Seeds Student Success Story: Lorenzo

Lorenzo is the oldest of six children, and grew up in a small town near Vista Alegre, which is across the river from the main town of Huaraz. His father died seven years ago, so as a result, he has assumed a caretaker position for his family. He believes that obtaining an education will allow him to better provide for his family, and is incredibly grateful for the assistance provided to him by Seeds. 

Lorenzo has attended Seeds of Hope for the last ten years; here are some photos from when he was a student:

When Seeds of Hope purchased a new computer -- thanks to all who contributed to last year's technology campaign! -- we voted, and ultimately decided to give the old computer to Lorenzo so that he can complete his studies in a more efficient manner. Additionally, the use of the computer for his studies will give him a leg up in comparison to other students in his class, who don't have as much technological knowledge as Lorenzo.

Lorenzo with his new-to-him computer!

Today, Lorenzo took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his career path and his responsibilities at Seeds:

Interview conducted in Spanish and translated into English

6 February 2018

University: ULADECH Católica, which is a private university here in Huaraz. 

When are you going to finish your studies? 

The traditional carrera (student path) is five years here in Peru, and I have two years to go. 

What are you going to do once you finish your studies?

I am going to make connections with local business owners so that I can find a job. [Editor's note: in Peru, job offers are only extended upon graduation, and is primarily based on who you know, so building a strong network is crucial].

Why did you decide to study engineering?

It's something that I have always enjoyed, and I have wanted to be an engineer ever since I was a child. Many children at Seeds want to be an engineer as well, because they enjoy drawing and designing things. I hope that I have inspired other students to follow in my footsteps and study engineering at the local university.

What is your dream job?

I would love to design bridges. Bridges are vital parts of construction because they allow for the transport of goods from one location to another. If a bridge breaks during the rainy season, it could leave many families without sufficient foodstuffs.

What financial support do you receive from Seeds of Hope?

Seeds of Hope pays for my tuition at university, which currently costs $100 USD per month. This tuition only covers the cost of my classes, and the student matriculation fees increase every year. [Editor's note: you can donate to Lorenzo's university fund here and leave a comment stating that it is for Lorenzo]. 

How old were you when you began to study with Seeds?

I was in second grade [de primaria] and was nine years old.

How has participating in the Seeds' program changed your perception of the world?

Now that I have the opportunity to help other children as I once was helped, I realize how important it is to set attainable goals so that one day, I can fulfill my goals. I have learned how empowering that education is, and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with younger students [editor's note: he is a wonderful mentor for the children at Seeds of Hope]

What is your favorite part of working as a volunteer with Seeds of Hope?

I love teaching the children. I am responsible for the students in secundaria [middle school], and help them with their homework during the school year. During the summer (which is now), I create remedial lesson plans and implement them so that the students can have a review of important concepts. 

Student Sponsorship Program - 2018

Hi everybody! It's February, so you know what that means -- school will start back next month! Also in February, our student sponsorship program begins anew!

For the last few weeks, we have been hosting sessions in the mornings from 9am until 12pm, since it is summer vacation here. During the afternoons, the students have the opportunity to just be children and entertain themselves (or work to earn money for their families). Our lessons this time of year are remedial work, so that the students do not forget what they learned during the previous school year. We believe that this constant review helps the students to get off to a stronger start when school begins again!

The schedule is as follows: Monday (reading and writing), Tuesday (mathematics and art), Wednesday (science and geography), Thursday (grammar and history), and Friday (various activities, usually sports or movies). Each lesson lasts roughly an hour, and then the students are allowed thirty minutes of recreational time, during which they generally elect to play UNO! or sports outside. Following recreo, we ask the students to wash their hands, pray as a group, and then provide a nutritious meal for the students. Once they have completed their meal, the children are required to brush their teeth. This way, students remain accustomed to the Seeds schedule, and it will not be difficult to transition back to schoolwork. The volunteers are responsible for lesson planning, so even though there is no afternoon session at Seeds, there is still plenty of work to be done!



Just like during the school year, Fridays are our fun days. This year, we have been incredibly lucky with the rains, and have been able to visit the park most Friday mornings. The children absolutely love playing soccer with the teachers! We try to stress the importance of physical activity during this time outdoors, as exercise is important for both a healthy mind and body.

All in all, we believe that our summer program is a great transition for students from the holiday season into a new school year. However, with a new academic year comes new expenses...

The cost of enrolling in public school in Peru is free, but the student is required to purchase books, writing utensils, paper, shoes, and uniforms. Many of the Seeds of Hope children do not have the funds to do so; as a result, we do our best to help the students whenever possible. This time of the year, we are collecting money to purchase school supplies and uniforms.

You can make a one-time donation of $25 which will cover the costs of one student's uniform and school supplies, or you can sponsor a child for the entire year. The year-long sponsorship consists of 12 monthly payments of $25, and the money goes directly towards the costs of providing a nutritious meal on weekdays for the students, ensuring that the Seeds of Hope school is stocked with adequate teachable materials, and the occasional field trip. Our goal is for each of the 55 students at Seeds of Hope to be sponsored for the entire academic year! On our Facebook page, there are photos of the students who regularly come during the summer months. Once school starts again, we will post photos of all students on our Facebook page and you can let us know if you are willing to sponsor a child by leaving a comment. You can learn more about the year-long sponsorship program at our website, www.seedsofhope.pe

Additionally, we are subsidizing the costs of attending university for former Seeds graduated, to incentivize the prospects of continuing their education. We have several students enrolled at the local university right now, and they are studying engineering!

Each final donor (whether is be for one month or one year) will receive an electronic photograph and some basic information about the child that they are helping to attend school. The sponsored student will also write a hand-written thank you note to be mailed to the donor, but we cannot make any guarantees about the promptness of the Peruvian postal system.

You can donate to the Student Sponsorship Campaign at the following link: https://www.omprakash.org/global/seeds-of-hope/crowdfund/student-sponsorship-program---2018 Thank you so much for your continued support of Seeds of Hope! Our program would not be possible without generous contributions from donors like you!

2017 Year-End Update

Hi everybody, thank you for your continued interest and support in the Seeds of Hope - Peru organization! Since our last newsletter, several exciting events have occurred, including the Santa Dash, technology campaign, and Christmas party. Continue reading to learn more about what we have been up to for the last six months!

Technology Campaign

Since the middle of the year, we have been raising funds in order to purchase a new computer for the school, additional tablets (such as iPads or Kindle fires), and to update the current wifi router at the school. 

We raised over $3000, and will be purchasing the new computers later this month, so be on the lookout for another update! Additionally, we received three tablets as a donation, which the students love utilizing for their advanced studies.

Santa Dash

On December 17, we hosted our annual Santa Dash race to raise money for the continuation of the feeding program for the current year. The children had an amazing time dressing up in rented Santa suits and racing to a local mirador. Read more about the success of the event here (including additional photos and quotes from students): http://seedsofhoperu.blogspot.pe/2018/01/santa-dash-2017.html

what a captivating finish!

Christmas Party

On December 23, we hosted our annual Christmas party. Throughout the week, we have been busy purchasing and wrapping gifts for every child; however, the excitement on their faces upon opening their personalized gift was worth all the effort, and more! Before opening presents, each age group of students performed a traditional dance that they spent the last week practicing; it was really cool to see the children share their culture with us and take pride in their heritage (some videos have been uploaded to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SeedsOfHopePeru/). We ended the Christmas party with slices of panetón (sweet bread with candied fruit inside) from a local bakery, and hot chocolate prepared by Chef Wily - so delicious!

Continuing Education

Many graduates of the Seeds of Hope program elect to continue their education. We try to help them finance their studies in every way that we can; several of these students return to the school to help tutor younger children in their free time. 

Jair is beginning his first year in environmental engineering; Jayumi is beginning her first year in environmental engineering as well. Yelisca is starting her first year in sanitary engineering, while Anita is beginning her second year in sanitary engineering. Lorenzo is currently in his third year at university, studying civil engineering, while Wilbur is in his last (fifth) year at university, studying engineering of mines. Wily is in his first year at teaching school, and Carmen is in her last (fifth) year at the technical school for accounting. 

Milena, one of the most intelligent and dedicated students at Seeds, is still in her last year of high school. She has her eye on acceptance to the prestigious engineering of mines program, assuming she does well on the college entrance exam.

New Volunteers!

In the beginning of December, our new volunteer coordinator (far right) arrived; in the middle of December, Hannah joined us from Ecuador. This week, Taylor came from the USA (center left), and Rebekah arrived from the UK! 

Upcoming News:

In the next couple of weeks, our volunteer coordinator will begin work on the student sponsorship program. This fundraising campaign is to raise money to cover the school supplies of the 55+ students at Seeds of Hope, so that they can succeed in their studies at either primaria, secundaria, or universidad. Be on the lookout for a follow up blog post and / or e-mail in the coming weeks!

Santa Dash 2017

Posing in front of the school before the Santa Dash

"Escúchame, escúchame," yelled the two starters. There was a tense moment of silence before the starter uttered the phrase, "ready, set, GO!" that caused the beginning of a stampede, with each participant -- dressed in Santa hats -- clearly focused on the upcoming journey to the local Mirador de Rataquenua. 

Right off the line, students were sprinting with total disregard for the high altitude and effort placed into the careful preparation of the event. 

What an exciting finish!

The Santa Dash has been a Seeds of Hope fundraiser for the last five years; this event is an excuse to have a great time here in Peru, while the organization receives many end-of-year donations from donors around the world. This year, the Santa Dash raised money for the continuation of the feeding program for the 2018 calendar year. (The campaign page will be active until year-end: https://www.omprakash.org/global/seeds-of-hope/crowdfund/santa-dash-2017---seeds-of-hope). Many children at Seeds of Hope are at risk for malnutrition because they do not receive enough protein in their diets. At Seeds, we strive to combat malnutrition by providing a protein-rich meal following each session at Seeds. We believe that children who are well-fed are 
primed to perform better in school. 

almost at the mirador!

on the way back down to Huaraz

a volunteer, Hannah, with the children

international coordinator, Melanie, presenting the primaria winner with his soccer ball

Upon reaching the mirador, the each participant was given a bottle of water, and then we presented a soccer ball to each of the fastest girl and boy in secundaria and primaria. Then, we headed back down to Huaráz, where Chef Wily was waiting at the school with a delicious meal.

Some quotes from the Seeds children when questioned about the success of the 2017 Santa Dash:

Me gusta mucho [el] santa dash porque corremos y me encanta correr vamos con gorros y esperó mucho este momento Santa Dash. Navidad y mi cumpleaños que es el 27 de diciembre me encanta esa fecha mucho. [I loved the Santa Dash because we ran and I love to run. We went with [Santa] hats and I waited a long time for this event. Christmas and my birthday which is the 27 of December [are coming soon] I love this time of year so much.] 

Keyla

Nosotros fuimos en la carerra de santa dash y era bonito y ahi ganó Yosmela ganó en la carrera y Adhemir y yo me cansé cuando estaba corriendo y nos tomo foto y después nos fuimos en Seeds comimos arroz chufa y después nos fuimos en nuestras casas.🏡 [We went in the Santa Dash race and it was wonderful. Yosmela won the race, and Adhemir and I became tired while we were running and we took a photo. Afterwards, we returned to Seeds where we ate chufa rice [fried rice] and then we went home.]

Venimos a Seeds para ponernos nuestros trajes de santa  y llegó el momento de la carrera de santa Dash todos corrimos y llegó primero Adhemir y Yosmela de premio les regalo una pelota⚽. [We came to Seeds to put on our Santa suits and then the moment arrived of the start of the Santa Dash race. We all ran, Adhemir arrived before us, and Yosmela received a soccer ball as a prize for her victory.]

Amanta

La carrera de Santa Dash estaba muy bonito y estaba cansado lo que nunca y momento que llegar segundo pero estoy feliz. Algo es algo. Bravo. Luego llevemos en Seeds y miremos la Pantera Rosa. Luego comimos rico y me fui a mi casa y le conté a mi mamá. Fin. [The Santa Dash race was very lovely, and I was tired more than ever. I came in second but I am happy. Well, that's just how things go. Afterward, the teachers took us back to Seeds, where we watched the Pink Panther. Later, we ate delicious food and I went home and told my mom everything about the day. The end]

-Ronal

Luego de la carrera de Santa Dash me puse muy nervio porque tenía mucho miedo dé llegar último puesto y luego de pensar que iba llegar primer puesto me puse muy contento y luego de la carrera nos fuimos a Seeds a comer arroz chawfa nos fuimos a nuestras casas yo le conté a mi papá y a mi mamá y toda mi familia se pusieron muy contento y mi mamá me abrazo abrazó con todas sus fuerza ye puse yo también muy 😊 y juego le dije a toda mi familia también se pusieron muy 😊y luego estaba oscureciendo y me puse mi pijama y me fui dormir. [Then the Santa Dash race, I was very nervous because I was terrified of finishing last. Later I thought that I was going to win first place, and I became very happy. After the race, we went to Seeds to eat chifa rice [fried rice] and then we went to our homes and I told my parents[about the race]. My mom and dad were very happy for me and my mom hugged me as hard as she could, which also made me very happy. Then I told my entire family, who also became very happy. As it was getting dark, I put on my pijamas and went to sleep.]

Adhemir 

¡Bienvenidos a Huaraz, Profe Mel!

Hey everybody! For those who haven't yet met me, my name is Melanie and I am the new volunteer coordinator here at Seeds of Hope. I arrived in Huaraz about two weeks ago, and have been spending my days thus far managing the upcoming Santa Dash campaign, updating Seeds of Hope's social media channels, tutoring in the afternoons, exploring Huaraz, and shopping at the local market. I will be working with Seeds of Hope through April 2018, but expect to continue answering emails until August (when the next volunteer coordinator arrives).

Profe Mel's first day at Seeds assisting Profe Wily

This is not my first time in South America; in 2016, I spent a semester studying at the Facultad de Economia y Negocios in Santiago de Chile. During those five months, I fell in love with the Latin culture, and vowed to return soon. I spent an additional month in Peru before returning home; I worked with STRIVE as a mentor to high school student-athletes and taught English at a local elementary school in Pisac (Pisaq as spelled in Quechua). After graduating with honors from the University of South Carolina Honors College with majors in International Business, Economics, and Spanish (minor: Latin American Studies), I decided that it would be in my best interest to take a gap year before beginning law school. After researching a variety of non-profit organizations in South America, I decided to accept the volunteer coordinator position at Seeds of Hope. I love the efficiency of this organization, and the long term impact that this program has on the lives of children in Huaraz (see previous blog posts regarding student success stories).

My Spanish is pretty decent thanks to my time in Chile, so I have decided to take on the challenge of learning basic Quechua during my free time in Huaraz. Quechua is still commonly spoken by the mountain people, as it is an indigenous language with a storied history. Fun fact: I wrote and defended my senior honors thesis on the Incan chasquis (messengers) in Spanish, and my research would have been a lot easier if I had some working proficiency of the Quechua language.

During the weekends, I have had the opportunity to explore the local surroundings. My first weekend in Huaraz, I trekked to the infamous Laguna 69; check it out:

¡Profe Mel alcanzó la Laguna 69!

Last weekend was the Santa Dash (more information and pictures coming in a future post); and even as an avid runner, I struggled to catch my breath in the thin air. However, it was a lot of fun to run with the children, and I loved having the opportunity to share the joy of my sport with others!

Profe Mel with one of the children before the Santa Dash

Profe Mel finishing the 2017 Santa Dash

All in all, I am excited to see what the next five months bring! Also, be on the lookout for two additional posts later this week -- one is about the Santa Dash, and another is a general update.

~ Profe Mel

Life of a Volunteer

Two years ago I volunteered with Seeds of Hope for just two weeks. During that time, my perspective on the world shifted significantly. Getting to know the 50 or so kids that we service while living with an apartment full of international volunteers was an experience that challenged my assumptions and outside perspective. My sheltered American life could only teach me concepts from a distant position rather than through authentic experiences. Not only did I get to engage with diverse groups of people in Huaraz who belonged to a different socioeconomic status than me, but I got to discuss topics with volunteers such as their concerns for their country's political direction as well as our differences in upbringings. However, the most impactful part of the trip was working with the kids. Previously serving in my local community in Akron, Ohio, it became obvious these Peruvian students showed more respect to me even though I struggled with communication via Spanish. They receive little to no governmental support in a financial position much worse than my country's inner cities yet they show up cheerful and optimistic nearly every day.

For these reasons, I decided to apply and accept the six month position as international coordinator.  I studied for five months in Lima with much unfinished business in South America. With this opportunity, my objectives were as such:

• Serve the community of Huaraz through investing in their most impoverish students
• Ensure a quality experience for international volunteers
• Learn more Spanish 
• Explore the beautiful landscapes of the area

Although I have only been here for a week, my expectations have been greatly surpassed. The group of volunteers consisting of a French-Canadian, German, American, and 2 Welsh gals have provided a comfortable environment in a sea of unfamiliarity. We are socially engaged through swimming, playing billiards, hiking a beautiful trek over the weekend, and domestic activites like watching adventure movies. This place definitely attracts a certain type of person best described as "ambitious idealist". The mountains attract the adventurous while the mission of Seeds brings the kind-hearted game changers. All the volunteers are in a state of unfamiliarity with Huaraz so they are extremely welcoming and open. They are as interested in my life as I am in theirs. We work, travel, and socialize together and it is awesome (although I do get my share of essential privacy too!) 

As the average stay of a Seeds volunteer is often more than a month, some symptoms of culture shock are expected. This is no luxury vacation for sure! I am adjusting to life without a microwave, good water pressure, and a level of inability to communicate with locals. I miss my college friends and the conveniences of living in a developed country (I spent over an hour washing my clothes by hand yesterday). However, leaving my comfort zone in the US brings many life lessons and experiences that would not be possible otherwise. A new environment with new responsibilities has shifted my identity while humbling my confident attitude from my country. I have no regrets and look forward to planting my roots here...at least temporarily.

-Jake Brock, USA

On the Third Day of Seeds of Hope, an education gave to me...

Jeferson shares why Seeds of Hope and the education he receives here is important to him.

This year, we are asking our friends to please consider making a donation to Seeds of Hope this holiday season or during your end of year giving. Please help us reach our goal of $1,500 USD! Every bit helps us give our students the invaluable gift of an education.

To make your donation today, click DONATE.

Thank you for your ongoing support! Happy holidays!