Let's End Polio Now

Starting celebrations for Chimbote City' Jubilee, which is called "San Pedrito" Holiday, it will be performing the first INTEGRATON 2009 consisting of a Charity Marathon for PEACE and INTEGRATION (non-competitive) which will take place on Saturday, June 20th, 2009 at 9:00 am.

Participants will depart from public square of Chimbote to "Manuel Rivera Sánchez" centenary stadium going across José Pardo avenue. This event is organized by INTERACT CLUB CHIMBOTE a program of INTERNATIONAL ROTARY and here in this city of CHIMBOTE ROTARY CLUB. Rotarians Clubs organize and sponsor this service organization to young people from 14 to 18 years old. INTERACT works over 10900 clubs in 121 countries.

Members of INTERACT CLUB CHIMBOTE expect sensitize, raise awareness among citizens of Chimbote about the need to eradicate polio not only in our city but all around the world through their valuable collaboration for children living in extreme poverty. We hope residents of Chimbote respond to this admirable initiative.

Leaders For Tomorrow !

After a student of secondary level finishes his/her studies at school he/she has to face the reality of studying a professional career at any higher studies center. Teenagers here in Chimbote would like to follow the path of study. Many of them thinks of preparing for a better future by studying at university, technical institute, etc. but unfortunately most of them are not able or won’t be able to come true their dreams of becoming a professional because don’t have enough money, support, opportunity, motivation, etc. to achieve their life goals of becoming prepared citizen for helping themselves, their families, city and country.

Knowing this hard reality that many young people are facing, CHOI, through its educational programs "Dollars For Scholars" and "Leaders For Tomorrow" make possible some young people to study at a university ot technical school. On the other side, the coordinator of the "Dollars For Scholars" program Mr. Rafael Armas Bardales, the coordinator of the "Leaders For Tomorrow" program Mr. Orlando Bermúdez García, the coordinator of the two Programs Mr. Carlos Alayo Mecola and me Pablo Beltrán Oroya as a volunteer, were performing a training event for beneficiaries young people of these social support programs.

This event was headed to those young people living in the poorest neighborhoods in chimbote, accomplishing this way a schedule prepared in advance. These youth support programs are posible thanks to goodness of many people, not only from Chimbote but specially from rotarians friends of the Rotary Club of Chanhassen-Minnesota, particular donors and "Los Amigos" foundation.

There were 30 young people in that event and among them new students added to the educational programs as new scholars. All of them are going to receive support (money for paying university, tickets, etc.) as long as their studies processes last, from the very beginning of their pre-university studies, right after high school, which means the CHOI's educational program will support them since their pre-universities studies, university, until they will get their university or technical degree.

It was invited a speaker who was teaching them some topics and after that challenged them to answer these question: What is to study? Why am I studying? What am I studying for? How must my professional profile be? What are the obstacles in my life? How am I dealing with them? How to overcome them? Here are some pictures of the meeting, Enjoy them !!! (More events)

Let's Keep On Supporting !

Through this post I would like to share with you that here in Chimbote, Perú there is a Catholic parish called "Our Lady Of Perpetual Help" ("Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro") whose priest is the father Jack Davis and it is located in a poor neighborhood called La Victoria.

Most of residents of "La Victoria" and neighborhoods surrounding father Jack's parish tenderly call him "father little John" and love him so much. He is very concern about living conditions of residents, specially of the poorest. In his life effort for improving living conditions of his neighbors he did his best to found a non-profit organization: "The Friends" ("Los Amigos"), with the help of his American and Peruvian friends, for the benefit of the poor.

This organization, to more effectively serve the Peruvians in a self-sustained way, specially poor people living in Chimbote, canalize its support efforts through CHOI by means of one of its programs called Micro-Lending whose coordinator is Mr. Orlando Bermúdez García. This program provides micro loans to people with limited economic resources wanting starting or sustain a small business using their assets for this. Here is some information about micro loans given by Micro-Lending Program in May.

Facing Everyday Difficulties

It is known that everybody has to work some way or another, legally of course, because there are responsabilities that have to be faced everyday. I must say that presently it is a great blessing to have the opportunity to work specially in developing countries. Here in Chimbote city many people are experiencing the difficult reality of lack of a formal work and consequently they can not provide conveniently for their families.

However they face this hard situation with a good prospect for the future by doing great efforts to try to make or invent their own informal small business on streets (selling fruit, candy, chewing gum, jelly, fruit juice, cds, etc) and this way earn some money but with risk of being evicted by municipal police.

It is not pleasant to say it but not everybody has this "opportunity" and other people, who has no job, are not qualified yet to do specifics works at enterprises, factories, institutions, etc and this is so because they could not start their higher studies and in the worst of cases could not finish high school or could not even start elementary school.

Now, what can I say of people that live in highland of Perú? Well, most of them are less advantaged than people living on the coast like Chimbote city. Thay can hardly get some work in his/her hometown and that's why many of them come down to the coastal cities to build a better future.

This is the case of a woman named Rosa Quezada Saavedra. She is not from chimbote but is now living here in Chimbote. She is 32 years old and was born in Conchucos a place located 3820 meters above sea level. It belongs to Conchucos district, Pallasca province, Ancash departament in Perú. She came down to Chimbote when she was 11 years old and had to work a lot to be able to live and situation was not easy for her.

She could not study so she was less adventage compared with others who did so to get a good job. Today she is a single woman with 2 children. An 11-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl. Them both are studying at school because of great effort of their mother Rosa. But, what does she does for a living? Well, she sells several kind of fruits like banana, apple, grape, pear, orange, mandarin, etc around streets of Chimbote using a tricycle for that purpose.

Unfortunately she could not get a license to sell on streets from Municipality of City so she has to move (pushing her tricycle) through streets and from a place to another to avoid municipality policemen cought her. She is working as a fruit seller for 10 years and thanks to this great effort of her she is able to keep her family. She would like to keep on selling fruits but in her own selling post at a market. That's her great desire meanwhile she continue to work facing everyday difficulties and hopes that one day her dream come true.

Heart Risk Prevention Campaign

Chimbote Rotary Club, aware of its constant concern about our community, has performed a free campaign of heart risk screening, as a prevention measure of health of city residents. This event took place on Sunday May 24th from 9:00 am. to 12:00 m. at Chimbote Rotary Club headquarters which is located at 131 Francisco Bolognesi Avenue, Chimbote city.

To accomplish this purpose, a Rotarians Optional Committee, chaired by the cardiologist physician Dr. Guillermo Arana Morales (who is a Chimbote Rotary Club member ) and other associates with the Institution of Paul Harris (founder of International Rotary), has agreed to undertake this noble social work of taking care for people's health which was headed for all social segments of our dear Chimbote.

It was reported that, to a better attention for beneficiaries on the day of the campaign, they previously had to register for free in Chimbote Rotary Club headquarters from 9:00 am. to 1:00 pm. and from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. (Monday - Friday). It was planned attend to 50 people but there were a little more to attend. (Watch more pictures below.)

Under the slogan "Rotarians Help to Change Lives" this prestigious institution, that serves community, was accomplishing a new social activity for our society and this way sowed seeds of interest in health care. Through this blog and in name of Rotarians in Chimbote Mr. Luis López del Castillo (Chimbote Rotary Club vice presidente) wants to thank, in a very special way, people for taking interest in their health care and consequently in a better future and development that our city yearns.

PICTURES ON HEART RISK PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

Chimbote Rotary Club
headquarters
located at 131 Francisco
Bolognesi
avenue,
Chimbote city.

Some residents of Chimbote that came to participate in this campaign, inside Rotary headquarters.

Now, inside Rotary meeting room waiting for their turn.

A medical visitor named Marcelo Meyer Otoya from PFIZER S.A. Laboratory makes a blood test to each person and writes down results.

This is the cardiologist Guillermo Arana Morales who is treating each pacient.

The Vice President of Chimbote Rotary Club Mr. Luis López del Castillo (standing)
helping in every
moment of
campaign.

Both health professionals are working very hard.

Just a little bit more and you will talk to the doctor.

Patients leaving doctor office after receiving their prescription.

The only thing I wanna say is: Good example to follow dear Rotarian friends, keep on working for development of Chimbote!!!

Playing a Father's Role

I want to start this post saying that it's amazing to see what a family member is willing to do for the benefit of his whole family. It is a sunny morning and I am walking around the very downtown of Chimbote (after attending an event of social work performed by Chimbote Rotary Club.) I stop at a corner formed by "Pardo" avenue and "Elías Aguirre" street to drink a glass of natural orange juice.

So I ask the seller for it and as I am waiting I see he takes oranges out of a big box and peels them one by one using a device. He is very focus on what is doing and nothing seems bothering him. After that He uses another device to squeeze out juice from oranges. Finally he gives me my drink and shares his story with me.

His name is Félix Milla Lino and he was born, 30 years ago, in "Pamparomás" a place located in Pamparomás District, Huaylas Province, Ancash Department in Highland of Perú 6 hours away from Chimbote by bus. He is single and has several brothers and sisters. Eight years ago he came to Chimbote City leaving his entire family in Pamparomás seeking a better opportunity to improve his family's life condition.

His mom is dead and his dad is 80 years old. Félix doesn't want his dad to work anymore as a farmer because now he is and old man. In his homeland, Félix continues, there is no chance to improve his family's life condition and that's why he came to Chimbote to build a better destiny for him and his family.

Here in Chimbote he decided to work as an orange juice seller on streets of Chimbote, specially around downtown. He got a licence from Chimbote Municipality to do that and even though he studied at elementary school for only a year however this doesn't discourage him on the contrary he keeps on working every day from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm selling orange juice.

He has rented a room to live at 561 Balta street, 21 de Abril neighborhood and he lives there alone. The money he is able to save he sends to his family in Pamparomás for his 16-year-old sister and his 20-year-old brother to continue to study at school there. Now he is taking care of his family specially of his sister and brother and this way is playing a father's role.

He likes what he is doing for a living. Sometimes when there are no customers at a corner asking for orange juice for him to sell them he has to move to another one pushing his selling car. In the future he would like to be the owner of a post where he sells juice of many fruits. He would like to have a great business selling fruit juice and is very encouraged. Félix knows that it won't be very easy but even so keeps up with his goal.

Micro Loans Given

Here are some of micro-loans given by the CHOI Peruvian Civil Association, through its "Micro-Lending Program", to people who live in neighborhoods surrounding father Jack's parish, located in La Victoria neighborhood in Chimbote, for they to start a small business and this way to improve their life quality and their families'. (More micro loans given)