In June 2011, Lindsay will undertake the challenge of participation in the Education Generation Fellowship in the Sacred Valley region of Peru. The annual Fellowship program sends volunteer fellows overseas to enhance relationships with, and support education partners on the ground.
Lindsay has been partnered with Education Generation’s partner Mosqoy: Sacred Valley Youth Fund in Peru. Mosqoy is dedicated to providing education opportunities for youth and helping communities in the Sacred Valley region of Peru to achieve sustainable development. The objectives are realized by providing young leaders with scholarships enabling them to continue their studies and help their families break the cycle of poverty.
Mosqoy is further committed to the preservation of traditional Quechua values, and works in collaboration with the Q’ente Textile Revitalization Society to maintain and foster cultural and historical integrity through the Quechua weaving tradition. Q’ente works directly with weavers from the Sacred Valley region to provide them a fair trade outlet to sell textiles in North America.
During the Fellowship experience, Lindsay will work on the Base Program, a Focus Project (Kallpa K’oj Program) and a Special Project (Q’enqo Library).
Base Program
As part of the Base Program, Lindsay will be working directly with students, to provide a communication liaison and document the work of the Peruvian students by completing progress updates for donors. In addition, she will assist with the transition of students, including organizing the graduation ceremony for existing Mosqoy students, and integrating new students into the program. Other activities will include, student mentorship, program evaluation, visits with the families of the students, English language training; and participation in student selection and other initiatives, such as income generation projects.
Focus Project – Kallpa K’oj Program
Kallpa K’oj is Quechua for “giving back energy” and is a Mosqoy student volunteer service program designed to support traditional weaving communities in the Sacred Valley region. As a condition of their scholarships, Mosqoy students are required to give back 30 hours of community service for every academic year.
The Program are goals are to: 1) maintain cultural ties with weaving communities; 2) support Q’ente weaving communities; 3) give back to the Q’ente Textile Revitalization Society; 4) instill leadership qualities in Mosqoy students; and 5) teach students the value of giving and reciprocity. The Program entails four phases:
Phase 1: Foster community awareness and buy-in of the Program
Phase 2: Initiate community needs assessment and co-development of volunteer service projects with each weaving community
Phase 3: Finalize Program, including volunteer service projects, timeline and implementation strategy
Phase 4: Implement volunteer projects, including student selection and training
Phase 1 of the Kallpa K’oj Program is complete. Lindsay will be focused on Phases 2 and 3 which will involve traveling on foot or by cattle truck to ten (10) traditional weaving communities in the Sacred Valley region of Peru. Lindsay will meet with weavers and leaders in the communities and co-develop volunteer service projects which may include, literacy training, cooking classes, and Spanish language training. The Kallpa K’oj Program is based on reciprocity and knowledge exchange, and with that in mind, Lindsay will also work with each weaving community to establish reciprocity initiatives, such that the community craftspeople will teach Mosqoy students traditional weaving and dying methods.
Special Project – Q’enqo Library
A grade three class in Calgary, BC, previously connected with a Q’ente video-conferencing project that filmed an elementary school in Q’enqo (a weaving community), has successfully raised over $400 in Canadian funds to go towards school supplies in Q’enqo, Peru.
In consultation with the elementary school in Q’enqo, it was decided that the money would go towards building a library for the students. Based on the books identified by Q’enqo teachers and students, Lindsay will purchase the books in Cuzco, Peru and deliver the books to the elementary school in Q’enqo. Lindsay will document through photos, video and writing the entire process, including purchasing the books, delivery of the books, reactions of Q’enqo students and teachers, and setting up the library. The blogs, photos and videos will then be sent to the elementary school in Calgary to show the students, parents and teachers how the money was used in Peru.
Between Fellowship activities, Lindsay will backpack through Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and, time permitting, Venezuela.
You can follow Lindsay on Facebook, Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LindsayZibrik, and the Education Generation blog: http://edgenfellow.blogspot.com/.
For more information on Education Generation, visit: http://educationgeneration.org/.