Gunvor and Mads of Denmark, heroes of the children, hearts of gold
When you volunteer with Changes for New Hope, you are touched by the
experience as much as you touch the hearts of the children. In December
2012, Gunvor and her friend Mads joined us from Denmark. More than volunteers,
they were heroes to the children. This is Gunvor's story:
I arrived in Huaraz not really knowing what to
expect from the following two weeks. I did have a lot of information about the
organisation and had been in contact with Jim, so I had an idea of what I was
getting into, but the internet can never really prepare you for the real life
experience. I knew that I would be getting to know some of the poorest people in
Peru and that I would see a completely different side of the country than the
one I had experienced in Lima and at the major touristic sites. And I was truly
looking forward to the
experience.
Arriving in
Huaraz
I arrived in Huaraz on the 8th
of December 2012, around one and a half month after I had first contacted
Changes for New Hope. Jim met me and my friend Mads, who was also volunteering,
at the bus station and led the way to the hostel, Caroline Lodging, where we
stayed while we were in Huaraz. The hostel is highly recommendable and the
family who runs it is very kind and helpful – and it’s cheap.
We arrived on a Sunday, which is the day of
the week where there is no volunteering to be done. Instead we went hiking with
Jim up one of the mountains and got an amazing view of Huaraz and the
mountainsides that surround the city. At the same time we got to know more about
Jim and the organisation and were prepared to start the work Monday
morning.
Meeting the Children and
Families (and other projects)
We
started Monday with helping at one of the other projects Jim is also involved
in: the comedor.
The comedor is a place where
it’s possible to buy lunch for just 1 sol and the people who come there are
generally people who have a job but who can’t afford buying lunch other places.
We helped serve the customers and washing the dishes afterwards. To my surprise
washing dishes was something you did in cold water and I doubt that any European
health organisation would have been happy about the way things were done, but
all this was made okay by the fact that the people running it and the customers
were grateful and kind people. The first day we walked in there we got a big
round of applause – just for coming. That’s something that makes you want to
help!
After helping at the comedor we went to
the group of children closest to the hostel in the area called Challhua. I think
we had around 30 children there aged somewhere between four and 14. Jim’s helper
Charlie – a Peruvian teacher – took care of the older group while Jim, my friend
Mads and I played with and helped the younger ones. I know some Spanish which
helped me communicate with them. My friend Mads who doesn’t know more than the
very basics of the language found other ways of communication and even though
the language can be a barrier, children are amazing in the way the try to
understand you. They don’t give up just because you don’t understand them the
first five times. This first experience with the children made me happy about my
choice of coming to Huaraz and I started looking even more forward to meeting
the other groups.
The next day, Tuesday, we
went to Santa Rosa which is a small group of houses about 7 km outside of
Huaraz. This was, without doubt, the group I liked the best of the ones we
helped. Already the first day we went there we were greeted with open arms by
both the children and their parents. It’s quite extraordinary how involved the
parents of Santa Rosa are in the project. Mads and I had bought LEGO with us
from Denmark as a present to the children and they absolutely loved it. They
were very creative and also good at sharing. Before we went back to Huaraz we
played volleyball with some of the older children and parents. They were really
good at it! So if you want to practice your volley skills I can definitely
recommend this group of people. The net was put up on a slightly sloping dirt
road but this didn’t stop it from being fun. This was one of the experiences I
have clearest in my head. The fact that you don’t need a perfect pitch to play
and at the same time it made me much more appreciative of what I have in Denmark
where I come from and how lucky we are the ones of us who are born into Western
middle class families.
Another group is
located in a place called Secsapampa, it is close to Santa Rosa but further up
the hill. The road up there mainly consists of dirt which makes it impossible to
get up there when it’s raining. The same is the case for the fourth group at Rio
Seco where Changes for New Hope doesn’t have a house and therefore depends on
dry weather. At Secsapampa, after our first visit, one of the little girls
hugged me and told me that she would miss me. Again an experience that shows the
gratitude that children who are part of the project show to the volunteers who
come to them.
Seeing another side of
Peru
Volunteering with Changes for New
Hope turned out not only to be an option to help children in need but also a
chance to get a closer insight in Peruvian culture and to help other groups as
well. As an example, one of the other things we did was to go to a private
school where one of the teachers offers an enormous support to the project. To
repay his kindness we went there to an English class basically just to speak to
the children in English. We also visited local markets and restaurants. On the
second Sunday we were there Jim and the guys at the hostel helped arrange a
horseback riding tour close to Huaraz which was an amazing experience.
Jim is also very involved in art and helps the
children improve their self-esteem through artwork. We helped the children draw
and paint and also worked on sculptures. All this ended up in the biggest museum
in Huaraz where the children could see their own art displayed and which will,
hopefully, make them appreciate themselves and what they can do more.
Unfortunately for Mads and I the opening of the exhibition was right after we
left Peru, but judging from the pictures I’ve seen it was a huge success.
Another thing I noticed was how appreciative
the children of the project were. An example: giving them a little bit of
Play-Doh and you would make their day – even though they had to give it back by
the end of the session. From my experience with Danish children most of them
would probably have complained they didn’t have more colours to play with. This
is of course a natural reaction when you are used to having a lot of different
toys and getting most things you wish for at your birthday. But it was life
confirming to see that it doesn’t take a lot to make these children happy and
give them a better day, and from that starting point hopefully a better life.
My final words will be on what I liked most
about Changes for New Hope and Jim as its founder: The organisation does not
help everyone who puts their hand out. They have to show that they want to be
helped towards a better life and that they are willing to take responsibility
for their own life. The people who just want more and more and doesn’t do
anything to change the way they live to become self-supporting are not helped by
the organisation. I think this is the right way to do it. And if some people
from the last group changes their mind and wants to make an effort, then the
door is of course open to them.
All in
all volunteering with Changes for New Hope is something I can recommend to
anyone who really wants to make a difference for Peruvian children. Volunteering
changed my view of life even though it was for such a short period of time and I
hope that the days I spent in Huaraz had a positive influence on these children
and their families.
--- Gunvor
Platou
Changes for New Hope
“I remember this little girl that humbly and
curiously asked me where do I come from. Europe I replied. She then kindly asked
to take more photographs of her, wondering whether I would take them back to
Europe. I played and told her stories from Transylvania. I think she enjoyed my
company because when I left she couldn’t stop hugging me. This truly was a very
emotional moment for both of us.”
After returning from Huayhuash we spent one day with
Changes for New Hope. This is an
organization situated in Huaraz, preoccupied with
improving the lives of the poor and underprivileged children and their families
in the Peruvian Andes. Through the dedication of Mr Jim Killon, the founder and
president of the organization, along with volunteers and supporters worldwide,
Changes for New Hope aims to help families living in poverty to become
self-sufficient, to develop opportunities for children to reach their fullest
potential and to enhance the level of respect, self-esteem and community
awareness. We met
Jim at Caroline Lodging, a hostel where we stayed while being in Huaraz. Jim
invited us to see some of the children he works with, not very far from the
hostel in an area known as Challua. The area is pretty much situated in the Rio
Santa floodplain and the adobe buildings where the children and their families
live lack electricity, continuous running water and basic sanitation. The
average age interval was between 4 and 12 years old. We were surprised to be
greeted with applauses by the children. They were very happy to see us and
showed great interest in our cameras and tripods. We played with Lego, and
communicated with the children, showing them where we come from on the plastic
Earth as well as photographs from the places we’ve explored so far in Peru.
We’ve also photographed and video recorded every activity observed during our
visit focusing more on the children. I was particularly impressed by some of the
their humble and mannerly behaviour but also their signs of depression and low
self-esteem. Very intelligent, they asked perceptive questions about us. The
main objective of the organization is to educate the children and eliminate
desperation and depression that exists amongst them. Through
art projects, health awareness, nutrition and psychological
assistance, coping skills and support from people all around the
world, these children can become the leaders of tomorrow. “Haz lo
correcto” or do the right thing, respect everyone, respect yourself is their
core message.
By Sergui Jiduc
Our friend Sergui and his team were filming as photojournalist/explorers for National Geographic while in Peru. He is still in contact with us, supports our project and we look forward to the final production of the National Geographic Special that he and his team were kind enough to include us in.
When people ask about giving a donation to this project they are sometimes amazed when I say, ¨Thank you but no.¨ It is not because we do not need support of every conceivable kind to continue our work here in the Peruvian Andes with the children. Much to the contrary, but it is equally important that the sponsor feels an attachment to our project and will be receiving something special, as well as the children, by way of their contribution. It is what made Changes for New Hope more than a job for me, more than a project while I am in Peru but I intended this to be my life´s work. It´s success and progress I consider my personal victory as well.
I gave nothing to the project however I shared everything I had from a place within my heart that grew larger and stronger everytime I trekked up the side of a mountain to meet with the children. It is that incredible feeling of love and ´compassion in action´ that I ask sponsors, donors and volunteers to find through our project and the children.
Sharing means that a part of you joins us, becomes one with our labor of love here and your enhanced compassion begins to touch many other parts of your life.
Every volunteer that has joined us with an attitude of sharing has found this to be absolutely true. They tell me at their farewell dinner that this experience has opened something within them that they never experienced before. It is an awareness that you can not get by saying, ¨I already gave at the office.¨
Don´t get me wrong, donations, whether cash or materials or postcards with messages of hope are all needed and deeply appreciated. We say thank you as often as possible through emails, letters and artwork made by the children and some sponsors have been surprised to find a beautiful alpaca sweater waiting for them in their mailbox.
As you shift your thinking to a sharing mode, you will find that you never ¨gave away your money¨, but that a part of you came with it, you shared it with a project full of children that are yours now too.
When you look in the mirror and feel absolutely great about who you see looking back, you will know exactly what I mean.
**** Siempre mis amigos
Jim Killon
Boots on the ground in Huaraz Peru
 Jim and a warm friend in the Andes
In 1913 at the annual running of the Kentucky Derby throughbred race, a most amazing thing happened. Roscoe Goose rode his throughbred Donerail, with 91-1 odds against them, to victory. It was the greatest longshot victory in the history of the race.
You may be asking yourself, ¨What does a horse race in Kentucky in 1913 have to do with Changes for New Hope in the Peruvian Andes?¨ Well, nothing really, with one small exception. We both grabbed onto a seemingly impossible challenge and with tenacity and determination, overcame every obstacle to achieve an initially elusive success.
There are a few differences though. While Roscoe and his noble throughbred had a finish line to cross, at Changes for New Hope, we have no finish line. I came to Peru with the intention of developing a humanitarian project that would benefit children living in desperate conditions and was well aware that I only needed a one way plane ticket. With just my own savings, a plan and no idea how I was going to do it, I propped up my tenacity with biographies of people like the Wright brothers who, with no more than I had going for them, built an airplane.
Now, anyone can become a ¨one hit wonder¨. If this project was going to simply be an event or an experiment, I could be home before anyone knew I was gone. That wasn´t the plan. This was to be and now is a long term project. One that I am currently preparing to long outlive me. After a few years of careful steps and sorting out what worked and what didn´t, we had grown from one small group of children to a second, then a third and finally a fourth. We maintained the children who were eager to learn and develop themselves. Slowly, as we began showing a track record of new successes, volunteers began arriving, Peruvian and international alike. Like the children, they shared the vision, met the challenges and stood beside me to solidify our goals and plans. Then a few sponsors appeared on our horizon. A few contributors made donations and watched as we grew, carefully into our next phase. But people are reasonably cautious as well they should be. Was our developing success a lightning strike of some incredible luck or had our tenacity, patience and determination to make this compassionate project a reality, unfolded as we planned? If you said the later, you would be right. But there is one question that everybody is asking. . . .
Will They Still Be Here A Year From Now And Beyond?
A fair question and one that needs to be answered with our current and future credibility in mind. Allow me to respond to the query this way, with each passing year, Changes for New Hope expands into new areas within the Huaraz community, but cautiously so as not to deplete our resources. For example, our recent Art Exhibition in the local museum where the children and volunteer´s art was shown was courtesy of the museum director. The reception and materials cost were minimal and much was donated. Our Sports Day event last year was a huge success and brought out many local businesses and families who donated food, water, materials and supplies to make it happen. The Annual Huaraz Benefit Chess Tournaments were sponsored by businesses in Huaraz in exchange for having their names and logos advertised as suporters at the tournaments. The citywide ¨Haz lo Correcto- Do the Right Thing¨campaign which the local press applauded as a success in the betterment of the community spirit of Huaraz was accomplished with local television press conferences and 1000 posters and 5000 stickers distributed throughout Huaraz, compliments of his honor, the mayor of Huaraz, Vladimir Meza and the Director of Tourism, Benquelo Morales. In short, we get a lot of ¨bang for the buck¨. This frees up our funds to be used directly on the children's various needs, supplies and fruits. Its not all about the money, but it isn´t at all about the money. We just do all we can to assure that we won´t fail due to a depletion of funds. This was the first bricks in building our foundation.
There is no shortage of children that need our help. Currently we have about seventy children that we meet with in four groups each week. Two of us are regular, daily faces that they see with shorter term volunteers who join us from a few days to a few months at a time. Over forty five visitor/volunteers have joined us in the past few months which came from the hostel where I currently live. It is our hope that in future years, older children who we have helped will be able to step into the role of mentor and teach the younger children how to become what they now are.
The intrinsic passion of the project within us does not diminish with time, in fact it increases like a bonfire that became all consuming. When we top the mountainside of Secsapampa for example, and smiling children come running toward us shouting our names, hugging us, we just know that we can not ever run out of tomorrows here. We are dug in here, we are a part of their community even though I am a ¨gringo¨from the United States and they are the indiginous Quechua people of the Peruvian Andes. These are some of the developments that make me most proud.
Having said that, while we may not be a Red Cross International, or a United Nations Humanitarian Aid team, one thing is for sure; just like the 91-1 odds that Roscoe Goose and Donerail faced in the 1913 Kentucky Derby, those who bet on them came out winners. We are a small NGO, for now. We measure twice and cut once. As we now enter our fourth year of operations, we are stronger now than ever before. We have the focus as well as the vision to take this project forward to reach many more children that need us while strengthening our present groups.
Your support for Changes for New Hope can help us reach out in those new directions, touch parts of the community that have been neglected by everyone else and give you the personal joy and deep satisfaction that we now share with those who we are helping and who are helping us. Whether you choose to join us by making a contribution, become a volunteer, send us a postcard which we share with the children or just follow us on Facebook, you will become part of a team that has found a purpose, a cause, that is making a difference in the lives of children that would never have had a chance in life any other way. We can all be winners.
Siempre,
Jim Killon
President/founder
Changes for New Hope
Huaraz Peru
Volunteering with your eyes wide open........
Volunteering in countries and with projects that help the disadvantaged and destitute is a noble and admirable pursuit. Thousands of young people from all walks of life set aside a few ...weeks or months of their lives to visit a project somewhere usually in a 3rd world country for the purpose of making the world a better place. And if it was just that easy we would all be very happy campers.
As a founder and president of an NGO in Peru, Changes for New Hope, (www.changesfornewhope.org) I have seen both sides of volunteering. I have been a volunteer when I first came to Peru, worked with an NGO that was ...¨less than I expected.¨ Considering that each volunteer was paying $500 a month, one was hard pressed to determine if the NGO existed for the benefit of the children or for ulterior motivations. I left after just four months. Of course, there are good and bad in every avenue of life.
The flip side of volunteering can be just as disturbing. Imagine setting up an NGO in the Peruvian Andes that is designed to help children in unimaginable destitution. It is what I did with my own life savings because I believe that this project was important enough to merit my full time, attention and support. Not to throw flowers at myself but I live, eat and breathe Changes for New Hope. To make this project the success it should be, it will take more help, in short, volunteers. Serious inquiries only.
While having volunteers arrive is simply a matter of asking for them, the issue comes in the form of volunteers who are...shall we say .. less that fully committed to the project. Everyone has a great first week. It is important to remember that the second week and beyond is just as urgent for you to be there. There will be distractions of every sort from exciting adventures that will last a week away from the project to the Siren´s Calls. A temptation that is too great to resist for some.
Volunteering is a responsibility. The first of which is to make sure that the NGO or project you are considering is genuine and focused on its stated objectives. The second responsibility is to be the kind of volunteer that the project will remember as well as the children and staff that you came to help. Treat it as you would a well paying job. Be on time. Make yourself as valuable to the project as you possibly can be. Support its objectives. You will get out of your volunteering experience what you put into it. Nothing more and nothing less. The attitude that you approach the opportunity is extremely important. There will most likely be some sort of volunteer fees which helps to keep the project running. NGOs with exorbitant fees should be a red flag to you. Fair is a two way street. Pay the fees and be glad that you can help the project this way as well.
Your tourism part of your journey, and there should definately be a time to explore the country and culture you are in, should commence either before or after your time volunteering. When people are counting on you, you need to be there everyday for them.
Lastly, remember to stay in touch with the project after you have ended your time with them. You are not going to change the world in the month that you are there, but you can share your story, your experience and the project with others on your social websites that you belong to. This is called Virtual Volunteering. That reach is far greater than the project could do on its own. Support it financially if you can. Send a letter every so often to let them know you still fondly remember the time you spent there. You went there to do humanitarian work. Be a humanitarian and continue to make the world a better place.
It is a never ending adventure if it is your focus. And it is the most rewarding work that I could ever recommend to anyone. I know, I have been here for years doing it and I never plan on leaving Changes for New Hope, Peru or the deep feeling of purpose that this life has given me.
... Siempre,
Jim Killon
"How many blankets are on your bed?" I asked the children of Changes for New Hope. In the Peruvians Andes at 3000 meters every night is cold, when the wind blows across the unheated adobe houses, it is even colder. I was surprised at their responses. "One, two maybe three" Some children wet the bed at night making blankets unbearable to sleep under. I remember my Boy Scout days camping out in the wide open nights. One thing I remember well is how miserable it is to shiver in the cold of the night. That was a week long camping trip. For these children it is every night, all year round.
Changes for New Hope was not developed simply to scratch the surface of the needs of children living in such destitution. Helping them with their homework isn't nearly enough. A quick meal and a hug is anemic. We need to meet the needs of the children on every level we possibly can and this is one more problem that needed solved. Our "Behind-the Scenes Man" Karl, found 'Space Blankets'.
Space blankets are very thin, thermal barriers that trap body heat from escaping as the children lay in bed. Developed by NASA for astronauts, if it worked on the moon (or the Arizona desert?) it should work in the cold Peruvian Andean nights.
AND IT DOES!!!!! Every child in our project is either using one now or about to receive one. Those using them tell me that it is keeping them warm, less sniffling and coughing from the cold at night and they are sleeping well. Overly tired children can not study well in school, everything is affected in their young lives if they can nit sleep at night.
Space blankets are available online. They are about 3 to 5 dollars USD and lightweight so shipping costs are not an issue. It is the cheapest and most effective way to help those we care about who need our help in s many ways. So far, our "Virtual Volunteers" have provided us with over 100 so each of our children can be sleeping under a space blanket.
Knowing that they are better off makes me sleep at night a whole lot better myself. ~~ Siempre, ~~~ Jim Killon
Recently, I was engaged in a conversation with someone I had known many years ago, lost contact with and was reconnected to him. He asked what I was up to these days. Of course that ignited a conversation about this project, what I was doing in Peru with the children of Changes for New Hope and the progress we are making with them.
Having known him from a church group years ago his comment was marinated with christian accolades and admiration that I was doing a good work for the Lord. The fuse was lit. As patiently as I could, I explained that this is a work that needed to be done. There are children here in the Peruvian Andes lacking the very basics of what was necessary to maintain a healthy or normal life. It did not require a devout man of incredible faith nor a "beam of light from above" to move any person with an ounce of compassion to come to the aid of these children. It was within my power to come here and start a project to help them and I did.
I challenged his accolades by saying that those individuals that we both knew in the church, himself included, who knew of this project, have done nothing more than "pray for us". While the sentiment is appreciated, it is severely anemic when considering the degree of human suffering being endured by these children who lack food medicines, a warm place to sleep, educational inequities and racism. I was well aware that the people I was referring to had substaintial means and an abundance of material wealth, yet were not moved to do more than bow their heads and pray. I posed the question, "Do you know what happens to a hungry child when all you do is pray for them? They will die of hunger."
While I would never denigrate anyone for their sincere religious beliefs, I take personal exception to those who would use that same religion as a means to abort the very tennants of their religion. Case in pont, my friend advised me of the saying of Jesus, "The poor you shall have always." He was not the first to use this verse with me. In fact he was about the fifth "christian" to use the Bible to step away from following the concepts that the Bible teaches. The reasoning is that there will always be poor people, therefore you can not help them all. True enough, but does that mean that we should not help any poor people? Using that same line of thinking, if doctors can not cure every disease, perhaps they should not cure any diseases. I did not care to debate the issue with him. I believe that what you do with what is yours is your own business. No excuses are necessary. Conversely, many christian friends of very limited means have helped this project immensely by putting their faith and compassion into action in many different ways as they were able. I am filled with sincere gratitude for that.
I recently read a quote made by talk show personality Stephen Colbert. He said, ´´ If this is going to be a christian nation that doesn´t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we´ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don´t want to do it.¨
There are some wonderful people around this globe of every walk of life, belief and conviction who have touched the lives of the children of this project, providing them with shoes, clothing, medicine, food and milk, vitamins, school materials and even space blankets. Our hats off to those volunteers who selflessly came to Peru to be a hands on help side by side with me. I agree, the poor we will always have. It is a heartwarming fact though, that there are many many people out there who will do whatever it takes to make sure one less child goes to bed hungry tonight. -- Jim Killon
When Changes for New Hope was first created in 2009, I was told that I had a very steep unhill climb ahead of me. It turned out to be quite an understatement. The challenges ranged from a language barrier to a university professor and his students attempting to "cash in on the unsuspecting gringo". A diamond is formed when a lump of coal is subjected to extreme heat and pressure over time. I saw this project as such a diamond forming. Tenacity and dedication with a clear focus of the project would get us moving in the right direction. I could not do it alone.
The arrival of some dedicated volunteers made it possible to take our first few steps. Locally we had Charlie, William, Fabrizi, Lerner and a few short time helpers. Internationally, some wonderful people unplugged their comfortable lives from around the globe to join us here in the 3rd world Peruvian Andes to help these children. Bex and Chris, Berglind, Hannes, and Katherine just to name a few. Each one brought a new element to the project to the delight and appreciation of the children. I can not thank them enough.
Initially, I funded the new project with my own life savings. Unless your last name is Gates or Buffet, there is an expiration date on your bank statement. Without the compassionate donations coming from people who believed in our project, it was going to be a very short ride. The local community that saw our project in action was kind enough to donate clothing that was too expensive to have shipped in. We found a store that discounted shoes for us. Anti-parasite medicine was donated by Juan. Vitamins for children came from Australia, Canada, the United States and England from some beautiful people. Financial contributions came to us as well from some wonderful folks, some who had visited us and decided that this was how they wanted to continue to help the children. There is no such thing as a small donation. $5 tucked into an envelope and sent to us will feed a child lunch for days. In the United States it is a coffee and a morning newspaper. I have written many times the words,"Compassion without action is like a picnic without food." To see people make sacrifices in their own budgets to help these children is a very moving experience for me. Funds sent buy school materials, food materials the children do not get at home, shoes, which last only a year due to the rains of summer that turn shoes to rags. Donations also buy teaching materials for the project where creative art talents are developed, academics are taught and self development skills take shape.
We finally got the break we needed so much. Julian Lennon, son of the late John Lennon, has a charitable interest, The White Feather Foundation. This foundation has agreed to support our project financially and give us the international publicity that will move us to our pending "tipping point" which will take the project viral. We are no longer an NGO tucked away in the obscurity of the Peruvian Andes. Several hundred new people read about us, many have asked how they could help and offered to volunteer with us in the future. We are still a long way off from the success I have pictured for the children.
We have been asked to expand our project into neighboring towns. We have been asked to bring our essay writing contest to other schools throughout Ancash. We have been asked to open a comedor in Secsapampa to feed the neglected elderly. We are growing specialized crops to curb malnutrition. We are developing lighting projects that will allow children to study after sunset. It will all take much more funding than we currently have, but I am optimistic that our future expansion will be met by the compassion, love and partnership of those who believe in what we are doing and realize that without you, it just can't happen.
In 2009, we were initially viewed by the community as "Oh great! Another NGO here to save the world!" Now we hear quite a different expression,"Changes for New Hope! Thank you for what you are doing for our people." One of those voices was that of the mayor of Huaraz, Vladimir Meza. I recently received a very warm compliment from a friend saying, "You are a beloved figure here in Huaraz now, feel at home." Our project has expanded throughout Huaraz with our Haz lo Correcto-Do the Right Thing" campaign, designed to raise awareness that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
I am confident that 2012 will be the "Year it all comes together" and expands into directions that only a few years ago we merely dreamed would happen one day. Our stumblingblocks of 2010 have become steppingstones of 2011. Standing on top of those steppingstones, we now can see what 2012 will be for us.
I consider everyone who has made this project a success, no matter to what degree, part of the team. I thank you, appreciate you and hope you will always be a part of the development of these children and consider them yours as well.
Siempre,
Jim Killon
**********************************
Below is a listing of the accomplishments that our volunteers' dedication and your loving support has made possible just in this year:
* Interviews and articles with e-publications including You-The Movement, Its One Humanity, Humanityy.com, Volunteer Match, The Omprakash Foundation, The White Feather Foundation, EmprendeSocial and ExpatPeru and Living in Peru.
* The Second Annual Huaraz Benefit Chess Tournament
* Haz lo Correcto-Do the Right Thing campaign, a city-wide project
* Established a relationship with the United States Embassy in Lima to promote English classes in Huaraz with greater proficiency
* Established a relationship with the Wees Kind Foundation that will partner with CNH in an effort to grow specialized crops to curb malnutrition
* Established a relationship with DECIDH which helps local projects with logistics and support
* Established a relationship with the mayor of Huaraz who financed the "Haz lo Correcto" materials (6000 pieces) that were posted throughout Huaraz
* Julian Lennon's White Feather Foundation now partners with CNH
* Local musical talent Richard Colonia now flies "Haz lo Correcto" banner on his stage at every concert in support of the campaign. The message "Respect everyone and respect yourselves"
* The "Tribute to John Lennon" benefit concert and fiesta
* Securing anti-parasite medication for children
* D-Concept Productions has agreed to make a film about Changes for New Hope
* Established free dental checkups for the children
* Established free psychological assistance to families in crisis
* Created the first of its kind essay writing contest in a local institute to promote the theme of "Haz lo Correcto-Do the Right Thing"
* Introduced 'Brain Gym' to the children to develop learning concepts with the assistance of Dr. Danaan O'Leahery, a local trauma psychologist.
* The sponsorship of several local businesses offering assistance, use of their facilities and expertise.
"Satisfaction is for those who are finished dreaming, done creating, and developing what could possibly be. 2012, here we come!"
The following is an article written by Volunteer Match's Laura Weiss from an interview with Jim Killon, Changes for New Hope's founder and president. It shares how we got 'here' from 'there' Jim Killon, Changes for New Hope In 2009, Jim Killon moved to Peru, where he started a nonprofit organization to help impoverished children in the Peruvian Andes. With no funding and no Spanish, everyone told him to give up and go home. Three years later, Changes for New Hope has reached hundreds of children and helped change their despair into real hope. About Jim By Laura Weiss
After twenty years of working in sales, Baltimore native Jim Killon was so moved by the poverty in South America that he spent his life savings to start an organization to improve the livelihood of Peruvian children and permanently relocated to Huaraz, Peru. When he first arrived in Peru in 2009, Jim was not intending to start his own organization. But when he began working as a volunteer coordinator at an NGO, he was immediately disappointed with the way the organization was run. Disillusioned with the corrupt way funds were allocated and the volunteers who seemed more interested in partying than helping, Jim decided that he needed to do more. "I was not content to help a handful of children with their homework and send them on their way…These children wore rags; shoes were literally falling off their feet. They were suffering from malnutrition. Their hair felt like straw," Jim recalls. So in 2009 he began Changes for New Hope, a nonprofit organization focused on providing Peruvian youth opportunities and hope for a better future. "We had to start from scratch," he says. "Respect for themselves and each other became part of the program. Those who arrived simply for the hand-outs left as soon as they realized this was more than a give-away program. We were left with children who wanted to develop themselves into young men and women one day." As a start-up nonprofit in a foreign country, Jim faced challenges that to most people would seem insurmountable. "I had no idea how to read a menu or make a phone call," he says. "The culture and customs were all alien to me. When people told me they eat guinea pigs as food I thought they were kidding. When I found a chicken foot in my soup I was sure it was a prank... I was told I could never succeed." For Jim, the solution to the challenges he faced was passion. "My tenacity drew others to the project and we developed a solid base," he says. "Spanish can be learned, obstacles can be overcome. Naysayers go silent in the face of determination and success." Jim spoke at language centers and universities in Peru to encourage more people to donate and volunteer for the cause. Local poster campaigns and testimonials from previous volunteers helped the project gain credibility and fodder. Jim's passion is obvious to everyone around him. According to Marlie Ferron, a former volunteer with Changes for New Hope, local Huaraz residents refer to him as "Crazy Jim." "Not crazy as in psychopath or lunatic, or out of his mind, but crazy as in one in a million who dropped his life in the United States to come to Peru and just do his best with what he could, no questions asked," Marlie writes on the CNH blog. Whereas three years ago, Jim's life was about the big-city grind, he now spends his days teaching children about the nature that surrounds them and facilitating games of "Gringo Bingo," an English vocabulary game. He does art projects with the children, some of whom have never been able to draw with crayons and paper before. At its inception, Changes for New Hope only reached one group of children, but now Jim works with three groups – about 90 children total. And that number is constantly growing. The program continually adapts to the different teaching styles and hobbies of its volunteers. Jim notes, "Each volunteer has some skill or ability that the children have yet to experience or try. The children are eager learners now and embrace new faces." With the invaluable assistance of volunteers from the US, the UK, Australia and more, Changes for New Hope is able to add new ideas, projects, learning games and choices as materials and donations allow. Jim hopes that in future years, Changes for New Hope will be able to engage Peruvian families to create sustainable business models to raise themselves out of poverty. He hopes that future generations will be able to give their children more than they had as a result of Changes for New Hope. "Mostly, I am happy to see that, while poverty continues, the desperation mentality is slowly melting away… When people realize opportunities are available, hope replaces despair," he says. It is clear that Jim's life has changed as a result of moving to Peru. He lost 60 pounds after living on a Peruvian diet. He's forgotten what "turning on the heat" means. He hasn't driven a car in almost three years. But Jim wouldn't call these changes sacrifices. "I think that had I ever viewed it as a sacrifice, I may have been tempted to throw in the towel and head for a beach in Hawaii," he says. "The reward for me was seeing the results and development of the children and their families." Jim's multifaceted efforts have transformed his life, but he describes it as a "win-win endeavor" that has opened his heart to the beauty and reward that comes from helping others. "No one is telling me to go home anymore," he notes. "This is home for me now." Laura Weiss interned with VolunteerMatch during the summer of 2011. About Changes for New Hope. Changes for New Hope reaches poor and underprivileged children and their families in the Peruvian Andes. Initially developed as an English language program, CNH has expanded to address hunger and health issues in Huaraz, Peru. James Killon, Changes for New Hope c/o Serpost Ancash, Huaraz, Peru www.changesfornewhope.org Check out Changes for New Hope opportunities at VolunteerMatch.
Changes for New Hope has accomplished many of our goals this year, and there is still time left to accomplish even more. One of the things that hasn't happened until this past Sunday was to have all the groups of children in our project meet each other. They knew there were other groups and they were curious to meet them. Katherine, our director, had a plan to develop a Sports Day event for all the children to meet, get to know each other and participate in an event of sports activities.
She soon realized it was going to require more than just stuffing 90 kids into a combie, (a minivan used as busses here in Huaraz) drive to a field and roll out a soccer ball. The event began to take shape with the kind assistance of DECIDH, another humanitarian organization we have partnered with, some wonderful volunteers who offered their time and assistance, a few weeks of gathering donated materials and food, planning what activities would be played and plans on how to keep everyone moving along. There were meetings and ideas and great energy between everyone who was involved. I was impressed by so many rising to every challenge that popped up. Challenges in Peru are like popcorn in movie theatre. Katherine had the tenacity, the motivation and the love for the children to meet everyone of them. Katherine is a winner and I am glad she is on our team.
A simple paseo (field trip) with the children became an event, now named "Los ninos, El Futuro" There was a new field in a local area that we were the first to be trusted with. The games were great and the teams were fully energized. There were talks about dental hygine and toothbrushes were passed out by our dentist friend. Two representatives from the city came to talk about environmental issues, There was a puppet show. There was food, drinks, ice cream, cake, pasteries, pizza, 80 liters of water (trust me when I tell you 80 liters of water is heavy) and all of it was donated by the good folks who have come to know and learn about Changes for New Hope and what we are accomplishing here in Huaraz and beyond. The local T.V. news has been instrumental in sharing our project to the community. The mayor of Huaraz, Vladimir Meza continues to be an active supporter.
In the background was our large banner that beacons the words of encouragement to everyone, "Haz lo Correcto- Do the Right Thing" with our logo which has become ubiquitous throughout Huaraz and the words at the bottom in Spanish and English, 'Respect for everyone, respect for yourself."
There is no turning back for Changes for New Hope and the children who have come to us for many different reasons. The challenges have become accomplishments. Questions have become answers. At the end of the day, children and their families who had never considered the possiblilities of a better life can now dare to dream, expect results and know that tomorrow the sun rises and it rises for them as well.
~~~Siempre, Jim Killon
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