December 28, 2006

Clothing, Food, and School Supply Distribution

We returned to Virgen de Chapi this morning at around 10:00 a.m. Upon arriving we met some brickmakers who offered us a tour of their kiln. The good news, they informed us, is that roughly 80% of the brickmaking operations in this village have switched from rubber tires to wood as the source of fuel for their fires. Wood produces much less toxic pollution, and we noticed an improvement in the air quality since our last visit in October.

Brickmaking oven in Virgen de Chapi

As we drove through the village, we stopped frequently to speak with the residents and distribute food, clothing, and school supplies. In total we provided the following donations:

• Clothing (mostly pants, shirts, and shorts) for 100 people.
• Fresh mangoes, bananas, oranges, and apples for 300 people.
• School supplies for roughly 100 children.

Health Care Screening

The second purpose of our visit was to assess whether any villagers have urgent medical problems that need prompt attention. We identified two villagers who need medical treatment, and we offered to take them to the hospital in Arequipa and pay for their consultations. They are:

• A fifteen-year old boy with a severe ear infection.
• A woman who suffers from kidney stones and ulcers.