| Peruvian Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Lima |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Ethnic groups: | 45% Amerindian, 37% Mestizo, 15% White, 3% Black, Asian |
| Demonym: | Peruvian |
| Area: | 1,285,216 km2 |
| Population: | 29,132,013 (30 June 2009 estimate) |
| Currency: | Nuevo Sol (PEN) |
| Time zone | PET (UTC-5) |
View the image gallery from the 2010 mission
This was an incredible trip for the STIMMA team. We were so fortunate to have 39 people join our team. There were 26 individuals from 4 provinces across Canada and the remaining people were Peruvians who worked side by side with us in the Clinic and at the Children Residence. On top of that, STIMMA hired 40 locals to help facilitate various technical work that needed to be completed. Becky and Veneta headed out first to help get things organized for when the team arrived on November 30.
It was not an easy task to collect supplies from all over Iquitos, load it on the boat, and travel down the river for 5 hours one way, but it was all worth it in the end! The looks on the kids faces when they saw their new beds was priceless. The team arrived on November 30. After spending 2 nights at the airport they all looked pretty tired but were eager to soak in the Peruvian atmosphere. The majority of the team was comprised of new team members that took each challenge in stride and helped contribute to the success of the trip.
The Children’s Residence underwent a remarkable facelift… new curtains, beds, mattresses, quilts and painted walls. The team also built a study room so the kids had a place to do their homework. The community garden was a challenge to get off the ground, but once our skilled leader, Peter, got in there, it all came together. The community doubled the plot of land originally given to us and it was up to us and the 5 locals hired to clear the land and get it ready to plant the seeds.
The Clinic, lead by our new manager, Wendy O’Connor, ran like clockwork. The locals were given 3-6 months worth of multivitamins thanks to generous donations by IronKids Multivitamins and various communities across Canada. We saw over 1000 patients, and on the last day, Jean, one of our most tenured team members, distributed deworming medication and multivitamins to about 300 kids.
The last day was also the day of the STIMMA party to the people of Orellana, our way to say thanks to the community that had welcomed us into their village. We had anticipated 300-400 people – but there were about 700 in attendance!! It was overwhelming to see the response. The locals were treated to panteones and hot chocolate made by the STIMMA team. The team was incredible. Everyone worked together to make this trip a huge success.
We would like to thank all of the members for making this a most memorable trip. You are an amazing bunch of people and we would not have been so successful without the contributions of each and every one of you! Thanks you everyone!!! STIMMA Team for Amazonia 2010 Perry Bateson, Jamie Bateson, Callie Hollness, Lorelei Archibald, Erin Sullivan, Ron Storm, Lise Gysbertsen, Jodie Nagy, Kelly Yuen, Linsay Buss, Andrew Doorman, Allison MacQueen, Veneta Anand, Becky Pagett, Stephanie Tsirigottis, Jessica Vanlauwe, Carey Watson, Jo Thatcher, Leanne Snow, Wendy O’Connor, Liam O’Connor, Peter Darbshire, Erin Hollingsworth, Laura Hanlon, Franciso Linares, Jean Aitcheson. Adele Newton, Adelia Dias. Locally we were fortunate to work with Juvencio, Carlos, Jose, Frank, Freddy, Ronald, Selvy, Daniella, Vladi, Maykol and Elias. To read about the day to day activities of the team visit our blog!