Spring 2014 Week 6

February 24, 2014

First class with LDS Church

Second Class with LDS Church

This week was very important for the SEED program.  SEED's teaching pool has finally been expanded beyond that of workers from Danper, as we have started a pilot program teaching members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Tuesday morning at 8:00, we began our first class.  The first class was small and simple as only 13 students showed up.  We had them stand, tell us their names and what they expect from the class.  We gave them a brief history of the program, and began teaching the first part of Phase 1 from the SEED manual.  The class went very well, though we had expected a few more students.  To our pleasant surprise, 27 students showed up to the class on Tuesday!  We had a very good lesson, and an activity to help them come up with potential business ideas.  We spoke with several of the students after class, and really got a feel for how prepared they are to participate and excel in the program.   

Construction progress on La Academia

Visit to Lidia, who rents out her cement mixer

Summer students at La Academia

One of the students from our class is Gloria who wants to put in a restaurant in her house. She has already started getting equipment little by little. She has talked with a company near her home, DanPer, and she will soon be getting a contract to make lunch for up to 200 of their employees. Once she gets that contract we're hoping to help fund the restaurant so she can work at full capacity. We did the financial projections and the return would be very good.  She also fed us some cuy (guinea pig), and once again proved her expertise as a cook. 

On Thursday we held our last class at the plant at Danper.  We gave them a basic overview of what we expect them to complete in the next few weeks.  We feel we can progress a lot more rapidly just focusing on individual appointments, and getting rid of the Thursday night class gives us more time for appointments.   

Mountain scene near Llupa

This weekend we went to the mountainous region of Huaraz for a mini vacation. We went on a hike to a place called Laguna Churup which is about a 4 hour hike. The elevation at Huaraz is about 10,000 feet and the elevation of Laguna Churup is about 14,000 feet. Coming from about sea level to this altitude can take quite a toll. We had altitude pills and we were careful to take it easy and take breaks. We brought a tent so we could sleep out and once it started raining we set up the tent. We actually didn't make it all the way to the Laguna because of altitude sickness but we were able to see many beautiful sites. 

Waterfall below Laguna Churup

In the city of Huaraz they were celebrating their annual Carnaval. They had a parade and things which was really neat to see. A lot of people in Huaraz wear very native attire which is quite different than what we are used to. The people were very friendly and we had a great time. We stayed at a little hostel that was really neat. We had a great vacation and are ready for another great week ahead of us!

Carnaval -- Huaraz

Natives on ride up to Llupa, stating place for Churup hike.

Plaza de Armas -- Huaraz

Campout near Laguna Churup

Spring 2014 Week 5

February 17, 2014

On Monday we paid a visit to Bertha, who started up an internet café last November.  Her business has been flourishing, despite that fact that it has primarily been running during the off season.  Classes start up again in March, and that should add to her business.  She recently upgraded her internet service, and will shortly be getting a better deal from her service provider.  She has plans to add computers to the upper level of her house once the loan is paid off. 

Monday was also Jake's birthday, big 24.  Some friends threw together a surprise party that night, and it was a night full of fun and games.  The people in Trujillo are very fun and thoughtful. 

 We went to see Aurora with the carpentry business, and checked the progress they are making on their current project.  Alfredo has the doors mostly finished, but has to redo some of the shelves for a bookcase that he previously built.  It is a minor setback, but they should be able to finish it on time. The classes are going well. We split up and talk to students individually to answer questions and help them with what they need at the moment. We are finishing the financial projections of the projects for many of the students. Along the way we have to make many adjustments according to what we see. Not everyone is at the same point but they're all progressing. 

One of our students, Edgar, is developing a plan to start a hardware store. He has progressed very well and has put together an impressive business plan. He has worked in that industry for more than 15 years so he knows a lot and has a lot of contacts for when he starts the business. This week we went to the location of where he would like to put the store. We looked at the competition nearby and talked about what he would do to get clients.  

On Valentines day, we took a friend out to dinner to celebrate her birthday.  We then led her to her surprise birthday party we had been planning with friends for a week.  There were upwards of fifty people in attendance and we had a blast. We danced for a few hours and had a good time with all of our friends. On Saturday we went sandboarding! It's a lot like snowboarding but in sand; it's quite a pain to walk back up the hill in the sand. It was something new, so we had a good time. After sandboarding we went to the Laguna de Conache which is a nice little lagoon. We stayed there for a little while and went back home.  

Spring 2014 Week 4

February 10th, 2014

This week we have were able to meet with Alberto Puertas, director of internships for BYU in Latin America, and Juan Leyva, director of the LDS employment services in this area, about teaching the SEED program to others in the Trujillo area. Brother Leyva was very happy with this idea and is eager to help us. Through him we will be able to find many students to help. We are going to start teaching twice a week at a nearby church which will give us enough time to teach all the material and help them develop a business plan. It's a very exciting opportunity for us and we're happy to help start this addition to the program. 

This week we were able to meet with a few people. First we met with Carmen who has paid back her loan in full and the business is thriving. She fabricates pajamas, sport jerseys, and underwear. She is going to school to learn how to sew other things as well. Since her business is growing she's hoping to get another machine to keep with demand. Once we look at the numbers more we should hopefully be able to help her. 

We met with Rudth who has been approved for a loan and just needs to buy all the materials. She is starting a sewing business where she'll focus on making polos and work uniforms. The loan will go towards buying the sewing machines and she will get all the material. It has been a longer process for her but it is now all coming together. 

Jeanette is the lady who has dairy cows. She had a problem with paying this last month so we went to see what we could do to help. After looking at the information we saw that the business is doing fine, she had used the money for something else. We talked with her about it and she said she'll do better.  

On Friday we had our first individual appointments in Huancaquito with the students from out in the fundo.  We were able to meet with three individuals, and really started making progress with their business plans.  Through individual appointments, we can more easily focus on the students personal needs, and take the time teach them how to write their business plans. 

To celebrate the end of the long workweek, we spent the night in Huanchaco, camping on the beach under the starlit sky.  We passed the time playing games and roasting marshmallows, and just having a good time.  In the morning, we enjoyed a sunny day on the beach before returning home sunburned from head to toe. Lance even tried surfing for the first time ever. 

Spring 2014 Week 3

This week we started, or rather, resumed the classes out in the fundo, or out where they work the fields for DanPer.  Last fall the interns started up the class in the fundo for the first time, and we set up individual appointments to help them develop their business plans next week.   The class is very small, with five or six people, so we will be able to meet with them all individually next Friday out in a region nearer to them.   

We paid a visit to the Academia. They received money to do construction so that they can upgrade the after school program into a grade school. When we visited we saw a lot of students having a great time. In front they have a big pile of rocks which they use as part of the construction needed. They also have a bunch of cement bags for the construction. It is really exciting that they've had enough success to make this their  own school which will teach about 35 students.. This will help the owners as well as the many students. 

We are having the students from the plant come to our office individually to work on their business plans. We spend an hour with each person and are able to teach exactly what they need. It is also a good opportunity to look at the details. With this we are able to advance with more ease.We spent some time on Saturday at the beach in Huanchaco.  An excellent aspect of this program is having weekends off, and having the time and resources to do some traveling on the side.  It is definitely necessary to take a break after a long week's workload.