Home, Sweet Home

My arrival to Cusco on Thursday morning was a little bit like playing make-believe. I was picked up at the airport by the other Cusco interns and office worker, Wilson, Trey, and Tim. When we got to the house the other workers of ASCENDER, Julia, Rubén, and Sandro immediately welcomed me to the team. Obviously, everything was different from where I had come, Utah. The roads, the culture, the people, and especially the language are all things I am hoping to become very familiar with before I leave here. My home away from home was as different from home as possible, but it wouldn’t be any fun if it weren’t that way.

Yesterday I finally got the chance to go down into Sacred Valley with Tim, Julia, Rubén and Sandro. We passed pueblos built from mud and stone, dirt roads, and simple architecture with the name of their alcalde/mayor covering the walls. Cusco was different, but this was really something else. I had the opportunity to meet many of the families cooperating in a project being carried out by ASCEND and other agencies. ASCEND and Peru Rail had helped three of these communities start a chicken farm, so they had a source of income while they waited for fruit to grow on the trees that were recently planted. I had traveled around the city of Cusco over the past few days, but meeting the people in Sacred Valley is what made this experience go from make-believe to real life. I had read about the projects while in the office, but seeing it had an effect that reading simply could not give.

Even though everything changed the second I got off the airplane, there are always a few things that remind me that I’m not too far from home.

Sarah Mariko Bartlett, Intern Spring 2011

The Climb to Qquencco

We woke up early, before the dogs could renew their fight for territory in the street. Daylight hadn’t broken, and we winded up through the worn, muddy streets of upper Cusco.

Interspersed between unfinished buildings and passing buses, the view of city lights from above showed tiny distant universes among an urban life still indiscernible. Cusco remained asleep.

Tim and Rubén, due to countless trips to the Sacred Valley, slept in the back of our camioneta, while Wilson drove. I couldn’t miss my first trip to Qquencco, so I sat shotgun and resisted the rest that a 4am wake-up call can steal.

Entering into the Valley is more beautiful than I ever imagined. The snow-capped mountains in the distance are like a welcome banner, and immediately you understand why they call it Sacred. But the single-lane dirt road, with nothing between you and a long fall except gravity, reminds you what you’re risking to be there.

Our mission was recording Encuestas (surveys) of atleast 20 families, not only to get to know the pueblito better, but to gain them potential sponsorship from the United States. The questionnaires go a little something like: Name, Age, How Ascend is involved in their lives, and What they would like for Ascend to do in the future... Say cheese!

After the climb we descended 2,000 feet into the base of Qquencco , and parked our truck in the soccer field so the people would know we were there. It was a cold morning, probably around 40 or 45 degrees. Someone said, “This is summer?” We laughed and threw on our Ascend vests. Braulio, the president of Qquencco, finally came down to meet us. Averting his gaze, he offered us his arm to shake, and led us to our first family for an encuesta/photo.

The first thing that I realized was everyone – everyone – was wearing old, mud-caked sandals. And then it just kind of hit me. I was standing in almost utter poverty. Qquencco is the poorest community in which we work; the curve of culture adjustment was pretty steep that day, especially since it was my second day in Cusco.

We climbed up and up and up, each family a little past the last one, until we reached the top of Qquencco. In the end, we gained 25 new encuestas, a ton of pictures, and a bunch of new acquaintances around the village.

On the way back, the road was pretty crowded with people walking to work, people wanting rides in our truck, cars on the one lane road, and....sheep herders? Yes. People's livestock is their main way to bring home the bacon, so to speak. Anyways, we had to edge around the sheep that clogged up the street and finally started back to Cusco.

Time has been flying by since then! I've been here for around 3 weeks now, I spent the night in the hospital last week (caused by food of course...but it's soo good!), and we've welcomed a new intern, Sarah Bartlett.

Ascender Peru is looking toward some pretty ambitious goals this year. Check back soon to read more about all of our adventures, from Wilson, Sarah and myself!

-Trey, Ascend Alliance Intern, Spring 2011

Chicken Business Partnership

Chicken Business Partnership from ascendcuscoperu on Vimeo.

Ascend Alliance and Peru Rail have teamed up to help the communities of Tanccac, Primavera, and Piscacucho. With everybody working together, these rural communities are now raising chickens that will be sold in the market to bring needed capital into the communities. This project is also the first step of greater plans to help these communities create sustainable economic development projects in the future.

Wilson Ashton, Ascend Alliance Spring 2011 Intern

Welcome to Cusco, Peru

As I stepped off the plane from Lima to Cusco to begin my 6 month internship, my first breath of fresh Cusqueño air was a deep one. 28 hours in transit, 2.3 miles above sea level, and 2 enormous bags can wear you down, even on your first day!

But I couldn't even begin to think about where I had just come from, because what Cucso lacks in oxygen it makes up in scenery. On my first drive home my face was pressed again the widows of our quaint Toyata Hilux camioneta looking at mountains so tall clouds concealed their tops.

I was picked up by Tim, our volunteer coordinator, and Wilson, my fellow intern. We had met several times by Skype, but it was really great to finally meet them and to be greeted so warmly. The trip from the airport to our house didn't last long. Ever few hours or so I can hear and see planes landing from our house. That's how close we are. It's pretty cool.

With eyes soon to shut, I grabbed my bags, endured the tour of the house, found my room upstairs and crashed for 2 hours. I woke up and went downstairs where I met my boss, Julia, the coordinator for operations in Peru and a very charming lady; Rubén, a quiet yet witty and enthusiastic guy with a lot of knowledge of the people; Sandro, a recent addition to our team, who is very funny and also has an informed and intelligent opinion. For a few hours Tim led a discussion about our Goals for 2011, what we did well and what we should improve on. Although I obviously couldn't participate in past logros o fallas, I was encouraged to express my opinion on future goals. We worked for the entire day and ate lunch and dinner together afterward. Although Ascend Peru has been around for some time, over the last year it has undergone a big face-lift. I was great to see our team, although very young, coming together. Just my first day has me positive about what the future holds.

Someone told me once that a way to test your comfortability level with friends or family is the ole friendly fridge rule: if you can enter into another person's home and browse their refrigerator without feeling super awkward, it's a really incredible sign. I can say that I've never felt so welcome into someone else's home, entering into someone's else life. On one hand, it's strange and difficult to do what Wilson and I are doing, traveling abroad, learning new customs, and meeting new people. But on the other hand, it's equally as hard for those already there to accept you with patience and share with you their lives. And their fridge.

It's Sunday, my third day here and I feel very excited and motivated to do the work that Ascend does. Speaking of which, check back soon for my next post: This past Saturday, my second day in Cusco, we got up at 4:30 am, and drove 2 hours away into the Sacred Valley where we collaborate with several communities. The one we visited was Qenco (pronounced Kink-co, with a glottal K sound). Right now, it's looking close to dinner time (the food is amazing!) and I'm starving! Hasta entonces. Chau!

-Trey, Ascend Alliance Intern, Spring 2011

Medical Post in Qquencco

Medical Post in Qquencco from ascendcuscoperu on Vimeo.

On behalf of all of us here in Cusco, we are very happy/surprised at the progress of the medical post in Qquencco. This project has and will continue to help this community in so many different ways. Besides the fact that the people of Qquencco will have access to basic health care (instead of a three hour walk to the nearest hospital), it has brought a sense of unity to the community that has been absent for some time. Political strife split the community into various sections, which made it very difficult to get anything done in a community, let alone a project as big as a medical post. After some time, and much conversation, the people of Qquencco were once again able to clear their vision, and realize that their children and their health were more important than a few minor political ideals. It was good to see everyone treating everyone with respect, and to see them talking with each other again.

This project is not only really cool, but has also taught me a very important lesson. We need to persistently try to do what is right. More often than not, our good actions come with various other unintended positive consequences.

Five Days in Cusco

Two weeks in Cusco, and I find it hard to describe my life working with Ascend. Luckily this week, an awesome friend came to visit, and she takes fotos increíbles! and as the saying goes, a picture can tell a thousand words. So, we have five days worth of pictures, and hope they can tell a story better than we can. ¡Enjoy!

Create Connections with Ascend Perú

The marshmallow and chocolate had solidified under my nails and in the creases of my mouth. With no electricity and a faucet with water running at the pace of one-glass-filled-per-hour, I stood without solution in the bathroom at Faustino’s Hostel. I heard the swish of grass as two tiny feet illuminated by yellow candlelight crept beneath the door. There I discovered Faustino’s five-year-old son with an old t-shirt and a glass of water in hand. He smiled with lips that had been glossed by the remnants of s’mores marshmallows and chocolate, dampened the t-shirt and said “Así!”, as he helped me scrub my dirty-sticky-sweet-hands.

Everything starts with a connection. Many successful businesses function through professional networking; my parents had one conversation and 28 years and three kids later they are still married; I roasted s’mores at a bonfire with a Peruvian boy on an Ascend Expedition and everyday I think of the marshmallow lips we shared. The ability to make such a connection, one that reminds us of the human bond we all share with a person who lives thousands of miles and hundreds of goats away, is what makes the Ascend experience unique. Participating in an Ascend Expedition to Perú allows one to create these human connections with others and also with the traditions and culture of Cusco by working side-by-side with locals on projects designed to help them improve their quality of life. In working on these projects an expedition participant can directly see the positive impact created for Peruvian families through their volunteerism and support, while simultaneously improving their own quality of life through helping others.

Ascend Perú is currently in pursuit of this mission to help others through several projects taking place in both Cusco and the Sacred Valley. We are presently working in three communities in the Sacred Valley on reforestation projects and the construction of hen houses for the raisingof over 800 chickens that will eventually be sold at local markets. These projects will expand the economic potential for over 600 families. To ensure an improved quality of life for these families, we furthermore provide business courses and medical campaigns that include general medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, dental and obstetric services for all 600 families and will increase the likelihood of project sustainability. The support of Ascend volunteers, whether it be helping a dentist pull teeth at a medical campaign, or assisting in the laying of foundation for a chicken pen, or planting trees in the Sacred Valley, is vital in maintaining the sustainability of these projects for future generations within these communities.

Beyond the Sacred Valley communities, we also have projects taking place in the highlands of Quenko. In Quenko, we are conducting a rural tourism course that will allow the families of 15 community members to host travelers from around the world in their homes; just as I stayed with Faustino and his family. The health of not only these community members but also of their fellow neighbors, is vitally important in being able to sustain the community’s rural tourism business into the future. Therefore, we are completing a medical post that will provide healthcare for all 350 Quenko residents.

Ascend Expedition participants will likely find themselves providing service in at least one of the aforementioned communities. Within these communities, they will participate in unique activities that help others while pulling them out of the comfortable context of their home lives. You will stop for cows and sheep on your way to Quenko; you will drink tea and eat the local cuisine (yes, guinea pig) with those who live in the Sacred Valley; you will meet the national police at a medical campaign; you will get creative with how to wash yourself without water or electricity. You will connect with yourself as you do things you never thought imaginable, and you will connect with Perú as you participate in projects that will teach you about the country’s economy, history and culture. However, and most importantly, you will create human connections as you realize that why we are all geographically separated, we all have problems, we all need the help and support of others, and we all like s’mores. An Ascend Expedition provides one with these human connections through which we are often presented with the freshest perspectives, confronted with the most difficult questions and given the most memorable experiences.

Katie Terry Expedition

Katie Terry shows us how an Ascend Expedition is right for anyone.

Amazon from Kyle Gray on Vimeo.

It is not all work on an international internship with Ascend, (even though work is great with Ascend). An international internship gives you the chance to take some time off and explore some of the beautiful places that South America has to offer.

Life as an intern.

Intern Life from Kyle Gray on Vimeo.

Cusco First

Cusco First from Kyle Gray on Vimeo.

La Margen Derecha of Cusco

Weekly Updates 15

ASCENDER in Cusco

Weekly Updates 11,12,13,14

New Weekly Reports from Cusco

Intern Geoffrey here, I have been writing weekly reports for ASCEND HQ and the Hinckley Institute for internal reporting. They are written for a general audience so I will share them with you here.

Week 7 2/22/10-2/26/10 Cusco, Peru Geoffrey Strom

We began our journey by loading up the truck with crutches, a wheelchair, and two shovels. The crutches and wheelchair were for a young man in the small mountain town of Patabamba. The two shovels were for digging the wheels out of the mud which is common on the high Andean dirt road toward Quenko. On the highway outside of Cusco we passed the prominent roadside Incan ruins of Saqsawaman and Puca Pucara. After getting of the highway a few towns into the Inca's Sacred Valley, the hard pack single track road began. Up and up we went, the valley slowly opened like a mouth as the towns below became smaller and smaller. Traversing various valleys we came upon expansive fields of flowers, steep mountainside cultivations, herders and their sheep and a few kids who needed a lift back to their house further down the road. They had woken up at five, before the sun, to walk to their family's fields to tend them and harvest grass to feed their cuyes. After dropping them off in their community we climbed so more before dropping into a valley with a tremendous view of the Vilcanota River and city of Coya below.

The river was of muddy contrast to the bright summer greens of the skirts of the mountains which encompassed it. Evidence of the previous month's flooding along the river could be seen as brown stains in otherwise green and healthy fields. All of these communities had been affected by the torrential rain either directed through crop damage or due to the drop in tourism and coincidently sales of their textiles. We eventually made it to Patabamba, situated on an angular plateau straddled by two forested ravines. Only having passed a few of the reddish brown adobe houses of the community did Tim spot the intended recipient of the mobility enhancing devices. Lidio was sitting on a cinderblock in a muddy area between houses as we approached him. He explained to us that his mother was at a weekly community meeting and his father was working. He remembered the ASCEND expedition that came through a year before and we wheeled his gift towards him. He propped himself up on two cane-like sticks to softly land in his new wheelchair donated by ASCEND. Tim and I pushed him up to the street so he could enjoy his new freedom. His smile was big when we arrived but grew brighter and whiter as his wheels hit the dirt road. We walked with him toward the meetinghouse as we needed to talk to his mother. She pardoned herself from the meeting and became as jovial as her son upon seeing him waiting for her outside.

We went back to their house and chatted as Tim went off to buy Lidio a notebook for the upcoming school year. We departed with their gratitude in our hearts and drove another ten minutes to the community of Quenko where ASCEND has been constructing a school for this mountainous community. We arrived and talked to the construction workers about what worked was left to be completed. The finishing touches are all that remain and the schoolroom with be another notch in the ASCEND's belt. A notch to be proud of due to the precious aesthetic of the white walls, red clay tilted roof and the exposed wooden eucalyptus beams inside the classroom. The community has been put forth an immense effort in the construction and the students in Quenko will soon have a new educational environment.

Synergy In Peru for a Superior Outcome

Government, Police and NGO’s Working Together for a Better Tomorrow

This week, Ascend Peru witnessed an amazing reunion of more than eighteen different organizations working together towards a common goal. We were lucky enough to lend a helping hand last weekend for a medical campaign organized by the NGO World Vision in an impoverished area of Cusco known as “La Margen Derecha.” As a result of the assistance we provided setting up tents and giving a talk to the children about basic hygiene, we were invited to a gathering of the “Committee for the Protection of Boys, Girls and Adolescents of the Margen Derecha.” The team of Ascend Peru was able to see firsthand the benefits of drastically different organizations with diverse areas of focus playing on the strengths of one another to achieve a superior outcome, a concept known as “synergy.”

The aforementioned committee combines the prowess of organizations that have knowledge of the law, healthcare, education along with the physical support of the local municipalities and the national police to achieve what one organization alone could not plausibly pull off. After one year of working together, members of the community have noticed the pay off that this committee has had in the lives of some of the poorest citizens of Cusco. Among these benefits are the free medical campaigns coupled with training that alleviates immediate medical need while simultaneously reducing a families need to seek medical attention in the future due to turning better practices into routing. Another is training in human and civil rights that educate communities to better understand how to make their voice heard and avoid being taken advantage. Also, mental health and effective parenting training helps to coach parents how to keep their kids interested in school, off the streets and out of trouble.

Specialization is a concept that is not new for Ascend. Due to the acknowledgment of the fact that we can’t do everything perfectly, Ascend recognizes the need to work jointly with other organizations in order to carry out objectives that it could not possibly fulfill alone. As an arm of the Ascend Alliance whose current goals include expansion of staff and activities, Ascend Peru is looking for its place in multiparty efforts where our strengths will be amplified by the unified effort of many different organizations all playing on what is their forte. An additional benefit of synergy is the possibility of learning to better ourselves by working in close proximity with likeminded organizations that are specialists in areas where we currently lack expertise. All of these efforts play into the goal of empowering those in need to lift themselves out of poverty and give their children a brighter future.

On another note, the programs of Ascend Peru have been going well over the past couple of weeks and we have implemented new programs and have plans for more in the near future. We have a new Ascend Business Training class in a town called Huasao, which is famous for its “brujos” (male witches). This class is comprised of women who want to become renowned for their hen culinary dishes, and we think that there is a ton of potential. Additionally, we have implemented a new “Health Starts at Home” class, which aims to teach women about their role in implementing a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their children. We also carried out visits to some of our ABT Graduates to see how things were going and to see if we could help out in any way. We were glad to see that these businesses have had greater success as the result of ABT training. Go Ascend Peru! Happy Halloween!

Another week in Cusco...

We apologize for the delay on our further posts! Cusco and its surrounding cities continue to surprise us with the peoples desire to learn and to grow. Ascend continues its work in San Sebastian, Huaro, Quenqo and recently Huasau.

Tim and Jared (Ascend Interns) have recently undertook a project in the orphanage San Judas Chico. Although they are no "gardening" experts, they we are able to contact Wilson Fitzgerald Velarde and together begin the project. The greenhouse was already built but the soil was in bad condition. After a hard days work, they completed the preparatory cleaning and weeding so that next week the seeding process can begin.

Quenqo is a city about 2 hours out of Cusco and has been an area where Ascend intends to continue its work. 2 school rooms are in the process of completion here and with some more work throughout the month, the completion of these rooms will provide spacious areas for the students and an excellent environment for learning. Tim, Jose Luis and local police support, Wilson Fitzgerald Velarde were able to visit the community last week. The children appreciated the safety and health lesson that an official police officer was able to teach them in both Spanish and Quechua.

Ascend continues to focus on the needs of the children of each community. Education is important to these children and can provide the opportunity to rise above poverty and live healthier lives. Our work here has just begun and we realize we have a lot ahead of us. We will continue our efforts in helping people and communities grow.

A New Horizon in Cusco

Cusco: the most renowned city in all of Perú due to its position as the gateway to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The majestic Inca ruins which dot the countryside are a distant memory of what has been, yet they continue to tell the story of a great civilization that has come and gone. What they don’t tell is the story of the descendants who continue to occupy the land of their forefathers in dire need of a helping hand and a guiding voice.

In Cusco exists a massive tourism industry that seems to overlook the plight of the many and instead focuses on the enjoyment of the few. Due to our proximity to the airport, all day long we hear planes landing and taking off again carrying passengers whose lives are miles away from the challenges faced by everyday Cusqueñans and their neighbors in the countryside. Families struggle to put food on their plates; they live with easily curable maladies because they can’t afford to go to the doctor; they lack basic things that we take for granted and their education often leaves much to be desired.

As interns for the Ascend Alliance we must put the needs of the many over our desires to partake in the bustling nightlife of Cusco or visits to the beautiful backdrop that surrounds us. The activities that go on here are will be a welcome distraction from long days of hard work. However, there will be a time for fun once the toils and troubles of the day are put to rest.

With the closing of the office in Lima, we are an office in transition. Being so presents unique challenges for us and gives us additional motivation to give all our effort in order to fine tune our operations. It means taking the initiative due to the fact that our supervisors are miles away physically and culturally, and they can’t watch our every move or predict every twist and turn. It means assessing how we can fit with the Ascend model of regional sustainability and mutually beneficial networking that allows for much of our funds to come from in-country operations and contributors. It means thinking of new ways to avoid old problems and putting the pieces back together with a better fit than before.

With that being said, Ascend Perú is making a positive difference in the lives of many people. We are helping to build a school in San Sebastian; a school about a half mile from our office. We are teaching basic business skills to adults and children in Huaro, about one hour outside of Cusco. We are undertaking mental health campaigns that help parents understand the implications and complexities of parenthood. And English classes start next week…!

A new chapter is about to unfold…

ASCENDER Peru on TV

A few weeks have flown by and series of important events have occurred here in the headquarters of ASCENDER Peru in Lima.

This year, the staff of ASCENDER Peru took a different approach to launch its gala. The locale chosen for the event is known for its festive and exciting social events. For this reason, we wanted to invite Peruvian civilians from different social and professional backgrounds to come contribute to the improvement of their communities, while enjoying themselves with the entertaining show we programmed.

In the previous months, we focused on building a relationship with professional members of the corporate work force here in Lima in order to attract prospective long term sponsors for ASCENDER Peru to our gala. In the past weeks, however, we focused on getting the word out to the general public. With the press conference that we held at De Rompe y Raja (the location for our gala) we were able to announce our event and its purpose to the Peruvian public. Next to the nationally acclaimed singer Bartola, our events coordinator, Erasmo Cardenas did a fantastic job at presenting our organization to Peruvian spectators. A few days later, our press conference was aired on four different local television channels, which not only helped us communicate our message to Peruvian civilians, but made Erasmo famous for a day.

Although our press conference did not create publicity of the magnitude we had hoped for, it definitely helped to boost more members of the Peruvian public to attend our gala.

El Dia Se Acerca

Wow how the time flies!!! The Gala is approaching rapidly. Only 10 days remain before the big day and there’s still a lot to be done. We had our first opportunity for all of us to go and see de Rompe y Raja, the place where our Gala will be held. The image I had of a Gala was completely transformed as I entered this classy Peruvian night club. The atmosphere wasn’t one you would typically associate with an elegant US Gala. It wasn’t a grand ballroom but a swanky music hall with bars, dim lights, and a stage where local artists have been performing for years. Yes, it may be different from how things are done back home in the states, but we’re not in the states; we’re in PERU!!!
The visit to Rompe y Raja got me excited for the visits to the different businesses to invite them to the Gala. We’re still working hard to get people to come and participate in the Gala. We’ve been running all over Lima to get the word out.
We met today with some of the young volunteers that will be helping at the Gala. They are students at a school for flight attendants who have volunteered to be servers and hostesses for the event. The meeting was held in order to inform them about Ascend and why we needed their help. They all seemed very excited to help and will be a great addition to our team.

Anchoring the Work In Peru

Networking among businesses and local non profit organizations is an essential part of the success of our work and we had a great opportunity to do just that with members of the Padrinos del Hogar San Antonio group this past week. They are another non profit group that provides spiritual as well as temporal help to orphanages throughout Lima. We were invited to a small dinner they had and were able to swap ideas and experiences with members and donors of the group. We made a lot of great connections and sparked some interest in the work we were involved in and generated interest in the Gala. It was humbling to hear that there were over 700 hundred orphans in many of the orphanages, all seeking someone to love and care for them. This just stressed the fact that there is so much work to be done here in Peru and that many people are waiting for our help. This fact helps keep us motivated as we continue to make countless calls to local business, hoping for a chance to meet with and invite them to our Gala. This process has actually picked up quite a bit in the last few weeks as we have learned more effective ways to approach and explain our cause to the people we meet with. We are hopeful that we will fill the events center we have rented and will generate more than enough funds to continue buidling the programs we have running and expand to others in order to help more people.