Trying to Break the Cycle

EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT PATH to get personal and family development and consequently of communities and countries. However teenagers living in very poor neighborhoods, like many here in Chimbote Perú, and want to continue studying after having finished high school have to face, together with their parents, the ever-present concern which is to get money to provide food for the entire family to be able to eat every single day. A majority of adults have no access job leaving families also with little access to medical care

On this context parents can't afford to send their teenagers to university nor technical school even though they would want to; others families will have to do great sacrifices beyond their expectations destabilizing them financially. But if people don't receive education, how could they ever break the cycle of poverty?

Considering this reality, the "Dollars for Scholars" and "Leaders for Tomorrow" programs of CHOI, are looking for 35 new young people, among all those in need that belong to poor neighborhoods surrounding "La Victoria", to offer them financial aid for each of them to be able to study a professional career until they will get their academic degrees.

That's why leaders of these educational program gathered young people and some family parents at the Corazón de Jesus parish located in "Ramal Playa" neighborhood to explain them on this posibility. They all have heard about requirements and conditions to be one of the recipients. So they will have to bring required documents for their correspondent evaluation until November 30, 2009.

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Peruvian Choir Visited the USA

FATHER JACK DAVIS is a catholic priest here in Chimbote whose parish called "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" ("Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro") is located among many poor neighborhoods. Born in 1942 in Devils Lake, North Dakota-USA, ordained as a priest in 1969 and since 1974 serves as a missionary priest in Chimbote (chim-boh-tay). He is concern for the poorest that's why he has dedicated his life efforts to serve them.

He has friends in the USA whom he writes letters sharing on extrem poverty in which most of families of neighborhoods surrounding his parish live (regardless of the many ones located beyond his parochial jurisdiction in Chimbote). He has also spent many hours traveling and speaking in the USA in order to share about need to assist the poorest parishioners.

In 1991 a group of enthusiastic young men and women from his parish formed JUPUSA in an united effort to create a parish choir. The goal was to "encourage the parish community to celebrate through songs dedicated exclusively to God". JUPUSA means in Spanish "Jóvenes Unidos Por Una Simple Amistad" (Young People United by a Single Friendship).

Fr. Jack has arranged for JUPUSA (about 20 young people) to accompany him to the United States (from April 19 to June 27, 2009 ) to show gratitude to the benefactors. They were visiting severals cities in the USA. Now they have returned Chimbote with good experiences to share.

Hunger Only For Food?

I wanted to share with you all this video which shows us the reality about hunger in many countries around the world. Perhaps some images are a little shocking but that is the truth and we can't deny it. As always children are the most vulnerable people in situations like this and whenever hunger is unbearable they feel satisfied by eating any kind of food no matter where it comes from,... even from the leftovers of others.

But there is another kind of hunger inside every human being and not only children. You can satisfy your hunger for food in many ways (children on the video do in an extreme way) but if you are not fed for love you still feel hungry very deep inside you, in your soul, even though you have eaten.

Perhaps not all of us have capacity to solve hunger for food wherever we go but the good news is that each of us has capacity to solve hunger for love of people wherever we go by giving affection to the others who are very hungry for being loved or just by listening to them with empathy. We can decide not to give only our love leftovers but to sow a good seed of love and this way becoming feeders for each other.

The Book of Proverbs says about: "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet" I belive this Scripture is also applied for those who are emotionally hungry.

Running For Peace and Health

And the day came!!! June 20th at about 10:00 a.m. it was saw several people among young and adult gathered at public square of Chimbote to paticipate in the first INTEGRATON 2009 which consisted of a Charitable Marathon for Peace and Integration. Also members of public Security of Chimbote (SERENAZGO) were present to collaborate in that event together with police officers and an ambulance from a local hospital.

CHIMBOTE INTERACT CLUB (whose members are teenagers) set up this event which was sponsored by CHIMBOTE ROTARY CLUB and they all were checking and supervising the normal development of the activity. The notice was welcomed by residents since it was intended bring together people not necessarily athletes such as students, employees, workers, professionals, businessmen and housewives regardless of age, sex, belief or political symphaty so that through practicing a healthy sport we all are able to avoid a sedentary life and also helping out to deal with polio disease for in a close time we hope to eradicate this desease from the world thanks to collaboration of those willing.

So, college studients and workers, high school studients, young people, family parents among others were participating that day. Running started in Chimbote public square then following along the whole Pardo avenue (one of the two main avenues in Chimbote) to "Manuel Rivera Sánchez" centenary stadium. Runners were cheered by residents as they were running and the first ones who got the goal received nice t-shirts and participation certificates outside of stadium. That was a great initiative boys and girls from CHIMBOTE INTERACT CLUB!!! Let's keep working for well-being of people.