A few days before Christmas, the annual Q’ewar Christmas Dinner was enjoyed at the Restaurant āUrpicanchaā on the Huacarpay Lagoon. Sixty-five adults and thirty-five children tucked into good Peruvian fare and played games afterwards ā in between the raindrops! Senor Julio said that all had great fun and the day was a delightful celebration of the year past.
On December 22nd, Saturday, Christmas was celebrated inside the Project with the doll makers and their children. The Peruvian custom of hot chocolate and fancy bread was given to the children in the Q’ewar childcare Wawa Munakuy. To see how much the children enjoy this custom is a sight to behold!
December 26th and 27th saw the visit of some Swiss friends of the Project. Their good impression of the Project and its social initiative certainly will be spread amongst their compatriots as they return home. Usually between Christmas and Three Kings Day, the workshop ladies have a two week paid vacation, but this year, the vacation time will be postponed until the middle or end of January, as there still are orders to be filled.
And finally, on January 6th, a team of 13 medical volunteers from the U.S.A. will arrive at Q’ewar to set up a small clinic for two days. (Please see: http://www.healingperu.org/)
Those Q’ewar workers and their children who wish, will receive free care. Then, the clinic will open to the general village population for two days. The team includes 2 general practitioners, a gynecologist, a dentist, and 2 nurses. A Franciscan Friar and translators will complete the group. The promised donations of medicines, clothing and items for children will be greatly appreciated as well!
2008 promises to be a busy and challenging year for the Q’ewar Project! New opportunities, new volunteers coming to join the work, new ways of seeing ahead to advance the social initiative goals of the Project ā all these the Future promises to reveal!
May 2008 bring each of you, our Readers and Friends, clarity and always a way forward through the challenges and joys of the New Year.
Warmest Regards,
Julio, Lucy and all the Q’ewar workers!