During this time of year, as Winter
Solstice approaches, there are many festivities held in the city of
Cuzco. The calendar includes many religious festivals and processions
as well as the re-enactment (put on by the city of Cuzco) of the coming
in of the New Sun at Winter Solstice, celebrated by the ancient Andean
peoples. Of course, since there are no written records passed down to
us by the ancient peoples, we don’t know exactly how this time was
prepared for or celebrated, but an elaborate ceremony has been
imaginatively put together for the 24th of June each year. Having
myself been spectator on a number of occasions, this celebration is
truly memorable. Many tourists come to Cuzco at this time to enjoy all
the events. In the village of Andahuaylillas, where the Q’ewar Project
is located, June 17th and 18th will inaugurate the first livestock,
farming and artisan fair held to celebrate the month.
Q’ewar
is still host to many foreigners coming to Peru to visit. JoAnne Denee,
Waldorf kindergarten teacher and Q’ewar doll distributor extraordinaire
(Vermont, USA) came for the 4th year to visit, bringing donated goods
and her generous talents for teaching in the Wawa Munakuy childcare
facility. Julia Nunez, Waldorf teacher, visited also during the month
of April, along with 2 other teachers and 5 students from the Great
Barrington Waldorf School in Massachusetts, USA.
Julia’s
group brought donated clothing to the Project – for both the women and
the children, which were distributed on Mother’s Day. Q’ewar is
thankful to all those who contributed to this generous donation.
Additionally, the group of students helped out on the land, making
adobe bricks for the new workshop that is being built. The
Massachusetts group also went on a 5 day hike to Machu Picchu, using an
alternative route via the sacred mountain called Salkantay. Director
Julio, an avid climber and hiker, joined the group for this trek.
Dan
and Annie, volunteers from Minnesota, USA will continue to work with
the ladies until the middle of July, teaching literacy, basic skills in
grammar as well as simple arithmetic. This skill implements the help
Dan and Annie are giving to the ladies to learn to manage their
finances more efficiently. The ladies are also benefiting from daily
movement exercises which are done by all the doll makers – bringing a
sense of well-being, balance and greater harmony. Additionally, as the
internet connection has finally come to Andahuaylillas, several Q’ewar
ladies have been shown how to use it!
Sally E., Ph.D.
researcher visiting Q’ewar in March, donated a laptop computer to the
Project. This donation is greatly appreciated as we are all hopeful
that soon internet will be available to households in Andahuaylillas,
and Julio will be able to do all his voluminous internet work at home.
Additionally, a digital camera has been bought and so now we can send
off photos via internet to all our friends around the world!
We
close our news with warmest greetings and thanks to each of you, our
dedicated supporters and friends of Q’ewar. May these next
Summer/Winter months, promising much, prove full of adventure and
challenge!
Carmen, Lucy and Julio