First of all I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, mostly thanks to my beautiful Peruvian family and all of the love that they showed me. Every day I spend at the school fill me with gratitude and love for the opportunities I have been given, and for the opportunities I am able to give to the children at Yanapay.
On Thursday night I was actually quite sad, and I was talking Yuri about missing my family and friends when I started crying. He comforted me by asking what it is we normally eat on Thanksgiving and apologized for not realizing how much it meant to me. Half an hour later we were all on our way to the Yanapay restaurant, where I said I feel the most at home, with the closest of my friends here accompanying us. I walked in, and immediately got all teary again. The people at the restaurant, per suggestion of Yuri, had set a very nice table with candles and a little sign that said, "Happy Thanksgiving Maia, from your Peruvian family, Aldea Yanapay." We shared a bottle of wine and were served a delicious customized dinner of chicken stuffed with veggies and breaded, beet salad, and mashed potatoes! And of course our dessert was delicious apple pie with vanilla ice cream. I was so happy, and so grateful to my wonderful friends. We went around the table before eating of course and each said something that we were thankful for. We listened to Christmas music, sang along, and were all extremely full at the end of the evening. It turned out to be a very memorable Thanksgiving.
As the holidays approach, I am reminded of my gratitude more and more often. I am so thankful that I was able to come to Peru and help with this amazing project. My live has been greatly impacted by the work that we do here, and by the love and dedication that I see radiating from the other volunteers and workers. Since I am leaving soon, I am starting to wonder how I will be satisfied with my life without the daily involvement in the lives of these children. Luckily, I am deeply involved with the marketing and online promotion of the project, so I know that I will be informed of everything that is happening while I am away.
However, the most important thing that I am going to do while I am at home is to encourage my friends and family members to make a monetary donation to the project. In lieu of asking for presents for Christmas, I have decided to ask my loved ones to donate to Aldea Yanapay. Lucy and I have set up a PayPal account for Aldea Yanapay to make this possible. Everyone close to me already knows about the social project, and I think the fact that I have been intimately involved will be an encouraging factor for many. For those that are unsure, I will include the following information about the accountability of all those involved with the social project.
Every day I learn more about what is needed to run the project and how much work is really put into improving the lives of approximately sixty children every week. There are two business that help fund the project: The Café Restaurant Aldea Yanapay, and the Hostal Mágico. With these two operating at full capacity (which rarely happens, especially during low season), the costs for the schools are taken care of, and extra money is set aside for the Cultural Center. The management of the Restaurant is more than a full time job, as is that of the Hostal. Yuri ends up taking on unexpected responsibilities quite often, especially since successfully marketing the two businesses is still a work in project. Now that Lucy and Janek are here for a year, the workload is getting a little more manageable, but there are always new projects popping up.
Aside from the monthly rent, electricity, Internet, salaries, taxes, food and sanitation costs, there are quite a few other things to worry about at the end of every month (especially November). Right now there are Christmas presents to be purchased for all of the workers and students involved with Yanapay. There are parties to host, which require more food and drink costs, decorations, and often location rentals. There are extra marketing promotions that involve hiring graphic and web designers, printing thousands of posters and fliers, and paying workers to spend time campaigning.
With all of this, Aldea Yanapay has remained self-sufficient and independent for over six years of operation. Yuri has always been adamant about funding this project entirely by himself and with the profits of the businesses he has created. This is partly because he has a great mistrust for many non-profit organizations and for the government to which they have to report. Countless volunteer projects overcharge their volunteers and never tell them exactly where their money is going, which means they are probably not using their money wisely or with as much care as they could be. Another reason Yuri has never sought out or accepted funds or donations from outside sources is because many big companies and organizations that would give the project money would only do so with certain conditions and requirements, many of which Yuri does not agree with. Finally, the most important reason Aldea Yanapay has been self-sufficient for so long is due to Yuri’s firm belief that everyone is capable of making a difference in their world with hard work, determination, and dedication to a dream. It is not acceptable to use the excuse “someone else will do it;” each one of us has to take the responsibility to make a difference in the world, realize what it is we believe in, and take action to positively support that belief.
The difference this year is that Yuri is ready to push the project to the next level and open up a cultural center here in Cusco. The reason for the Cultural Center is simple. The current Yanapay schools are excellent and serve their purpose in that the children receive an additional education and are exposed to the positive example of the adults that work with them. However, the problems that these children face every day are not going to go away until more of the society is exposed to positive change and realistic solutions. Once the children reach age twelve or thirteen they have to attend regular school in the afternoon and are no longer able to go to Yanapay. Also, many of these children will never receive realistic job training skills, just as their parents did not. Finally, the social issues such as machismo, discrimination towards women, and domestic violence are very hard cycles to break when only the youngest generation is receiving the appropriate education.
The aim of the Cultural Center is to change all of this, and promote positive advancements of social change for all generations. There will be communications programs that will include typing and writing classes, a literature and classics library, and a media library with influential movies, online periodicals, and access to essential Internet resources. Additionally there will be arts and expression programs which will include anything from salsa classes, to martial arts, to circus workshops, to music lessons, and whatever else can be taught using the volunteers and resources that are found. Finally, there will be practical classes that are relevant to the positive development of teens and adults. These will include classes on money management, job skills, resume building, sexual education, human rights awareness, and other programs for the advancement of women and children and families.
The Cultural Center is scheduled to open within the month of December. Yuri has been planning and saving for this moment for a long time, and all of the funds are in place to keep the center up and running for four months. But after that, the center will need to either bring in a profit on its own, or the business in the restaurant and hostal will have to explode. The plan is to keep Aldea Yanapay growing and impacting the world, and in order to do that in a time-efficient manner, the social project is going to start accepting donations from friends, family, and volunteers. We know that Yanapay has made a positive impact on many people around the world and we hope that will inspire many to give a donation in support of the continued growth of the project. Yuri still prefers to involve only those that have been a part of the project either as volunteers or friends and family of volunteers; he would rather not ask for help from people that have not experienced the program vicariously or in person.
So please, in the spirit of the holiday season that is quickly approaching, please consider what Aldea Yanapay means to you, and what it is that you could do to help. If you can spare a few dollars, or a few presents from mom or dad, please consider donating to Yanapay for the Cultural Center and the advancement of the Peruvian society that we all love so much. If you need a reminder of how the children in Peru live, visit my other blog (http://solotoperu.blogspot.com) and read the post on Thanksgiving. I am incredibly thankful that I am here in Peru, spending my time and money in a way that gives me great joy and sadness at the same time. I will always consider this to be one of the most valuable times in my life, and there is nothing else I would rather be doing in my life right now.
The PayPay account is all set up and very secure. The money all goes directly to an account solely created for Aldea Yanapay. Within the next few weeks a new website will be launched for the project. The website will include an entire page dedicated to the costs and expenses for each month of the year. That way, if you decide to donate, you will be able to see exactly where your money is going and how you are contributing. This is part of the system of honesty that Aldea Yanapay firmly believes in and actively promotes. Whether or not you are able to contribute financially, please know that I am grateful for your support in whatever way you can provide it. I am grateful to you for just reading this post and thinking of me for a few minutes.
Thank you, happy holidays, and lots of love.
From all of us to you
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