A Busy Schedule for Promesa Peru

On June 28 we attended a meeting at the Education Management Unit of Lambayeque. At that meeting we were introduced to the pronoei coordinators for each of the 12 districts in the Lambayeque Province. We briefly described Promesa Peru: its goals, method of operation and the projects we’ve supported over the last few years, mostly in the Tùcume District. With the exception of the Tùcume coordinator none of the coordinators knew we existed and neither did Fernando, the group’s director.

At that meeting we learned that there are 205 pronoeis in the province; many of them remote and lacking in basic necessities. We suggested that those coordinators who chose to do so gather information about the neediest pronoeis in their district and forward the information to us.

In a follow-up meeting in Lambayeque yesterday we were given solicitation letters from eight different district coordinators with supporting photos requesting that we visit eighteen poor villages with pronoeis that have basic needs. Most of the photos are date-stamped within the last week. Things usually don’t happen that quickly in Peru. It took time to get the information, write the letter and somehow acquire recent photos from far distant villages. 

We agreed on a plan to visit villages in four different districts over the next two weeks.

On July 12 we’ll go to the village of Surupampa high in the mountains in the district of Salas. Fernando and the district coordinator will accompany us. The vehicle we will be using is owned by the Education Management Unit. Surupampa will be our base. From there we will walk to several smaller villages. We were told that one walk will take 2 ½ hours. We will sleep overnight on the floor of the pronoei. A mattress will be provided. I don’t understand how a village can only be accessible by walking 2 ½ hours.  When I asked how things like tables and chairs or anything for that matter are transported, Fernando said piece by piece. This should be an interesting excursion.

The remainder of the schedule, all day trips is:

July 18 – The village of Olleria in the Morrope District.

July 19 – The village of Redondo in the Olmos District.

July 20 – The village of Chita Loma in the Salas district.

Tomorrow we’ll be back in the Tùcume District visiting two pronoeis. This will be our last visit to Tùcume District schools except possibly for a chocolatada in December.