Now that we've gotten past our various issues (ie., my move to the motor home, our vacation, Steve's house issues, the Oregon Country Fair...) we are able to focus our energies on Vidas Mejoradas and our upcoming stove project in November 2008-March 2009. YES!

We are in process of sending the letter below and an informational sheet about Vidas Mejoradas(posted on the sidebar) to all our friends and families. A separate mailing will go out by snail mail to a variety of churches and groups who may be interested in a presentation of our work. We're also planning community fundraisers. Ken Goyer, our colleague with AidAfrica will be returning soon and we will hopefully finalize our afilliation with his non-profit so to be part of a registered 501(c)3. This blog and emails will keep you posted. As we alluded to we have lost our only external funding from CMMB. In the past they have helped us with plane fare, stipends and insurance and this year due to a reorganization on their part they have decided to eliminate support of short-term duration projects such as ours. (We had applied for a four month trip to accomplish our objectives outlined in the letter.) While we are saving all we can, it will take almost $3,000 more than what we had originally planned on to see this through.

Communication from Peru!

Letters and phone calls are going back and forth now and i will post and translate as before so to keep all who maybe interested informed as to our plans. An aside, Pave mentions Patrick below. He is with the University of Colorado. Prior to this letter she told me he apparently visited homes with our stoves in C'orao and saw the metal rockets we utilized to be used daily, doing well in terms of condition, and in his opinion, he predicts another 4 years of functionality!

from Pavela:

Hola querida Laurie:
Ahora te comento lo de los ladrillos. Según el amigo de la universidad de Colorado los ladrillos se hacen un 70% de piedra pomez o piedra volcanica, y un 30 % de arcilla de ladrillo, con esa mezcla se hacen los ladrillos de una pulgada de ancho por 12 o 14 pulgadas de largo o según el rocket que hemos hecho, y formaremos las paredes del nuevo rocket de menos intensidad, capaces de soportar latas temperaturas, por eso ire a la comunidad que ma han dicho tiene una cantera de esta piedra, y podre saber los costos de producción. La idea es traer esta piedra y triturarla para hacer los ladrillos lo mas cerca posible a Quiquijana.Si ese amigo de la universidad comento que ellos ya habian hecho estos ladrillos y compartio lo que sabia conmigo, es muy buena persona. Ahora nosotros tenemos que hacer un molde de las dimensiones que queremos y hacerlo en fierro, para luego hacer la masa de ladrillos, hornearlos y provarlos en un rocket. Son como rectangulos de fierro de una altura de 1 pulgada, espero que se pueda entender esto.Yo estoy experimentando la cocina solar por mi cuenta para tener una de experimento y poder aprender, pero nuestra cocina rocket se que es lo que vamos a hacer este año y estoy muy feliz. solo me da pena lo de vida en casas diferentes, amiga espero tener mas inforamción acerca de los ladrillos para el lunes, te quiero y estoy muy preocupada por tu espalda, pero confio en la medicina de alla, cuidate mucho mucho amor para ti y Estevan
Pave.

a translation:

Hi Dear Laurie,
Now i will tell you about the bricks. According to a friend from the University of Colorado, bricks can be made from a mix of 70% of pumice or volcanic rock, and 30% of the clay usually used for bricks, made 1 inch wide and 12-14 inches long, and accordingly the rocket sides can be formed from this and will support high temperatures. I will go to the community where i have heard they have and process this (ie., grind it, i presume) and learn the costs of production. (It is within 2 hours of Quiquihana, which is approximately 1 hour from the community of Usi!) The idea is to try this rock, to crush it as close to Quiquihana as possible. Yes, this man (i am thinking it's Patrick who has been in Cusco with the University of Colorado and Envirofit) has made these bricks and who has shared this information with me; he is a very good person. Now we have to make an iron mold, then the mix for the bricks, bake them and try them in a rocket. I am still experimenting with the solar cooker, just for my own interests and to learn. But we will be making the improved (wood-burning) stoves this year and this makes me very happy. Hopefully Monday I will have more information about the bricks. It only gives me pain to not do all we can for others in different situations. (ie., she wished we could also make solar and retention cookers..) I love you and am very worried about your back, but i have confidence in the medicine of the United States. Take good care and much much love to you and steve.

My response:

Hola Pave,
gracias por la carta y explicacion de los ladrillos y la mezcla de piedra volcanica y arcilla. si pienso te entiendo y gracias, muchisimas gracias por todo! me gusta que entender y es mas dificil en el telefono de una carta o en persona! y que tal amiga? y Sefora como esta ella? y tu mama? porfavor mis saludos a todos, tambien Adella y Nino (ahora ellos tienen un bebe, si o no?), y Hermana Nelly y Luz Maria. quiero que tu sabes yo estoy muy alegre que pensar de regresando y trabajando contigo y la gente de Usi. no te quiero que preocuparme sobre mi espaldita. ESTOY BIEN AMIGUITA!! si aqui estoy pensando de nuestras plan por este an~o. pienso que ir mas o menos 24 de noviembre hasta 23 de marzo 09. primero quiero que completir los segundos examenes en sipascancha y soncco. espero que ir al Usi en el termino de diciembre/primero de enero que iniciar el proyecto. bien? y si, el plan en este punto es que hacerlo mas o menos el mismo de Sipas y soncco. si un rocket diferente, pero el introduccion, reuniones, un modelo, por las familias que tener sus adobes, y un poquito dinero posible por la gente de Usi, y que saber de un proyecto que hacer en la comunidad con el dinero, tambien que saber cuantos familias quieren, y asi haceremos los examenes y despues por las familias que construir su cocina. nosotros necesitaramos que encontrar un lugar por las chimeneas, posible el mismo de antes? cuando tu sabes de una via que tener piedra volcanica y que encontrar un lugar que hacer los ladrillos porfavor escribirme. y si, mas, necesito que saber mas o menos un presupuesto y que ideas tu tienes en este. no olvidas hay una mujer y su hijo tambien yendo que ayudarnos! entonces amiguita, esparare que escuchar mas. si estoy muy muy alegre que hacer esto contigo! bueno! hasta pronto y gracias y saludos al amigo de colorado por el apoyo!chao,Laurita

and, a translation:

Hi Pave,
Thanks for the explanation about the brick mix. I think i got it and again thanks so much as love to understand everything and sometimes by phone it's difficult as opposed to in person! How are you, Sefora (her sister), her mother (she recently lost her husband), Adella and Nino (teacher friends of ours; they have a new baby), Sister Nelly and Luz Maria? Please hello to all. I am very happy to be thinking of our return and chance to work together again this time with the people of Usi. And i don't want you to worry about my back. I AM FINE AMIGUITA. I am thinking of our plans for this year. Our dates are approximately November 24- March 23. First we want to do the follow-up exams in Sipascancha and Soncco. I hope we can go onto Usi late december/january to begin their project. It will be much the same except for our new rockets; ie., the introduction, meetings, to identify how many families, what they can reasonably afford and what community project they want to pursue with the funds, the health assessments and to teach them to each build their new stove. We will also need to locate a place to make the chimneys, maybe the same place as before? Keep me posted on the volcanic rock and how we will get it and make bricks (close to Quiquihana). We will need more-or-less, a budget to work within and any other ideas you may have. And don't forget we will have another friend with us (Amy) her son (Anakin) working with us down there! So my friend, I will wait to hear more from you. I am very happy to be doing this with you. Until soon and hello and thanks to Patrick from the university.
with love,
Laurita

and her most recent response:

Linda Laurita,
si yo también pienso mucho en tí y tu grna preocupación para nosotros tus hermanos peruanos y las mujeres y niños de las comunidades, los prsupuestos de los ladrillos pronto los tendre, entro en vacaciones de medio año en una semana y viajare lo canveniente y buscare a ese maestro de ladrillos que necesitamos, los convencionales cuestan 1500 soles el millar pero estos son refrectarios pero segun un amigo ingeniero los refrectatios son solo de nombre ya que estos no existen sino de nombre, los verdaderos son los que tenemos que hacer las dos con la mezcla de la cual te informe en el otro mail según el modelo que estamos desarrollando osea nuestro rocket den medidas de lados serian 4 ladrillos largos y cuatro cortos para formar el rocket, ya que la forma con angulo segun al amigo Patrick no funciona el hizo la prueba antes, asi que 8 por 100 familias hace 800 ladrillos pero tendremos que mandar a hacer mínimo 1000 así que habra un poco mas, para más de 100 cocinas desde luego que los costos serán más economicos, las chimeneas si pueden ser hechas en el mismo lugar pero voy a buscar uno en el mismo Quiquijana y estudiare los precios, si amiga gracias por tu confianza, si ahora lo pienso si el proyecto lo haremos en enero y febrero en Usi yo misma estaré presente vivaaaaa, que ricooo, ten paciencia mis vacacones daran su resultado ahora estoy muy cansada por mi trabajo de 6 de la mañana a 5 de la tarde y no me tiempo para hacer rapido el presupuesto, pero falta poco . Gracias por preguntar por mi mamá ella esta muy sensible desde lamuerte de mi papá y yo tambie´n , pero de salud esta bien, Séfora tambien te recuerda mucho y te envia muchos saludos y afecto, yo me preocupo prque a veces pienso que el viaje al perú es lejos y las montañas, etc. pero siempre confio mucho en ti . te quiero mucho una gran abrazo, y mucho amor para tí...Pave.

and translation:

Pretty Laurita,
I am thinking much of you and your incredible concern for us, your Peruvian brothers and sisters, the women and the children in all the communities. the budget for the bricks i will have soon once i have a vacation, a mid year thing, in a week, then it will be convenient to go and see the brickmaker that we'll need. the conventional bricks cost 1500 soles, now these are called refractory bricks but my engineer friend tells me this is in name only and what we want doesn't really exist...what we want is the mix i wrote to you about. the model we want to develop (of rocket) will have 4 long and 4 short bricks, this model of Patricks', not like our rocket before...(some difficult translation...) anyway, eight bricks will be needed for each stove, 100 families or 800 bricks. we will have a few more, as we will have them 1000 at-a-time, which will be more economic. we could go to the same place (as last year) for the chimneys, but i will look closer to Quiquihana and study the prices. Yes, my friend thanks for your confidence in me! i think in january and february we can be in Usi, and i will also be able to be there LIVE and IN-PERSON! HOW GREAT! I will only have to have patience. (It sounds like she'll be off work!!) I am very tired now from working from 5 in the AM until 6 in the PM. It leaves me no time to write the budget, i am a little behind. Thanks for asking of my mother. She is very senstive in regards to the recent death of my father, myself also. But her health is good. Sefora says hi and remembers us fondly. I worry about you making all these trips to Peru, to the mountains...i know you can do it, i have confidence in you too. i love you alot and send a hug.
Pave

Vidas Mejoradas

July 20, 2008.

Dear Friends,

We’re writing to all of you whom in some way have helped Steve and I continue to work alongside the indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes in a variety of healthcare projects since 2003. If you have received this and do not know of our work, please, if you will, read on.
We want to tell you about the work of Vidas Mejoradas, the people we are very privileged to serve, and ways that you can help. Vidas Mejoradas, or “Better Lives” is the collective work of Laurie Iaccino, R.N., Pavela Jimenez Figueroa, and Steven Bouton in small poor communities in the high Andes. We go to upwards of 14,000 feet to rarely accessed villages where Quechua-speaking people live in extreme temperatures in sparsely furnished adobe shacks. All are subsistence farmers and earn less than $5 per month. Very little exists in the way of extras such as vehicles, medical care, or even a third set of clothes. Only recently in some of these villages is there even chlorinated water. They cook over a fire pit alongside a wall covered in soot. Children often have respiratory problems that persist throughout the year that progress to bronchitis and pneumonia.

Obviously numerous factors contribute to the poor health of many of these families. One of the simplest and easiest ways to help is by introducing a basic cooking stove with a chimney that burns wood more efficiently and removes the smoke from the living space. This is the direction our work has taken. We find small remote villages with the help of our Peruvian colleagues. We hold meetings and teach about the dangers of indoor air pollution, and introduce the stove model. A hallmark of our work is that we do not give the stove away. Families choose to participate and become invested in their stove by doing their part. Each family agrees to a survey that evaluates their basic respiratory health, cooking and fuel habits. They make their 40 adobe bricks required for the stove body, collect the ash serving as insulation and pay 20 soles or approximately $6. The money goes toward an agreed upon project that benefits the community in perpetuity, such as tree nurseries or animal-raising. We locate local businesses in the nearest city to make the combustion chambers, chimneys and grates. Local trucks then transport the materials to the villages and the stove-building begins. We employ local people to visit even the most remote of homes to insure the stove is built properly.

How can you help? Up until now, the majority of our funds have come from our own savings. We have recently lost our only external funding of approximately $3,000. As a result, we are looking for donations, fundraising opportunities, and community groups interested in presentations. Please review the attached sheet (About Vidas Mejoradas and Our Work) with our contact information and where you can read in more detail about our projects. Feel free to share this with your family or friends who may be interested in our work to create better lives.

Sincerely,

Laurie Iaccino, R.N. and Steve Bouton
PO Box 1643,

Springfield, OR 97477

541-510-9938