TEACHERS are the BACKBONE to EDUCATE GIRLS in Peru

Words are not enough to share the CW journey and gratitude I feel...

         The children found me in 1987 and little by little took over my heart. Chicuchas Wasi was founded that year as an emergency shelter for abandoned children. All the trials and errors one might imagine occurred over those first few years as we grew in numbers and programs. Joy and sadness filled our days with the reality these children faced as Peru was experiencing political chaos and unrest - Cusco was getting risky for young boys the terrorists wanted to recruit. The next step fell in front of me with an old Urubamba house.

         In 1990 I bought a big old house with many bedrooms in Urubamba with my family's help and created a California style B&B that supported us all in the Shelter for about 8 years. Soon an energetic 22 year old Ruth joined the kids and I and CW took off. Two strong and dedicated women, a Peruvian and a Californian made quite a team and both listened to the guidance of the Divine Mother- we could not fail.

         Urubamba was a grand adventure: fixing up the old house, making bread, fun with a house full of teens and more. Ruth (a trained and experienced educator) and I (Nurse from USA) each had special skills and by 1996 realized the need to do more to prepare the children for long term change. The resident children were moving on to University or to start their adult lives and CW was reorganized in 1997. We founded The CW School for Rural Girls ignored by the Peruvian Ministry of Education to address the gender inequality embedded into the Andean rural culture.

         Ruth created the magnificent system of education for our girls that has had so much success in changing the rural community we serve. We attack academics, empowerment, values and many special programs. First she had to convince the families of the value of educating girls and invited Gloria (17 year old student teacher) to help out. My role was to continue to fundraise and manage the B&B until we returned to Cusco. As if on a train driven by a divine choker, Ruth and I hung on.

        Today we have a fully functioning primary school serving 123 girls who will gradate to public high school in December. Our Alumnae girls are showing their smarts at the high school and honored as the highest achievers in their public high schools. They are empowered with confidence and preparation in many areas. They will never have to live in extreme poverty as the women before them have. We are extremely grateful for the clear guidance we have received and the support from all of you to make CW the success it is today. Together we are changing the lives for so many girls, their families and future children.            THANK YOU for YOUR Donations

               Giving Tuesday begins on 11.27.18

With YOUR help CW School remains open and free to poor girls

    Please DONATE on Giving Tuesday to educate girls

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-110-poor-girls-in-cusco-for-economic-survival/

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi web site

Please take a good look at the impact our teachers make.

We cannot lose a single one of our specially trained and dedicated teachers, who were specifically chosen because they offered more than the important academics to teach primary students. They also embrace the CW values and mission to be a CW teacher. Our teachers are the most obvious role models for our students and must themselves live up to the values CW teaches the girls. We have dedicated teachers today. The financial crisis we are currently facing forces us to look where we can cut costs and the biggest budget is for our incredible teachers, without them CW would be just like the impersonal public school - where each student is just a number.

The CW school creator and administrator, Ruth (born, raised and educated in Cusco) had a vision of what and how we should educate and empower girls living in stark poverty, so that they could achieve a quality life, gender equality and without oppression. Besides our teachers, this meant working with our psychologist and families to awaken them to the options they might not see before them and lift them up by showing them how to be responsible parents. Our success with the families we serve is astounding and just the beginning.

There are no social services in Cusco and our search for a social worker proved futile. The Cusco University doesn't have a program to prepare them. Our psychologist has taught valuable skills to the staff and teachers on how to handle dangerous or life threatening home situations. Ruth's lawyer husband Erik, often responds to immediate situations directing Ruth to the best action to take.

The primary cause of the serious family dysfunction is due to the extreme poverty the families live in and lack the skills for even a slight improvement. Our teachers not only teach their class, they make home visits to each family to understand the girls home reality. Our teachers all have another responsibility: they wait in the early morning at the bus stop with the girls for the CW school bus. At each bus pick up location there is a teacher who accompanies the girls to and from school. Some even tutor several students in their homes so they can be with their own children after school.

                            ***Please Donate Today for CW Girls Education***

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/send-disadvantaged-rural-girls-to-school-in-peru/

OUR TEACHERS are exceptional in getting and holding the attention of our girls to engage them all learning opportunities. Student enthusiasm to learn is constantly observed. CW TEACHERS don costumes for the talent show they create for the students on Day of the Student, dance traditional dances along side their students and contribute enormous emotional support and spread their amazing spirit of unity.
They often meet to strategize any areas that might need a new approach in evening meeting at Ruth's home.

Without the dedication of our teachers and their never ending enthusiasm for our girls, CW would be so much less than it is today.

THANK YOU

                                          ***************************************

                                                         **NOTICE**

In case you missed the last CW News Update when I told of the sudden unavoidable loss of the large donation for teacher funding we must raise, It is repeated below.

Donations in general are seriously down.  A generous donor just informed us they cannot continue to fund their commitment of $65,000 a year, toward our teacher salaries and annual budget of $153,000 leaving us in a panic. I am putting out a plea to all who value what we do for 123 girls every day to please support our teachers until the new self-sufficiency program is operational (about 3 years) and your donations will not be needed. We are so close to being completely operated and funded in Peru. This was a surprise and a sign of the times we live in now. Due to the sudden loss of this donation we are at risk of closing needed programs like the meal and psychology and both are absolutely necessary. To eliminate any of our dedicated teachers would hurt the function and success of the school.. 

                                           PLEASE donate today for CW
                                                           click below

                  Please feel free to contact me for more information (707) 695-0504.

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi web site