I don't know what to feel

The start of this phenomenal journey is only 31 days away, yet I can't understand how I feel about it. I guess in a way I'm feeling slightly nauseous, due to having no idea what it's going to be like! Although, I'm intrigued to find out. I've witnessed so much positivity when it comes to Peru, so I'm excited to see what's to come.
   Currently it's more excitement than nerves, however the jabs did make me nervous, but that's only a small part. I'm hoping to experience something numinous, so with St.John's making this trip possible, I believe I will!

What I Wish I Knew!

This is now the 4th year that we are going out to Peru for to assist with Joe Plumbs mission. I thought it would be a good idea to together the collective knowledge of what others that have gone before us wish they knew before they want out there to make us better prepared. 

I have emailed the staff who have headed out before us and their comments will appear below this post in due course! 

Cast your Nets Newsletter

“Cast Your Nets,,,”(John 21,6)

Newsletter of The Peru Mission (UK-Registered Charity No.1145812)

                                                                                                                                Tuesday 21^st May 2013

Dear Friends of The Peru Mission,

Implementation of Nursery Schools/Food Kitchens

In order to provide early years’ stimulation to a total of 135 children in three nursery-school projects in three different barrios across the City of Iquitos, we urgently need assistance to purchase materials such as climbing-frames, sand-pits, water-pits and water-play toys, play-mats, toy-cars, dolls, painting materials, colouring books, crayons, story-books and picture-books, for play and stimulation, as well as pans, plastic cups and plates, cutlery for the children to receive a basic meal each day when they come to their nursery classes.

The main components of the daily meal which the children receive in the nurseries is rice or yucca, meat or fish, peas, beans, lentils, carrots or salad such as cucumber, tomato, avocado which is very cheap and abundantly available here. The other additional items we try to fortify the diet with are milk, eggs, fruit, a little sugar in fruit-drinks for energy and fibre in the form of whole-wheat or cereal biscuits or whole-grain bread.

It costs US$3,500-00 or approximately 2,060 pounds sterling to keep these 3 nursery-schools open for one month and the funds are found from a variety of sources-foreign government aid, local government assistance, donations from local businesses and local fund-raising in the form of raffles, bingo and sponsored events.

If you or your school, parish, family, business or an institution of which you are a member, is able to assist with the financing of these projects please send a donation to The Treasurer, The Peru Mission, St. John’s School & Sixth Form Centre, Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 6JT.

The threat of Palm-oil production

There are several multi-national companies who are exploiting the Peruvian Amazon and buying huge tracts of land (thousands of acres), to produce palm-oil mainly for bio-fuels but also production of soap, essential oils and cooking-oil.  Obviously, in itself bio-fuels are a positive technological advance in terms of reducing damaging emissions in exhaust fumes in vehicles, however, the process by which palm oil is produced is extremely damaging to the areas in which so-called bio-agriculture takes place.

These companies promise employment and improved income to the communities in the areas where they farm palm-oil, but the production of this product involves the ploughing down with tractors of trees, plant-life and all vegetation. It leaves the soils devoid of nutrients, destroys the water system and eco-system destroyed for up to 30 years.

Participation of human rights and environmental groups, scientific and sociological advisors is essential in the consultation process and in the process of informing the indigenous communities about the dangers to their habitat and lifestyle of the infiltration of these multi-nationals into the Amazon. The experiences of countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia and in Latin America-Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador-shows how damaging these crops are to the eco-system and how destructive they are to the way of life, traditions, customs and culture of the ethnic groupings who live in the Amazon.

Andrés Lozano Pardo, a little boy with encephalitis

Andrés is a 7yr-old little boy who was born with encephalitis. He could not get the medical help he required when younger and now his cranium has grown as has his brain and water is accumulating in his cranial cavity. A friend of mine who is one of the best neuro-surgeons in Peru, Dr. Ernesto Salazar, is keen to operate to fit a spinal tap at the top of the spine in order to drain the water from the head cavity and is happy to perform the operation without charging for his services and expertise.  

If anyone is able to help to with the costs of Andrés’ operation-anaesthesia, surgery time, materials-a total cost of US$2,000-00, including the post-operative care and hospitalization during Andrés’ recuperation-please get in contact via telephone: 0051 65 253364 or e-mail: joe28peru@hotmail.com or Facebook: The Peru Mission. 

Volunteering trips by St.John’s & St.Leonard’s Schools

We are greatly looking forward to the visits by two schools from the north-east of England, namely St. John’s, Bishop Auckland (1st-14^th July) and St. Leonard’s, Durham (14^th July-4^th August) during which they will work alongside local people, carry out art-work projects, improve their Spanish and teach some English, continue the building of a primary school in the parish of Santa Rita de Casía in the extremely poor barrio of “El Terminal” in the Apostolic Vicariate of Iquitos and experience the beautiful panoramas, vegetation, wildlife, tribal peoples and lifestyle of the Amazon jungle.

Please let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support for the work of The Peru Mission on behalf of those living in situations of extreme poverty in Peru.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as you are in ours.

Sincerest regards,

Joe Plumb

Projects Coordinator, The Peru Mission (Registered UK Charity No.1145812)

Calle San José 113, Punchana, Iquitos, Perú, América del sur.

Tel: 0051 65 253364 or 0051 965661742

E-mail: joe28peru@hotmail.com  

Skype: joseph.plumb1

39 days to go...

There isn't long to go until we fly out to Peru to start our project! 

In the mean time add a few comments on what it feels like to be only 39 days until we fly it would be appreciated.

Some ideas may include

1. What are you looking forward to?
2. What are you nervous about?
3. What you are going to enjoy the most?
4. What you are going to miss the most?
5. etc

Thanks! 

Hello

Welcome to our blog showcase everything we have been up-to preparing, and soon to be living, Project Peru 2013.

At the time of writing this there are only 40 days and 13 hours left until we meet at Newcastle International Airport to start out long journey out to Inquitos 

Keep popping back now and again and there will be many more updates from myself and others regarding getting ready and then lots of photos, videos and blog entries once we are out there to keep you in the loop of what we are up-to and hopefully achieving.

Thanks

Lee