International Community Work learning in Guadalupe-Summer 1999
RE: A window to the world
Gabriel Aust, Tom Edwards
We are a pair of students from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA participating in a specialized class entitled, "International Community Work in Peru." For two months, we have lived and worked in Guadalupe, a small town in Peru’s La Libertad province. While in Guadalupe we have been fortunate enough to help facilitate the formation of a non-profit community organization for young adults entitled, "La Organización Juvenil Guadalupana: fuerza Guadalupana," (L.O.J.G.) whose common goal is to unite the creative energies of young Guadalupanos.The economic situation in Peru is such that many young adults work very hard to graduate from college only to find no employment available. L.O.J.G. is working to heighten community awareness on a number of issues such as drug use prevention, detection and treatment of tuberculosis, cultural identity and unemployment. Young Guadalupanos are undertaking many projects focusing on self-empowerment to create change within their community. For their premier endeavor, L.O.J.G. embarked on a very successful advertisement campaign to fight litter in Guadalupe. The group contacted and networked with local agencies (police, TV, radio, municipality) to encourage communal responsibility. Trash cans are now located throughout Guadalupe on all streets and in all the plazas; quite a contrast from when we arrived in June. Before the efforts of L.O.J.G., most people disposed of their trash in the streets.
Recently, a unique opportunity for greater change presented itself. After participating in a lecture on the constructivist model for teaching at Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo in Chiclayo, we visited Red Cientifica Peruana (visit them at llampayec.rcp.net.pe), the first and main internet provider for Peru. R.C.P. has a program designed to link up small, rural towns with interntet access. If an organization in the town has space and provides a phone line, R.C.P. will temporarily loan out a computer for internet use. However, this computer is loaned on a temporary basis with the understanding that the town will aquire a computer of its own.
In Guadalupe there is one computer with internet access for more than 30,000 people. In addition, the people are charged 9 soles/hr ($3/hr) a rate very, very few can afford (avg. daily income is 10 soles/day = $3). The sole computer with internet access is located at the Sociedad de Beneficencia Publica de Guadalupe. The beneficencia charges so much because they must pay long distance for internet service for only one computer. R.C.P.’s program allows for the possibility for more computers on one line, making the service less expensive for users. L.O.J.G. is very excited about this possibility to create affordable public access for Guadalupanos. Through their efforts, the group has aquired office space and a phone line, and with a loaned computer from R.C.P., they can begin the program. Yet, they lack the key component to guarantee the longevity of the program, a computer.
We are asking for donations of computers components (monitors, hardrives of any speed, keyboards, printers) or whole computers to help L.O.J.G. provide an accessible window to the world for Guadalupe. We are returning to the U.S. in less than a week but Raul is returning to Guadalupe in November. It is important that Raul accompanies the computer equipment from the U.S. to Peru to avoid delays in customs that can take anywhere from one month to a year. If you have any computer components to donate please contact us and we will make all the necessary arrangements. You can respond or request more information from us (reach Gabriel Aust at shibby @hotmail.com, Tom Edwards at tommyed@hotmail.com or our faculty advisor at The Evergreen State College, Raul Nakasone at nakasonr@elwha.evergreen.edu. Thank you very much for your time and we look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
"Tom Edwards" <tommyed@hotmail.com> -Gabriel Aust To Main page