were running riot. 3 hours of screaming, kicking and heads out of windows nearly did me in. You also get "Me Chomper and Me Changaleta" (Jumper and Flip flops) At the end of the day though what an experience, the kids have very little. As they get off the bus and run into what just looks like jungle they allways turn round and give wave and a big cheesy grin. A good days work I say!!
The other volunteers were all great, we had many nights out at the local club or just a few drinks at Dona Catias Kiosk.
If anyones intrested in going there http://www.projectangelsofhope.org. or write to administrator@projectangelsofhope.org
Will put some more pics on when we have a chance. Were really trying to get up to date on our blog before we leave S. America at beginning of dec.
Hope you are all well let us know how your doing too.
Peach ( no one could pronounce Pete at the foundation) and Caroline xxxxxxxx
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Janie Sunbeam
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hi there guys
hi there you two - thanks for all your wonderful updates. Things are good in Leicester - I've got work in an exhibition, which is great, and andy and I have donated some artwork to a charity auction for an art group - we are going on Saturday which should be fun. Andy says hi - he is havnig fun, taking lots of photo's and is in the process of starting up his own photograpgy business Take care peeps, and keep on having fun Janie and Andy Sunbeam :-)