It’s been 23 project visits (and 10 flights) in 12 days. Because our projects are all in remote locations we have had long, long drives but those drives have given us the opportunity to have in-depth discussions about development work, education and the specifics of each project. Between the stimulating conversation and the emotional visits […]
An adventurous drive in the Bolivian jungle. On our first day here we set out from Trinidad at 4AM in two pick-up trucks along a winding dirt road/path (they don’t call it a road, rather a “camino”) winding through the jungle for 140 km. It is so rough that the trip takes 6 hours. It […]
Alalay has been rescuing, housing and educating street kids for 26 years now. But they do a lot more: they offer a home for children who by definition do not have one. Today I visited both the girls and boys Alalay homes in La Paz Bolivia and as always was moved by the wonderful kids […]
I have for a long time been fascinated with the jungle in general and Iquitos in particular. One of my favourite books “One river” by Wade Davis deals with the upper Amazon area and recently I read “Shamanism, Colonialism and the Wild Man” a book that investigates colonialization, terror and healing in that part of […]
My name is Daniel, my parents are Antonio Marco and my mother is Sandra Loayza Coronel. They are 50 and 45 years old. I also have a brother named James who I get along with very well. I love him. He is older than me so he stays in the Equino home and is in […]
I’ve always enjoyed shopping in the open air food markets. By shopping there you are buying local, supporting small businesses, and sometimes you even get to know the person who produces your food personally. On a recent trip to Loreto, I was sharing a small boat with a woman who had hoped to buy watermelon […]
The Fellowship of Man Charitable Foundation (The Fellowship of Man) is a foundation which supports the advancement of education for both children and young people disadvantaged by physical, cultural or financial limitations. For four years, The Fellowship of Man has supported Alma projects. Through their support, Alma has been able to: provide educational and personal development […]
I’ve spent most of this last month in the Amazon, in both Peru and Bolivia. Each trip shared the common jungle themes that I always encounter on my visits: heat, mosquitos, and long rides to the communities. This month, however, I encountered something new in both countries. I was spending the night in San Jose […]
We are happy to share with you two of our newest projects in Peru: Quihuares and Karhuacalla. These two biblioteca projects will offer reinforcement workshops in the afternoon. Similar to our other biblioteca projects, these workshops will take advantage of working outside of regular school hours. They will complement the more formal education children receive in the […]
September 21st is the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day. Alma’s projects focus not only on critical and creative thinking but on harmonious values as well. And when we follow the trails of values such as honesty, respect, generosity, and taking care of the environment and people around you, we […]
On August 14th, Alma’s Young Leaders held their first #Volley4Alma Beach Volleyball Tournament. We are thrilled to say the tournament was a huge success! The Young Leaders recruited 10 teams and over 55 participants to play at Ashbridges Bay. Each team represented one of Alma’s education projects in Peru and Bolivia. The winner of the tournament […]
Alma has a new partner project in Bolivia – the Trinidad Special Education Centre. This centre works to provide high-quality education to children with special needs in Trinidad, Bolivia. Sometimes the greatest barriers to education can be the small things we take for granted, such as transportation. This is why Alma will not only be […]
Three times a year our students present what they’ve been up to in our projects to their parents during the school’s “Achievement Day”. The first round of Achievement Days passed recently and in Tuksa, it went as great as we hoped! Students in Tuksa engaged their parents with their presentations and live demonstrations of activities […]
Ok, maybe this is not the 6 ‘ ft tall basketball player you know but, really, his name is Michael Jordan – and he is the FIRST Manos Unidas student working in a Cusco hotel. When you arrive at Ninos Hotel, you will be greeted by Michael. He will open the door, help you carry in your luggage and lead […]
Thank you to all of our generous supporters who have helped us increase our impact in Latin America! We are thrilled to share with you three new education projects in the San Andres district of Bolivia: San Martin de Porres Cotoca and La Maguita Monte Cristo In San Martin de Porres we are implementing a […]
We spend a lot of time in rural communities in order to get to know the people, their needs, and the realities of the area before starting a new project there. Over the past ten days I was in the Peruvian Amazon to do just that. One community I visited on my trip was […]
We are thrilled to announce that we will be partnering with El Arca Children’s Home. El Arca not only gives 25 children a second chance in life but also provides them with a high quality education. El Arca’s new location is near Puerto Maldonado, in the Peruvian Amazon jungle. It is home to children aged 2 years old […]
Thank you to all of our supporters, sponsors and volunteers who made our Alma Annual Party a huge success! With over 300 tickets sold, Alma was able to raise over $40,000 for our education projects in Peru and Bolivia! The party consisted of delicious Peruvian Cuisine, amazing salsa lessons by Loudes and music by the award-winning DJ […]
Full disclosure: I’ve never watched a complete episode of “Dragon’s Den”. That said, I had always heard wonderful things about Arlene Dickinson and when I met her a couple of years ago all those second hand comments were confirmed. She’s a really nice, smart and generous person. Offering her self up to do a fundraising […]
I always say that one of the most important aspects of Alma is how involved we are in the communities we work in. It is a prerequisite that parents are included in our projects, and in order to ensure a lasting relationship, we get involved in some community affairs as well. When visiting our Biblioteca […]