We invite you to change lives in Peru Proposal 2008

1. Nexos Voluntarios We invite you to change lives in Peru Proposal 2008

2. Nexos Voluntarios is a non-profit organization which promotes social volunteering in Peru Objective Nexos Voluntarios aims to promote development and foster an understanding between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres by promoting high quality and effective voluntary activity by foreign and local caring individuals in Peru.

3. We base our activity on a network model to provide comprehensive services to our visiting volunteers • Disseminate the program within their members Foreign Universities NGOs and non-profits Local Universities • Participate through their student bodies, who act as peer volunteers to visiting volunteers • Volunteers receive support from faculty to strengthen their project • Incorporate volunteers within their projects Nexos Voluntarios* Cooperation agencies Corporations Inter American development Bank • Transfer their knowledge to volunteers by acting as mentors • Sponsor the program and support volunteers with materials, advise and technical assistance

4. We would like to invite students related to CDAS to join our volunteering program Components of our Group Programs with Partnering Universities • Participation in an impact-driven social project as a volunteer • Room and board with a Peruvian host family • Contribution to the NeVo Social Fund • Cultural and entertainment activities (tourism, excursions, workshops) • Local peer volunteer program and local intellectual mentors • “Fire-side chats” with a coach • Conversations and round-tables with experts in different topics tables • Comprehensive on-site support (access to the NeVo house, permanent coordinator)

5. Specifically we propose for the CDAS group to work in a community development project in Media Luna Urubamba (Cusco) • Media Luna (ML) is a community situated 7km from the district of Urubamba, (in the province of Cusco) that was founded in 1985. With a total population of 600 people (approximately 145 families) Media Luna has electricity and running water but lacks many components that will help it develop and progress out of poverty, such as: • Adequate infrastructure • An adequate educational level for its population (children and adults) • Adequate health services and public health capacities to promote good health in the population • A culture that promotes equity among men and women particularly in the real of reproductive health and labor rights • An economic activity that is profitable and sustainable

6. To promote the integral development of this community, Nexos Voluntarios promotes working on diagnosing 9 areas of development Key questions The environment 1 What is the current situation of media Luna in regards to the area of development being analyzed? What are the main issues encountered? What possible solutions do we oversee? What is the timing an resources needed to work on these solutions? Are these solutions feasible to implement? Education 2 Economic activities 3 Public Health 4 Transportation and communications 5 Housing and basic services 6 Community-based organization 7 8 Public safety 9 Family life and domestic violence

7. . . . and immediately addressing four of them Issues found Focus of the intervention (initiatives) • ML* has degraded the environment by engaging in extensive tree-cutting • There is no culture of recycling or an adequate waste disposal • Reforestation • Recycling and “ecological bricks” educational campaign The environment • The primary school has only one teacher overseeing all age groups; she is committed but overwhelmed • Participation in classes to support the teacher • Strengthening of basic English language skills Education • There is no sustainable economic activity in the community and they are not benefitting from the tourism boom in Cusco • There are cave-paintings in the community that could be a tourism attraction • Cleaning and signaling the area where cave-paintings are located • Implementing a “marketing” campaign to increase awareness of the cave paintings among tourists Economic activities • There is a major public health issue due to unwanted pregnancies particularly in teen-agers and very poor community members • Implementing a reproductive health educational campaign targeted at: primary and secondary schools and community adults Public Health * ML: Media Luna

8. The group would work for a period of 10 to 12 weeks in two efforts: a diagnostics and planning effort with a long-term vision and an immediate needs initiative Long-term vision Immediate-needs vision 10 – 12 weeks Community development plan Situational diagnostic Focusing on the 9 areas of development, defined by the United Nations methodology, develop a diagnostic of the situation identifying main challenges and develop a community development plan to address these challenges Addressing immediate needs Focusing on the 4 areas of development, address the immediate needs facing the community by implementing previously-defined initiatives

9. The program will cover all the groups needs Group of 8 people: US$ 3,000 per person Group of 10 people: US$ 2,860 per person Group of 12 people: US$ 2,710 • Room and board including lodging with a host family or the NeVo House (shared room, 2 people per room) and 3 meals per day; Mon-Sun except for 1 “free night” per week • Water and daily snacks • Transportation to and from lodging to Media Luna Mon – Thu • Weekly cultural activities, including visits to major Inca and Pre-Inca sites with a professional tour guide; (visit to Machu Picchu is not included) • Transportation to cultural activities • Donation to the project • Full time coordinator assigned to the group • Duration: 12 weeks Fees do not include: Air ticket Montreal-Lima-Cusco-Lima-Montreal Full coverage health insurance