Geographic Information Systems for la Reserva Nacional de Titicaca

Location: Peru
Project Areas: Water Systems Management, Quantitative Analysis, Resources, Conservation, Environmental Planning, Environmental Education
Intern: Laurel Hanscom
University, Degree, Year, Major: San Diego State University, B.A. 2007, Geography, Natural Resources and Environmental Analysis
Host Organization: Reserva Nacional del Titicaca (National Reserve of Lake Titicaca)
Supervisor: Edwin Gutierrez Tito

FSD Grant: $700 ($200 mini-grant included)

The Reserva Nacional del Titicaca seeks to protect and maintain the natural resources of Lake Titicaca and its surrounding communities. Park rangers used Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to help monitor flora, fauna, and water resources on a monthly basis, but did not have the means or expertise to most effectively utilize the data. Additionally, the detailed maps that the park rangers created were printed by hand which ultimately rendered the GPS data useless because they were not preserved in digital form. In order to make use of the technology more successfully, FSD intern Laurel Hanscom used a grant from FSD to install the applicable software, teach the workers how to use the programs, create field maps that can be easily updated and used by the park rangers and specialists, and digitize existing hand-drawn maps. This allowed for the monitoring activities of the park rangers to be more comprehensive, and empowered the Reserva Nacional del Titicaca to operate its technology with increased benefit to the rangers and the natural resources of the park.

A future intern who is well-versed in Global Information Systems could expand the project by teaching more advanced functions and software programs to the rangers. Other project ideas include: researching potential eco-tourism avenues for the national park; working with the rangers to address urgent environmental needs of the Lake; and developing sustainable, community-based means of protecting the natural beauty of the land.
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Greenhouse Restoration and Agricultural Training at Hogan San Martin de Porras

Location: Yanamayo, Puno, Peru
Project Areas: Youth and Education, Complimentary Learning, Sustainable Agriculture, Child and Adolescent Development
Intern: Michael Hotard
University, Degree, Year, Major: University of Georgia, B.A. 2007, Sociology and Economics
Host Organization: Hogan San Martin de Porras, Yanamayo
Supervisor: Lincoln Salas, Director of Activities

FSD Grant: $613 ($200 mini-grant included)

Hogar San Martin de Porras provides a home for boys from the region of Puno who come from abusive families or have been orphaned. While at the hogar, the boys learn a variety of skills that they can draw upon when seeking employment or reintegrating into their families, such as shoe-making, knitting and cooking. Because a majority of the boys come from rural areas of Puno, the hogar expressed interest in developing technical skills in agriculture. While the grounds of the hogar had two small greenhouses, they were dilapidated and were not functional. FSD intern Michael Hotard secured a grant from FSD to repair one of the structures. The boys were involved in the renovation of the greenhouse and garnered marketable construction skills that they can use in their future. The new greenhouse also presents an opportunity for the hogar to grow some of its own food, freeing up funds for other activities and granting the boys additional agricultural skills.

A future intern could work with San Martin de Porras to repair the second greenhouse which would create entrepreneurial prospects for the hogar to sell goods in local markets. Additionally, an intern would be encouraged to help Hogar San Martin de Porras develop their academic and extracurricular programs. The school currently focuses on the development of the boys’ marketable skills, but does not have the resources to foster the more subtle psycho-social development of this vulnerable population. To address this need, the school would welcome a creative intern who could help the administration develop a program for guidance counseling and academic advising. A mentoring and tutoring program has been suggested as a long term goal and the intern could be active in recruiting and training tutors from the community. These volunteers could help the school provide suitable academic support services in a sustainable manner.
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The Enlargement, Sustainability, and Beautification of a Kindergarten for Children from Poor, Rural Families

Location: Puno, Peru
Project Areas: Teaching, Children and Adolescents, Infrastructure Development, Community Empowerment, Cognitive Development, Social/Moral Development
Intern: Anne Brusky
University, Degree, Year, Major: University of Notre Dame, B.A. 2007, English and Spanish
Host Organization: Los Cariñositos, E.U.E. San Carlos
Supervisor: Prof. Dania Baca, Director of Los Cariñositos

FSD Grant: $668 ($200 mini-grant included)

E.U.E. San Carlos educates nearly 150 students from one of the poorer, more rural areas of Puno, Peru. After their community classroom was no longer available for use, a nearby grade school offered Los Cariñositos a small space to hold classes, but the area is run-down, unsafe, and ill-suited for small children. The faculty and parents of the kindergarten willingly began reconstruction efforts, but the space was very small for 150 students and required constant reconstruction and upkeep. The students had a limited area on which to play or to hold classes such as physical education. While the building itself was in good condition, mounds of dirt and broken wood outside of the school building made the property unattractive and dangerous for young children.

FSD intern Anne Brusky used an FSD grant to expand the entrance to this school area so that repairs can be made more easily and to create sustained access to the grounds for future repairs. As a result of this project, students and teachers have a larger area in front of the school in which to play and hold classes. It is safer and cleaner, which will subsequently improve the mental and physical health of the children, and make the school more professional. Not only were the grounds improved with these funds, but the play area was greatly expanded to give adequate room to the group of kindergartners to play and attend activities. In the future, the school would welcome a FSD intern who would help Los Cariñositos further beautify their campus and help the administration with their plans to expand the school grounds. An intern can gain valuable experience in grass-roots community development, engaging parents, teachers, students, and other NGOs in making this school model for other impoverished areas.
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Equipping Pro Mujer’s Centers with Re-Useable Health Materials

Location: Puno, Peru
Project Areas: Public Health, Prevention, Reproductive Health Care, Women’s Empowerment
Intern: Katryn Bowe
University, Degree, Year, Major: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. 2008, Health and Societies, Urban Studies
Host Organization: Pro Mujer Peru
Supervisors: Julio Sosa, Health Coordinator and Sonia Zanabria Chena, Health Promoter

FSD Grant: $636 ($200 mini-grant included)

The clients of Pro Mujer Peru have numerous and dire health needs. Foremost, their low socio-economic status places most preventive and curative health services beyond their reach. For the approximately 13,000 clients of Puno’s Pro Mujer organization, food and family living expenses are their first financial priorities- medical care therefore becomes prohibitively expensive. Pro Mujer Peru has attempted to fill this void of medical attention by offering campañas de salud, or doctor visitations at the neighborhood centers for affordable prices. The clients have responded positively to the low-cost pap smears, pre-natal measurements, basic breast exams and fluoridations, and often remarked that it was their only encounter with preventative health care. However, these consults do not comprehensively diagnose conditions nor do they cure problems that might be identified during the services.

To address this need, FSD intern Katryn Bowe used an FSD grant to convert one unused room in each center into a simple, sufficiently-supplied clinic. Medical equipment was purchased to provide adequate treatment and a humane atmosphere for the patients. This provided a comfortable and private space for doctors to provide the preventative and curative care. However, a long-term goal of the project is to further empower the vigias de salud, or elected health-representatives, of each organization related to Pro Mujer. A future intern could work with the vigias to evaluate and expand these clinics’ services. It is an exciting opportunity for health care professionals, business minded individuals, community-based outreach worker, or any creative intern who wishes to make a tangible, lasting contribution to the health care of this vulnerable population.
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Puno Diagnosed: A Compilation of Articles on the Main Development Problems of the Department

Location: Puno, Peru
Project Areas: Rural Development, Community Empowerment, Social Responsibility, Social Leadership, Social Justice, Needs Assessment
Intern: Mariana Giusti-Rodriguez
University, Degree, Year, Major: Bard College, B.S. 2007, Political Science and Latin American and Iberian Studies
Host Organization: Asociacion SER
Supervisors: Licenciado Paulo Vilca, Regional Office Coordinator - Puno

FSD Grant: $760 ($200 mini-grant included)

Although rural development and sustainability have moved to the foreground of many social organizations, local governments have failed to prioritize practical development or assessed the real needs of different departments and municipalities. Consequently, there is an urgent need to refocus the governments’ attention to the urgent issues that prevent economic and social development. In order to orient political leaders’ attention towards development issues, FSD intern Mariana Giusti-Rodriguez assembled a diagnostic document and article base, Puno Diagnosed: A Compilation of Articles on the Main Development Problems of the Department, to distribute to political leaders about key development issues. These resources present viable and sustainable alternatives that can be adopted and implemented in public policy. Some of the issues covered include: coffee and alpaca production; tourism; Lake Titicaca’s preservation; informal mining; land distribution; decentralization and regional integration; women in Puno; and education.

The development of this project is intended mainly for long term goals such as impacting the policy of local governments and organizations for the following six year term and onwards. In the short term, however, this diagnostic book aims to serve as an organized agenda of the development problems of the Puno region, so that it can later impact policies developed by governments, communities, and other organizations.

The organization is committed both financially and emotionally to this project and the continuing education on these highlighted topics. A future FSD intern who is interested in policy work and big-picture development issues could be an active participant in the process and engage in the dissemination of information by conducting educational meetings to promote community awareness on these key development issues.

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