It was International Youth Day on 12th August, so we thought we would post this to acknowledge the day and let you know a little of what we get up to ‘behind the scenes’…
Amongst our other contributions to the local community and sustainability (see this link for details of our projects https://www.apus-peru.com/responsible-travel/community_projects.htm), Apus Perú are currently supporting a Mosqoy student here in Cusco to achieve his dream of becoming a professional in International Business Administration.
Here’s a little about the Mosqoy organisation… Mosqoy means dream in Quechua and was founded in the Peruvian Andes in 2006, by Canadian and Peruvian youth. Their mission in Peru is to “help break the cycle of poverty that impacts the indigenous Quechua people of the Andean mountains by providing post-secondary educational opportunities for the region’s promising youth”. Their mission links in very nicely with our approach of seeking out projects which recognize that insiders (Andean Peruvians) and outsiders (foreigners) all have strengths and weaknesses – and that by working collaboratively we can reach best practice. As Mosqoy appropriately quote ‘hand-up instead of a hand-out.’
For many of the higher Andean communities the cycle of poverty is escalating while their traditional way of life is increasingly threatened. Mosqoy´s aim is for this to be alleviated by providing students in Peru with opportunities for advanced education, enabling Andean youth to possess the tools necessary to be local leaders and role models! A philosophy that is core to our commitment to making a positive and sustainable contribution to the quality of life for rural Andean communities. Our donation is part of our contribution to education in the Andes.
Now for the ‘on the ground’ impact: Our student is called Marco. Marco’s family is from a village called Pallata, located 7km above Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. His father is a famer and his mother an “alma de la casa” or house mother. He has 4 brothers and sisters. This year, Marco has had one of the most difficult years of his life, as his family is struggling financially. Ever resilient, whilst studying, Marco continues supporting the family in whatever way he can, usually taking short term work contracts during school holidays.
As well as his educational commitments, Marco is an active member within Mosqoy’s volunteer service. He has hiked to several communities with their textile coordinator to translate between Quechua and Spanish. Most recently, he hiked up to Cancha Cancha (a small community above Huaran, reached on day 1 on the Traditional Lares trek https://www.apus-peru.com/treks/lares.htm) to translate for over 20 weavers. He also worked with his peer Rolando to create a beautiful presentation about the history, industry, and customs of his community of Pallata.
He is well on his way to achieving his goal and he expects to graduate in 2014.
Marco’s education will be sponsored by Apus Perú whilst he is studying with Mosqoy.
For more information on the Mosqoy organisation and how to get involved click here:
http://mosqoy.org/about-us/
