Katitawa School

It's Time To Take The Mystery Out Of These Pictures

2011-12-25T15:08:00.001-05:00

These pictures were taken during an art class when the kids were learning about some of the old masters.

Here they were learning about Michelangelo.

It is not the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but the young artists got a little of the feeling.

Next...Vincent van Gogh.

Francisco adjusts the bandage where part of the ear was severed.

What A Past Volunteers Had To Say About His Time Here

2011-12-24T13:28:00.004-05:00

If you interested in the experience of a past volunteer while here in Salasaka check out his blog. Steve was here during the final weeks of regular classes at Katitawa and for the Vacation School during July and August.

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Another Load Is Heading To The Recycler

2011-11-22T14:34:00.001-05:00

November 2nd. The Day Remembering The "Finados"

2011-11-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

The Recycling Program Is Going Strong

2011-10-01T13:53:00.002-05:00

Every Friday the kids bring in the recycelables in to be seperated, bagged and stored until we have enough for the Ambato recycler to pick them up. A year ago, thanks to the help of a couple of our volunteers, we have a video that is on Youtube.

2011-10-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

A Little Yoga....Makes everybody feel good.

2011-09-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

The First Edition Of Parlante Katitawa

2011-09-18T11:36:00.002-05:00

During the Vacation Classes we published the first edition of Parlante Katitawa. Since the "parlantes", (loudspeakers mounted on towers and scattered around the pueblo) are the principal way of spreading the local news, we decided, as an option, we would give the community something to read.

Our first edition had three advertisements at $0.50 each. The circulation is 200 and is distributed free of charge. Volume 1 No. 2, will hit the streets on tomorrow, September 19th.

A New Sign At The Entrance

2011-09-18T11:33:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Rufino and Juan, we have a new sign....The CECIB is a little hard to pronounce. It means...."Centro Educativo Comunitario Alternativo Intercultural Bilingue". Sorry they left out the A.

A Little Paint And We Are Ready For Another Year

2011-09-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

Just Kids

2011-07-31T16:27:00.001-05:00

More Kids

2011-07-31T16:21:00.001-05:00

What Do The Volunteers Do On The Weekend?.....A ride down the Napo?....Why Not!

2011-07-31T11:20:00.011-05:00

A great trip.

I'll drink to that!

Vacation School Begins At The Library

2011-07-25T16:31:00.001-05:00

The First Experiment With The Zip Line

2011-07-24T16:05:00.004-05:00

Australian Intercultural Exchage

2011-07-24T15:59:00.007-05:00

Here at Katitawa, the kids have an extraordinary opportunity to live their geography lessons. We have volunteers from many different countries throughout the year and each week we have a program called,Intercultural Exchange.

In the text book, there may be a paragraph devoted to different countries, while here the kids learn about real people and their lives....Customs, foods, animals, social differences and a whole lot more.

This week we had four volunteers from Australian.

Big "79"....The best one yet.

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Someone thought I needed a new pair of pants.

2011-07-24T15:25:00.005-05:00

Woodlands Primary School Connection

2011-07-19T09:43:00.013-05:00

First a few words about the Woodlands Primary School, taken from their web page at http://www.woodlands.herts.sch.uk. Woodlands first opened as a Primary School in September 2000 and the Woodlands community is proud of the firm but caring discipline and high standards of achievement.

Woodlands Primary School is a Hertfordshire County, mixed ability, co-educational, day Primary School for children 3-11 years. There are currently places for 270 children in the main school.

The head teacher is Mrs. J. Woods. If you would like to visit the school, do so by contacting Mrs. Woods at 0208-953-2717 or by E-mail: admin@woodlands.herts.sch.uk

And now the "Connection"....On Monday we received a check from the Woodlands Primary School for 472.91 pounds, with a cover letter showing what it was covering.

I also received an e-mail from a volunteer who had been here for three months at the end of 2010, who advised me that the check was coming and that there was going to be a school assembly on the 20Th and it would be nice if I sent them some an acknowledgement. This is the letter that I sent.

Dear Friends,

What a difference one person can make in the direction we take in life.

Let me tell you a story....Last year a young man came to our little indigenous community of Salasaca in the highlands of Ecuador to volunteer his time at Katitawa....A little school
nestled in the hills above Salasaca. His name was David Randell. While he was here, he wrote home to his mother about what we were doing here. His mother just happened to be one of your teachers.

Mrs. Randell was evidently impressed, and talked about Katitawa School and the SKY Ecuador project to the other teachers. As a result, you decided to give us some much needed help.

Yesterday an envelope was delivered to our office from the Woodlands Primary School with a letter and a check for 472.91 pounds. I cannot begin to thank you enough for the fantastic effort you guys made to make this contribution. But I will start with a big Thank You, Thank You and a thousand more.

So you see....one person can change things. So thank you Mrs. Randall for your son David. I understand he is returning this December for a few weeks.

According to the letter that came with the check we are honored that you will continue to support our school and I would like to suggest that we get to know each other, student to student, via the Internet when school starts again in September. In the meantime I invite you to read our blog....www.katitawa.blogspot.com I am making a special page called the "Woodlands Primary School Connection. Check it out.

Thank you again and we will be in touch.

Con Coriño,

Robert

Here are a couple of pictures that I received from David showing some of the promotion that was done on our behalf.

Marilou's And Natalie's Last Day....Love is a many splendered thing.

2011-07-04T17:57:00.003-05:00

As is customary, when a volunteer leaves we have a little ritual that we perform. When the kids see me come out with a medal or two they all want to be the one that presents it to their favorite volunteer. It has become a little game where I wait until the last minute to choose who will do the honors.

For Marilou, I knew that Louis really wanted to give it and when I called on him he kind of fell apart.

For Natalie, Jenny had begged me for the honors.

These three pictures show the love shared between the volunteer and the child.

Last Week In Review. June 7th, 2011

2011-06-12T13:36:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow is a new week and before it begins I think it would be a good habit to get into, of reviewing the previous. I am going to try to make it a habit. Here goes....

We started out the week with eight volunteers, gained one, lost one, so ended where we started with eight.

Steve Banbury arrived on Thursday. He has been working at a small school in Columbia and will be with us for the next two and a half months. Steve will be working on setting up the corriculum for the vacation classes which will begin the 4th of July at our Katitawa Continuing Education Center and Rosa Maria Library, located in the community of Manguiwa, very close to the Pchamama hostel where the volunteers live.

Pananya Kamkourkong, Penny, for short from Thailand left on Thursday for another volunteer position in Korea. Penny worked with the kindergarten class and as usual the kids loved her.

As we are winding down the school year, we will be suspending the regular class schedule after this week so that we can devote time to practice for the celebration of Inti Rymi....One of the major festivals in the Inca culture.

During this past week we had numerous meetings where the plans for the next year were discussed. On Friday we had a surprise visit from one of the founders of the school in 1997....Rosa Maria Masaquiza Chango. She just returned from after working in the United States for several years. It is always a pleasure to have her visit.

International Day Of The Mothers

2011-05-22T19:17:00.002-05:00

The day did not go unnoticed at the Katitawa School. On Friday the 6th of May we invited all of the Mothers to come and celebrate their day.

Rufino and Antonia were in charge of the ceremony and had a variety of silly games with prizes for many of the mothers and gifts for all.

The symbolic mother was chosen by lottery and Marta, our cook who is the mother of Estrella, won the honors.

Maria Pozo our new Administrator was in charge of determining the winners and passed out the gifts.

Rene, one of the volunteer music teachers accompanies a few of the kids in a special song for their mothers.

And of course, a rose for all the mothers.

The party ended with a nice lunch, including cake backed by some of the children.

Why Katitawa Is Important To The Community

2011-04-10T09:52:00.002-05:00

Nestled in the hills, above Salasaca, in the area called Katitawa. there is located a small grade school by the same name. It is here that we transport 16 children and a couple of teachers and, sometimes a volunteer or two, from the different communities in Salasaca. The rest of the children and staff walk, the more or less 3km. It is a beautiful walk and a fantastic way to start a day. The elevation at the school is close to 3,000 meters, (9,000 feet) and for the new volunteers, the first few days will take your breath away and if the altitude doesn’t do it the view will.

Since there are many small schools in Salasaca, some visitors ask,.…Why would someone send their children up here when there is a school a block or two away from where they live? A good question….So at a recent parents meeting, I asked the same question….The answer was, “Because it is different.”

When a group of civic minded citizens started the Escuela Katitawa in 1997, it was described as an Experimental School, an Alternative School. The reason that it was founded was to be different. We have a new education law here in Ecuador that wants all the schools to be the same….and that worries me.

We humans and all other living creatures are not the same....And I am thankful for the difference. Each child is different and they do not learn at the same rate. Just because it is week number 15, they are all not going to be on the same page. Some of the great thinkers of the world were considered stupid in their early years.

We have classes that have eight children. If we need to, we split it into two or three or eight. We can do this because we have volunteers to help us. Several of our students are brought to us because they were number 28 in a class of 40 and were hopelessly left behind. We have a 16 year old who had not been to school since the second grade because his teacher gave up on him. Said he was stupid and could not learn…He won’t be another Einstein, but he is learning and he loves the school.

Classes in Katitawa start at eight and end at 3:15. We added the extra hours this past January. We added classes in Drama, Music, Art, Poetry, Chess and Sports. We are trying to introduce a variety of new ideas and subjects so that the children can find their own way. Even when they are young, they do not all want to go the same direction. They are different and that is good.

Although we are technically a government school, the government has never invested a dime in the construction or maintenance of Katitawa. It was started as a private school, but some years ago the directors joined the Bilingual Department, (Kichwa and Spanish) which has a network of schools and was autonomous from the national education department called Espana. However when they joined this group they automatically became part of the government. (Someday, when I have the complete story I will put it here). Now with the new education law the two departments will soon disappear and a new system will begin. I was assured that nothing was going to change here at Katitawa and we would still be autonomous….We will see.

In years past we rarely saw someone from the Bilingual Department. We were small and we were left alone to do things differently. Now it seems that every week or so someone is here to see what we are doing and tell us that we now have to put everyone in the same little box. It looks like they are trying to bribe us a little, with a few coloured beads, mirrors and trinkets, to get us to conform.

The government does provide some snacks so that we can provide a hot drink with cookies or granola, which we searve at 9:15 in the morning. In years past they sent some other staples, like rice, beans, tuna, sardines and a few other items so that we could provide lunch. However this year for whatever reasons they have stopped doing this. We still provide lunch and we are trying to make it a little more varied….According to some volunteers we still have a long way to go. Next year we will have a whole new system.

The Story Of Alegre and Pepe.

2011-04-09T15:45:00.008-05:00

Natacha, a volunteer from France, came with her brother Yannick, who had volunteered here for a couple of months, two years ago. Like her brother, before her, she came to work and there was nothing that she would not do. One of her passions was working with the preschool kids....Three to six year old.

When Yannick was here in 2009 he started our recycling program. She too was a believer in the project and wanted to get the littlest kids involved. She made up a story of a make-believe person named Alegre and a tree named Pepe. The kids loved it and we continue to tell this story today. Here is her story.

On my home from Katitawa one afternoon I met a magician, who told me about a secret meeting that took place, between all the trees, flowers and all the inhabitants of the forest and Pachamama, (Kichwa for Mother Earth). Everyone at the meeting was complain about feeling ill because of the contamination in the air and soil. The group decided to start with the children of the Katitawa School and see if they could help solve this problem. So Pachama chose me to deliver the message.

Once upon a time there was a peaceful little forest that was very close to a little road. Close to this road was the most beautiful and its name was Pepe. All the creatures of the forest would visit here to play and rest in the shade the branches provided. They all loved Pepe. The humans also love to come and picnic and rest. They too loved Pepe.

As more and more people came they started leaving all of their garbage behind. All kins of plastic, cans and bottles and even the diapers. It was terrible. The animals started to get sick. The plants started to die and Pepe started to loose his leaves and felt really bad. His trunk hurt. As the garbage piled up people started leaving other things. All the garbage from their houses that they did not want....Old refrigerators, TVs....You name it and you could find it there.

Very close to where Pepe lived, there was a little school named Katitawa. He heard from the animals and the Owls who live there that the children were starting a program to clean up some of the nearby areas. So,....One day he visited and found that the children were indeed helping to clean up the forest.

Pepe, returned to his place beside the road and called a meeting with all the inhabitants of the forest and Pachamama. They decided to send Alegre to help tell their story.

So one magic night, Alegre appeared. The children loved him. He told them many things about loving and taking care of everything in nature. And now when you see one of the children with their ear very close to Alegre you can be sure that he is passing on some very important information.

Thank you Natacha.....If I missed any important parts of the story please let me know. We will do our best to keep the legend alive. Natacha is now working in Spain.

The recycling program continues.

Every Friday the children bring in recyclable items from their homes and what they find on the roads. All of the items are counted and each child puts new leaves on Pepe's branches.

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Damien Guillaume pictures.

Why We Need ...Sustaining Members

2011-04-03T09:55:00.048-05:00

I became involved in the school in 2006. I had started a small, very small, English school and library in downtown Salasaca, and somehow, Rosa Maria, the director and one of the founders of Escuela Katitawa, located in the hills above Salasaca, heard about our small school and invited me to come and visit. I accepted the invitation and was led there by one of my first Salasacan friends, Jose Masaquiza, a young man who had graduated from there many years before. Rosa Maria showed me the room that she would like to use as an English classroom and all she needed was a teacher. I asked her to send me an invitation and I would be glad find a way to help.

It is amazing how things just come together. At the little English school on main street Salasaca, I had been teaching the two afternoon classes while running a small business in Ambato. I would leave the business around noon and go to Salasaca, returning around five or six.

One day a young lady from Holland calls me and says she would like to visit the school in Salasaca. I invited her to come with me. We met for lunch in Ambato and then went by bus to Salasaca. She liked what she saw and said she may be able to help. She told me she would think about it and may be back.

I think it was about two weeks later she arrived in Ambato and was ready to volunteer. She may remember this better than I and she is welcome to correct any errors or omissions. Anyway...Janneke from Holland was the first volunteer at the English school and since I had the invitation to start English classes at a real school, she became our first sponsored volunteer at Katitawa. (I had on one occasion visited the area with a group of friends one weekend. Actually we only parked the truck there and I was told that the buildings were a school. It was not until I became involved at Katitawa and while looking at some pictures of my past adventure I realized that I had been here before.)

In the months and years that followed I became more and more involved in daily life at the school. I found that there was no budget for anything that needed to be done. One day Rosa asked if I could help with something that Luis wanted to do. He had a list of things he needed and when I looked at it I saw that it amounted to about $20 of material, and of course I said "no problem". The next day he gave me this very official letter with a request for these materials. Signed by Rosa Maria and sealed with the school seal.

As I became more involved I would start a project and I was told all I had to do was present a list of materials and they would prepare an official request for the things I needed. The first things I needed was a couple bags of cement and some plastic pipe. The letter was prepared and taken to Pelileo where it was accepted but we were told it would take severl weeks for it to be approved. Maybe it was then that I decided that we needed no help for things that we could do for ourselves.

I bought the materials and the project was started and finished in a few days.

I finally closed the business in Ambato and have since devoted all of my time, energy and money to building a better place for the children of Salasaca. I am not rich and my funds are limited. Personally, I have everything I need in this world....I need nothing more. I am doing what I am doing because I am selfish....I am doing this for me, because a life without meaningful work has no interest. I live in a paradise, the school is situated in such a beautiful place that everyday I feel that I am the luckiest guy in the world to be able to work and live in this place.

We instituted a volunteer program where we invite people from all over the world to come and volunteer their time to work at a variety of tasks. Some stay for a few days and others for as long as the law allows. They teach in a large variety of subjects from arithmetic to zoology....Depending on there interest and ability. They build walls, they work in the garden. They do anything and everything that needs to be done. They love the children and the children love the personal contact they have which is normal and healthy. When it is time for the volunteer to leave, 99% leave with a feeling of sadness which is bittersweet. Most say they will be back and some return much sooner then they had planned. They have connected and it is hard to disconnect.

My commitment here has grown and I now find that in order to continue I need some help, and since I still believe that we can help ourselves, and many volunteers leave with the idea that when they return home they would like to help in some monitory way, we came up with SKY...Sustaining Membership. This is a way that they could help and feel connected at the same time. (SKY is the acronym for the Kichwa words Sumak Kawsay Yachay. In English...Beautiful Life Education.)

New Options SKY Sustaining Members.
Believe it or not I have been asked to have a system where a person who wanted to subscribe to more than a commitment of $10 could have a choice. So, not being one to argue we now have three plans. BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD, giving you a choice in the amount that you wish to donate on a monthly basis.

BRONZESILVER
GOLD
We now have 22 members indluding the new members that have joined after we started the membership drive on Facebook. I will try to update this list this weekend.

Naomi Dhillon.........January 16, 2010........Uk
Miloslav Eis..........February 01, 2010.......Czech Republic

Josh Harrison........February 6, 2010..........United States
Silvia Pezzali.......February 17, 2010.........UK London
Sandra Kinne.........March 22, 2010............United States

Wlliam Palmer........April 23, 2010............UK

Tera Brooks..........August 9, 2010............North cote, Victoria, Australia.

Greta Gillies........February 15, 2011.........Scotland

Robert Bell..........February 10, 2011.........Shoalhaven, NSW
Richard McClland.....February 22, 2011.........UK
Holly Walker.........February 24, 2011.........Canada
Toby Rouse...........March 13, 2011............UK
Andrea Chiappello....March 19, 2011............Italy

Enda Sheehy.......April 1, 2011.....Ireland

Chris Mee.........May 14, 2011......UK
Alex Darquea......May 14, 2011......Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Jodie Burton......May 17, 2011......London, Silver
Matthew Russell...May 17, 2011......East Sussex.
Dotahn Caspi......May 18, 2011......Victoria
Anna Burroughs....May 28, 2011......Melborne, Victoria
Megan Quantrill...May.28, 2011......Auxland, NZ
Adam Amer.........June 7, 2011......Buckinghamshire.

It is taking me a while to get all the information.

In The Beginning

2011-04-03T09:29:00.005-05:00

Note: I am going, with the help with all of the people who have been here before me, to tell the story of "Escuela Katitawa. If any of the readers of this blog, past volunteers or founders, have pictures, stories and any other information to contribute please do so. I would like it to be accurate as possible. This story will evolve in bits and pieces....Robert

IN THE BEGINNING

By Popular Demand

2011-04-02T17:40:00.007-05:00

New Options SKY Sustaining Members.
Believe it or not I have been asked to have a system where a person who wanted to subscribe to more than a commitment of $10 could have a choice. So, not being one to argue we now have three plans. BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD, giving you a choice in the amount that you wish to donate on a monthly basis.

BRONZESILVER
GOLD

Gretta From Scotland, Posted This To Her Blog.

2011-02-26T12:49:00.006-05:00

You will see why I love her....Here is her message.

Everyone here at Katitawa School, thanks you.

2011-02-19T16:40:00.001-05:00

We've Modified The Transportation Vehicle

2011-02-18T22:26:00.001-05:00

The transportation that we use to bring the kids to school, always worried me a little when the kids were sitting on the sides of the truck with nothing to prevent them from being bounced out when we went over the bumps in the road which are many. I talked with the owner about installing safety railings and we agreed to split the cost.

The new rails are now installed and I don't have to worry about leaving one of the kids on the side of the road.

In many places in the world this method of transportation would be outlawed, but here the people still have the right to decide what risks they will and will not take.

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A Spectacular Rainbow

2011-01-01T21:10:00.001-05:00

Eric And Megan were here for only a short time but really made a difference.

2010-12-24T12:59:00.002-05:00

December 23rd,,,,The Last Day Of Classes For 2010.

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Christmas presents for all the kids. A gift from the family of one of our past volunteers from Switzerland.

We had a great group of volunteers here at Katitawa in December. They worked hours on the decorations. One of the masterpieces, in my opinion is the Christmas Tree made up of recycled plastic bottles. The tree was designed by Michael and almost everyone had a hand in putting it together.

In the end, unlike most Christmas trees it ended up not in the fire, but back in the recycle center.

Merry Christmas to all. See you in 2011.

Christmas And Kapac Raymi Celebrations Dec. 21 At Katitawa

2010-12-21T21:25:00.000-05:00

Celebrating these two seasons on the 21st of December has become a tradition here at Katitawa School. The celebaration started with a flag ceremony where all the students marched into the small football pitch.

Silent night.
>We endeded the first part of the program with a couple of piñatas.

The second part of the program was the Kapac Raymi celebration. After a short intermission where we gave some refreshments to all of the visitors we reassembled on the grass around the Andean Cross.

The princesses has arrived.

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The First Two Weeks Of The 2010/2011 School Year Are Now History.

2010-09-09T17:46:00.005-05:00

We opened the school year with a small ceremony attended by a few parents, our three full-time teachers and our 10 volunteers. The students returning from last year were amazed at the changes that were made during the two months of vacation.

One of the biggest surprises that met with 100% approval was the re-make of the English classroom. This year we will use this classroom as a combination, English, Music and Drama room. We removed the bulky combination desk/chairs and replaced them with three tables and plastic stools.

Now we can change the class from English to Drama or Music by stacking the stools and pushing the tables against the wall....Giving plenty of open space.

The symbols that were painted on the ceiling gives an idea of what will be taught in this room through out the day.

The Great Wall Will Not Be Finnished By The Start Of School---But It Will Be Close.

2010-09-02T17:25:00.002-05:00

Emmily and Dotahn Write About Their Adventura At Katitawa.

2010-08-29T17:04:00.002-05:00

Two volunteers tell in beautiful words their adventures at the Katitawa School I think you will all enjoy it. http://emmtahn.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/project-sky-week-2/
Thanks Emmily and Dotahn...It was great to have you here.

New School Year Begins September 6th.

2010-08-21T13:49:00.004-05:00

It seems like only yesterday that we had the graduation program, and the last day of the 2009/2010 school year. Now in just two weeks we will begin classes for 2010/2011.

The two months vacations for the kids gave us a chance to work on a few projects that were best done when students are not around. We also conducted two sessions of vacation classes at the library, located in Manguiwa. The real name of the community is Coachabamba de Manguiwa Katitawa....Or something like that.

We are struggling with a proper name for the building that houses the Rosa Maria Library, which includes Internet service that is free for students to do research and for there homework, one room for the preschool kids where we introduce them to the joy that books can bring, a small puppet theater where we have classes in puppetry which we started last May, and two small classrooms where we offer classes in English all year long. How does Katitawa Extension School sound?...Or....Manguiwa Learning Center. More on this later.

The volunteers have been busy in both places these last two months. Sometimes teaching at Manguiwa in the morning and working on the rock wall in the afternoon. Or construction in the morning and library duty in the evening. Library hours are Eight to Eight, Monday through Friday.

Main projects at the school this vacation period have been varied.

Combination bodega, storage room, tool shed and workshop. This small building now has a cement floor, a new paint job that lightens it up to where you can see a little better, and organized so you can find what you are looking for....We will see how long will be possible.

English classroom is getting a new look. This classroom will be used for English, Drama and Music for the coming year. It is not finished yet but will have pictures by the 6th of September when the first class starts.

Hopefully the wall in from of the Andean Cross will be finished in the next two weeks. There is still a lot to do in this area and by December 21st we should have the area in front of the main building completed as planned.

We have had an average of 15 volunteers over the past two months and I want to thank all of you for making this progress possible.

Open House, June 21, 2010

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During Open House, here at Katitawa we celebrate Inti Rymi.

Second Performance Of "The Condor Who Fell In Love"....A delight for the kids of Katitawa.

2010-05-18T17:22:00.000-05:00

Lachlan's Farm Begins In Ernest

2010-04-24T12:12:00.005-05:00

Two of our new volunteers, who had read about Lochlan's farm, showed up with some chickens and ducks. Now you can't have ducks without a pond so we are now finishing up Lochland's Pond.

First we had to leval the area.

Next, build a wall.

Create the form.

Add water and two ducks...Presto, a pond with ducks.

In our our quest to find plastic the right size, we setteled for a used piece that was guarenteed to be free of holes. When we filled the pond, the next day it was empty. Haste does make waste.

We have now replaced the old and now it is working great. (Pictures soon.)

You Did It! The Forest Is Part Of The Katitawa School For The Next Five Years.

2010-04-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

A Thousands Thanks to all of you who sent in the donations to save this beautiful forest. I was thrilled when I saw the donation by two of our volunteers who were here a year ago. One day we were short $355 and on Easter Eve we had the $500.

I met with the owners today and they will draw up the lease agreement and as of the 15th of April it will be legally ours to use and enjoy until 2015. They will also work out a price for the property that will be well below the $10,000 that they gave me a few months ago. We will wait and see what they come up with.

Thanks again for your help.

The forest that we want to save is to the right of the pre-school classroom.

This is that same classroom and forest 12 years ago.

2010-03-26T18:45:00.001-05:00

Katitawa Is Looking Better And Better

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Flag Day Ceremony February 27, 2010

2010-03-18T10:44:00.002-05:00

We Would Like To Save The Forest Update No. 1.

2010-03-04T21:04:00.001-05:00

I had the second visit from the owner of "The Forest" last week and was told that they would be cutting the trees soon. I asked him how much money the tree cutters were going to give him and he said around $500 depending on how many trees. So that is about $10.00 a tree.

The owners will give me a rental contract for the land with the trees in tacked for five years for $500.00. 15 hundred for 15 years.

I brought the subject up with the volunteers last Thursday and two volunteers gave me $10 each and one said she would give me $70.

With that kind of help and the fact that the other volunteers are ready to chain themselves to a tree when the Evil Tree Cutters arrive, I am going to do my best to make a deal.

If you would like to donate to the cause, we would welcome your participation.

Here in Salasaca, if you look around the hills you will see many saml and large stands of pines. These trees were planted 10 to 15 years ago by the property owners as an investment for the future. Nothing to do with ecology, but as a cash crop like corn or potatoes.

Here at Katitawa, we have a small forest of about 50 trees that are now ready for harvest. It is a beautiful area and the owner has given us permission to use the area as we pleased. Needless to say the kids and everyone connected with the school loved the area. Two of the coldest nights in my life were spent on a hammock suspended between two of those trees....unforgettable.

On one occasion Adam, one of our volunteers decided to have a cookout and sleep-over at the school on his birthday. It was a great party and I don't think anyone who was there will ever forget that night in the forest.

On Sunday, the owner told me they were going to cut the trees....I could not believe it. It is a terrible sound when you hear the chain-saw in the distance and it make me angry, but they have every right to do it. I asked the owner how much the trees were worth and he told me $500. I told him I would like to buy the trees not cut them. Then in 15 years we could buy them again. His reply was "Why not buy the the land with the trees and do what we wanted". The price....$10,000.00.

So we have two options. Buy the trees now and the property later, or buy the property with the trees now.

2010-02-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

Open Letter To All Of Our Past Volunteers

2010-01-31T20:55:00.002-05:00

I am writing today to all of our past volunteers, asking you to consider being a sustaining member of SKY….Sumak Kawsay Yachay, the Ecuadorian foundation that has been funding the projects that we have been doing here in Salasaca.

As many of you know, the main source of money has been from me personally. I am doing what I want to do and as long as I am able I will continue to fund the foundation. We have a few donors that have been a great help in keeping the projects going and we are thankful for their support.

I am also thankful for my continued good health which allows me to continue working, because for me, without meaningful work, life would not be the fantastic adventure that it is today.

The reality is that I am four months away from 78 and although I plan to be around for many more years I would like to start planing for the future.

As we begin the new year I am asking all of you, who have experienced firsthand Katitawa School and were touched in a positive way by the unconditional love expressed by the children, to commit to a $10.00 (or more if you feel led to do so), per month donation. You could even convince some of your friends to make Katitawa School their favorite charity.

PayPal makes it easy to donate and the cost for us to receive the money is only 3.9% plus $0.35 per transaction. So for every $10.00 donation we receive $9.26. If you would like to be a member of this very exclusive club, just click on the Subscribe Button below.

We will set up a special page for the sustaining members on the blog and include in that page information especially for the members.

I look forward to hearing from you even if you are not able to make a donation.

Con coriño,

Robert

Lachlan's Farm Soon To Be A Reality.

2010-01-09T10:53:00.007-05:00

Why Lachlan's Farm?

In the summer of 2009 Greta Gilliss from Scotland was volunteering here in Salasaca when she received news that her cousin was killed....Here is her story.

"Lachlan Gillies 1992-2009
Our cousin Lachlan died mid 2009 as a result of a road accident in our home country, Scotland. He was only 17 years old. He was much loved by his friends and family and a real smarty too (he got the joint dux of his school that year). He was about to embark on a year of travel before starting his university studies in science.

My brother, Arran and I were in South America when we heard of his death and I was working at Katitawa. A few weeks before this, Robert mentioned he'd like some animals at the school and remembering this I asked my brother if he'd like to help me provide the start-up funds for a wee animal farm in Lachlan's memory. He said yes, then came to Katitawa getting started on the area, making protections for the trees. A farm was particularly significant for us too because we were all brought up on one. Lachlan had also been considering travelling in South America, so it was like he actually made it here.

Personal reasons aside a self sustaining farm would be great for the school, providing food for school lunches; produce to sell and helping educate the kids about animals. Really, its a win win situation, we remember someone by doing something positive. Shouldn't that always be the way?"

After several months of delays because of the other projects we have been working on, we are ready to start on the Farm.

We will begin fencing the area and then introduce a couple of burros, sheep, and goats. We will move the chicken coup up from the garden area and start raising chicken once more. All of the animals will be untethered inside the area.

2010-01-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome To Our Annual Christmas And Kapac Raymi Program

2010-01-01T13:35:00.009-05:00

I am working on this page, with the slowest connection I have ever had. Please come back often. Sorry

Buenos días y bienvenidos a nuestra anual programa de Navidad y Kapak Rami aquí en la Escuela Katitawa.

Today, the 21st of December, the ritual of Kapac Raymi is celebrated in Salasaca and the the other regions of the Andes. It is known as the Grand Fiesta Of The New Life. It is a Festival dedicated to the continuation of life with emphasis on the young people and children.

Hoy 21 de diciembre en Salasaca y en las Regiones Andinas se celebra el ritual del Kapak Raymi conocida como la Gran Fiesta de la Nueva Vida. Es una festiidad dedicada a la Continuación de la vida, con Énfasis en niños y jóvenes.

El día 25 se celebra la Navidad. Ambos son festivales de esperanza y felicidad.

Hoy también estamos celebrando casi terminado el proyecto que comenzamos en junio pasado 28, cuando Ángel y yo, con la ayuda de su amigo con una motosierra, se quitó el gran árbol que estaba delante de este edificio.

A partir de las dos pequeñas aulas, y cuarto de baño, continuamos con las paredes, pasillos y la Cruz Andina que ha significado para la celebración de nuestro Kapak Rami hoy. Y es por eso que estamos inaugurando en todo el proyecto, aunque no se ha completado.

Ha sido un largo de seis meses desde que empezamos, pero el final está a la vista.

La razón por la que elegimos este proyecto era doble. Teníamos que los salones de clase adicionales y que teníamos que hacer algo sobre el polvo y la arena que invadió todo hizo imposible mantener las cosas limpias.

Queríamos crear algo en esta área que se resolvería el problema de polvo y arena y, al mismo tiempo tienen un significado cultural. Cuando hayamos terminado, espero que tengamos éxito en ambos aspectos.

Quiero agradecer a todos los voluntarios, pasado y presente, que han dado su tiempo y energía para hacer posible este evento. Ha sido difícil a veces pero ha sido satisfactorio y gratificante.

También quiero dar las gracias a todas las familias de los estudiantes que se produjo cuando le pide que haga algo del trabajo atrás de última hora que había que hacer. Y lo hizo con el buen humor que siempre forma parte de una minga.

Este proyecto nunca habría sido posible sin su ayuda.

Gracias a todos.

Merry Christmas to all.

2009-12-26T08:59:00.002-05:00

The Christmas program went well. You will love the pictures. Give me another day.

It Has Been A Long Time Since I have Posted.

2009-12-12T21:42:00.002-05:00

We have been busy here and the time spent on the Internet has been minimal and on this blog....almost zero. I promise an update on what we are doing here at least twice a week.

We are trying to finish the Andean Cross in the front of the new classrooms by the 21st of the December when we will have the official inauguration of the the construction project that we started in July.

I am having trouble posting the pictures that we took today and hope to have the problem solved tomorrow. Please check in tomorrow.

2009-09-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

2009-09-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

2009-09-27T16:16:00.000-05:00

2009-09-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

First Day Of School, 2009

2009-09-07T21:39:00.001-05:00

This picture of the opening day ceramony was taken in front of the two new classrooms.

Soory we did not get them finished on time. We are still working on them and hope to have them finished soon.

2009-08-06T18:40:00.003-05:00

2009-08-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

Day 25....32 to go.

2009-07-30T11:01:00.001-05:00

The volunteers are fantastic.

Day 17. Forty More.

2009-07-22T15:06:00.005-05:00

Football Pitch Has A New Look.

2009-07-22T14:56:00.003-05:00

The pitch is looking more and more like a indoor pitch. Let's see how the kids like it come September.

Next stem....Paint the boards.

Day 15,... 42 Days Until The First Day Of School

2009-07-22T14:48:00.001-05:00

Day Nine....49 to go.

2009-07-14T15:10:00.001-05:00

Working on the "cadenas"....among other things.

Day Eight....50 to go.

2009-07-13T18:12:00.003-05:00

A couple more volunteers arrived over the weekend which pleased Rufino.

Work on the "cadenas" starts this afternoon.

Greta, from Scotland prepares the food for the crew.

Serendipity

2009-07-12T17:28:00.003-05:00

While walking home from school, about 4PM, I was treated to this unexpected viewing fo Iliniza Sur and Cotopaxi.

Day Four....54 days until completion.

2009-07-08T18:59:00.007-05:00

Meanwhile....Julie from Austrailia, is transplanting the plants that were in the way of the new construction.

Julie is leaving tomorrow, so we had a little party at lunch.

Day Three.....55 To go before completion.

2009-07-07T17:58:00.001-05:00

The machine arrives....A little late but it's Ok.

Wait a minute....It looks like we haave a little problem. One thing about these machines you don't need a jack.

I hope Rufino and the operator find all the parts.

Not to worry....Two hours later it's back in service.

Construction Project Has Started....Right on time.

2009-07-06T19:15:00.001-05:00

Saturday we cut down the two eucalyptus trees that stood in the way of progress and today with the help of Criss and Steve from the UK the cement walkway was broken up and we are ready for the skip-loader to remove the earth making way for the new construction to begin.

We Broke Ground For The New Classes Early.

2009-06-28T18:28:00.014-05:00

During the Open House preentation that was held on the 18th of June, we decided to include the ground-breaking ceramony in the program.

We are pleased to anounce that the total cost for the new addition is in the bank. We want to thank one of our supporters who got his friends together and made this project possible. You all know who you are and we thank you very much. Come on over for the September 1st ribon cutting. Every one here at the school would love to shake you hand.

If you click on the picture you can have a better view of the addition and the area in front of the classrooms. This is an important part of the project as it will eliminate a major problem that we have....The controp of the volconic dust that drifts into the classes on both levals. We are still accepting donations for this project. If you would like to help, please feel free to push the donate button below.

Marcelo, the president of the community, Manguiwa Katitawa, of which the school is a part of, is ready with his shoveful of sand.

One of the officials of the Bilinguel Department dumps the first load over the side.

Just Completing The Secnd Waterless Bathroom.

2009-06-28T18:21:00.006-05:00

The pre-school kiks have been using too much sawdust so we are building their own bathroom righ outside the classroom. Hopefully they will receive more personal attention when they use the toilet.

2009-06-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

2009-06-11T19:20:00.000-05:00

2009-06-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

2009-06-08T14:57:00.001-05:00

2009-06-03T16:56:00.000-05:00

Vacation Plans

2009-06-01T19:01:00.004-05:00

On July 6th we plan to break ground on this project that we have been planning since last October. We hope to have it completed by the first day of the new school year, which is September 7th.

The first pisture is what the area looks like now. The sandy area in front is made up of volcanic ash mixed with fine sand. And when it has not rained for a day or so, is an inexhaustible source of dust which is tracked and blown into the classrooms on both levels.

The lower level houses a small classroom to the right and a bathroom.

This is what this area will look like in September.
On the lower level we will have one more bathroom and two new classrooms which will be the same size as the one at the far left.

Seven Volunteers Left Today

2009-05-15T18:14:00.000-05:00

2009-04-25T13:25:00.000-05:00

2009-04-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

2009-04-16T20:29:00.000-05:00

2009-04-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

2009-04-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

They've Got Rhythm

2009-04-10T11:43:00.001-05:00

This past week the kids and volunteers have been busy making musical instruments out of plastic bottles, tin cans and sticks. This morning we had a concert.

I am not sure if it was the music or if they thought the volunteers had suddenly gone mad. The participation was slight as most just stood around and stared.

You can't win them all.

When Friends Leave, It's....Bittersweet

2009-04-10T11:13:00.001-05:00

Today was Xavier's and Jacob's time to leave. Luis gives his usual "Thanks for Coming" speech, which he is quite good at even if he does forgets a name once in a while.

We have a comment book that each volunteer is asked to leave a comment about their time here....Jacob, adds his. Jessica always has a smile for the camera, and Alex almost always cries.

Volunteers, They Come And They Go....But are rarely the same.

2009-04-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

The Katitawa Players Put On their Third Skit....When the bus is full.

2009-04-05T19:40:00.002-05:00

On Friday we continued out series of skits put on by the volunteers bring to life our new code in an entertaining way. Scene One: All of the seats are taken on a local bus, and an old man gets on and there is no seat. Finally one of the passengers gets up and gives him a seat. He is followed by a mother with a baby in her arms followed by a pregnant women. Each in turn is given a seat.

At the end of this act, Luis discusses this with the class and even takes it further to include behaviour in the dining room when the larger ones crowd in front of the smaller children.

Scene Two: A woman walks by and falls dropping her purse. Of course some thought the one of the crowd was going to pick it up and run, but instead they helped her up and gave her her purse.

When the skit was finished, Luis had the some of the class take the stage. The bus was full and here was a blind man, played by Santiago and he had traveled the length until Alex, (the driver), stopped the bus and brought another chair and put it next to him so that he could sit down.

The kids had several different scenarios that included even the smaller children. It showed that they understood completely the lesson

Getting Ready To Plant Some Corn.

2009-04-05T19:31:00.001-05:00

Cricket In Ecuador?????

2009-03-27T20:01:00.002-05:00

It was bound to happen....With three volunteers from Australians, two from South Africa and one from England, cricket has replaced soccer. At least for a few weeks.

A Lot Of Fun Things On Friday's.

2009-03-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

Today we had another skit by the volunteers. The subject was "Conduct In Class".

A few of the volunteers joined in during the Friday folkloric dance class.