Laredo follow-up

In February 2016 we went on a development visit to Laredo, Trujillo (see post from March 9, 2016); since the initial project has been completed, we want to share information about it and how it has blessed lives there.

When we made our development visit last year we had a conversation with our potential partner, the municipal government of Laredo, about what they could contribute to the project and we did some brainstorming with them to try to envision possibilities. We did this after visiting seven schools because we would all have a better idea of the needs found in each school. They realized that whether or not we partnered with them on a project, there were many things that they could do themselves to support the schools that they had not considered prior to our visit with them.

They committed, regardless of whether or not we had a project with them, to provide paint for the parents to be able to paint the schools, which badly needed it in most cases. They also committed to put into the municipal budget money to purchase bricks, mortar, and other construction materials to be able to add a couple classrooms and a kitchen area in some of the schools we visited. They committed to have municipal employees teach the parents how to use the materials and then let the parents do the building.

And we told them that if we were able to have our project for classroom furniture approved, they needed to commit to providing the transportation of the furniture from the factory in Lima to the schools in Laredo, thus permitting us to purchase more furniture rather than spend a sizable fraction of our approved budget on freight costs. We asked them to materially participate in helping themselves and we would provide resources to help them do that which they were unable to do on their own.

Well, in fact, the Municipality of Laredo kept all of its commitments to us. We were able to carry out a project for four of the seven schools we visited.

By applying the welfare principles of work and self-reliance, needs were met, new skills were learned by the parents, and lives were blessed. The municipality discovered that there is much they can do with the resources they already have available. We feel that our partner's own capacity has been increased, and as a consequence will continue to bless the lives of their people.

As we visited with our potential partners in Laredo to see what they felt their needs were, they expressed a desire for a sink so children could wash their hands after using the bathroom, playing at recess, and prior to meals. They asked if it would be possible to purchase the materials for a sink so that it could be installed in the school. The donation did in fact include materials and they did a wonderful job using the tiles, cement, pipes, and faucets to do just that. We helped them identify their perceived needs and then worked with them to solve their needs, providing only what they lacked. 

The following are some before and after photos to show the impact of this project.

 There was no sink for hand washing at the entrance to either of the bathrooms.

The project provided resources for a beautiful new sink outside the bathrooms so students can wash their hands after using the bathroom. The materials were donated by the Church and the parents did the work. They also extended the concrete pad underneath the sink.

Classroom Furniture

Desks that were well beyond their useful life were replaced with new desks and chairs that will benefit students for many years to come. Additionally, in the schools where new classrooms were built and then furnished with desks and chairs, the state government will provide additional teachers and the federal government will provide funding for the salaries of the new teachers in these schools. In those schools where they had to have multiple grades in one classroom, they can now have the children divided by grade and will use the classroom for two sets of students--one set attending in the morning and another set in the afternoon.

Before:

After:

These are individual student desks, which is what the Ministry of Education now recommends.

We were able to use this project to leverage existing community resources to improve educational opportunities in Laredo. In the process parents were able to develop new skills and participate in improving their community's schools. Both the families and the municipality have been able to become more self-reliant as a consequence of the development and execution of this project.

The Celebration

Here is a photo from the delivery celebration. It looks like they served some very nice looking local produce. We wish we had been able to attend. The school behind the children has also been nicely painted!

More than anything, and we have seen this in many of the projects we have been able to participate in during our time in Peru, this helped to give them hope. Faith, hope, and charity--three related virtues, three related character traits that we all need to develop to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.