Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

When the economic crisis fully hits Peru, some 200,000 will have lost their jobs, which will undoubtedly have a far greater impact on their children, as the latter may not have any other way to afford their basic needs.

According to Jorge Oroza, an expert on children's issues from Save the Children (Sweden), now it is the time for Peru's government to establish a high-rank commission intended to at the highest level in order to monitor this crisis and take mitigating measures since now.

Some of Oroza's suggestions are to increase the resources allocated to ProJoven (a program which offers work training to youngsters between 16 and 24 years old) and increasing also the schools' budgets, to develop strategies to prevent the students from dropping out.

Oroza said another alternative could be to allocate more resources to the Office of Scholarships and Loans (INABEC).

The expert asked the authorities to remember that the lack of investment in children will be “unrecoverable,” since a child who suffers from chronic malnutrition will have a permanent disability and thus will have limitations as an adult.

“We have to stop the cycle of poverty now," he said.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A baby who was born very prematurely (at 23rd week of pregnancy), weighing only 470 grams (almost 17 ounces), and measuring 25cm., was discharged from hospital and sent home today.

Little Berselia Milagros de los Angeles was born on April 20th at the Hospital Docente de Trujillo (La Libertad region), Peru, and since she was so small the doctors told Paola Chavarry, her mother, that she might not survive.

However, against all odds, the baby made it, and she weighs now 1.45kg, and is 45cm long.

The doctor and nurses who took care of her are still surprised and impressed: “she sure is a fighter. She will grow up like any other girl,” said one of the doctors.

The local businessman Carlos Jose Chuman, who is also the father of two premature babies, has provided financial help to little Berselia and her mother, and he has also created a foundation called “Foundation for the premature children of Peru”.

Berselia will be christened on September 16th, in Guadalupe, her hometown.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com

Andina

The Peruvian delegation that participated in the 50th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2009) held in Germany won four silver and two bronze medals after facing 104 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

In comparison with other Latin American countries, Peru came in second place for the good performance of students, including Raul Chavez Sarmiento, a 11-year-old kid, who won a bronze medal.

By winning this medal, the child matched the feat of Australian Terence Tao, who 22 years ago won a medal at the age of 11.

The team comprised Cesar Cuenca Lucero (17), who won a silver medal, as well as Tomas Angles Larico (17), Ricardo Jesus Ramos Castillo (17) and Julian Mejia Sarmiento.

Percy Guerra Rios (17) won another bronze medal.

Peru achieved the second highest score among Latin American countries after Brazil, and climbed to 24th place among 104 countries worldwide.

The 50th edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2009) was held in Bremen (Germany) between July 13 and 20.

Champions will return on Wednesday 22 at 16.00 hrs (20:00 GMT). They will be welcomed by a large delegation of friends, teachers and relatives at the international airport Jorge Chavez

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

According to Dan Collyns, BBC's correspondant in Peru, almost 250 children have died in the Peruvian southern Andean highlands, a figure that is 40% higher than the 2008's casualties.

Respiratory infections and pneumonia are not uncommon in the winter months, but this year's cold season began in March, three months earlier than usual (June).

Climate experts blame it on the global warmth, which might have modified the region's usual weather patterns and averages, with tempetatures dropping to -20°C (-4°F) in some regions.

Since many children in these regions are cronically malnourished, they are more vulnerable and prone to illnesses.

Thus, the extreme cold has killed more children this year than during the previous four years.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Raul Chavez Sarmiento, a young 11 years old Peruvian boy, will be the youngest kid participating in the 50th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2009) to be held in Bremen, Germany, from July 10 to July 22 this year.

The student, who lives in the northern Limean district of Comas and attends Bertolt Bretch school, competed against 80 young students to qualify for this, against other five Peruvian students between 16 and 17 years of age.

This is the second time in 22 years that a 11-year-old kid has participates in an International Mathematical Olympiad. The IMO 2009 intends to discover, encourage and challenge mathematically gifted young people in all countries.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A group of children between ages 9 and 11, from the slum areas in the Limean district of Chorrillos, aired their first radio program yesterday, called "Voice of Children", aiming to create awareness about the importance of preserving the Pantanos de Villa, the only wetland in Lima.

About 20 children were trained for one month by some students from the School of Communication at the University of San Martin de Porres, who helped them to produce this weekly 30 minutes program.

The programs' guests were Peru's rock band Los Mojarras, who said they are working on ecological themes for an album that is to be called “Ecorock”, and Andres de la Cruz, Director of the NGO Prohumedales.

To support and to promote this initiative, the kids have created the blog Salvemoslavilla.blogspot.com.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru welcomed 15 American children between 9 and 14 years old, who, won a contest organized by National Geographic Kids.

“Peru is so diverse that seemed to be the perfect place for an exploring adventure. Peru has desserts, mountains, rainforest: that's why we thought it was a perfect destination for kids, who are naturally curious,” said Dana Deighton, Marketing Manager of “National Geographic Kids” magazine.

Once in Lima, the winners visited the Larco Museum, went shopping to Larcomar and had a tour to Mamacona, where they watched the Peruvian paso horses.

The kids also went to Cusco, where they toured Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu; the next destination was Puerto Maldonado, where Rainforest Expeditions led them through a 4 days tour.

The kids have been blogging and posting photographs about their trip in the webpage that the National Geographic Kids has setup for them.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Health Minister, Oscar Ugarte, reported that his office will strengthen preventive actions against acute respiratory infections (ARI) in the highlands of Puno.

The main goal is treating and avoiding pneumonia cases, especially in children under five years.

Ugarte expressed his concerns because the inmunization campaign against A influenza that the Ministry has launched has not actually reached more than 10% of the targeted population so far.

However, he noted that the most important issue at the moment is to reinforce preventive actions.

Up to now, more than 120 children deaths –due to the extreme cold- have been oficially reported in the Peruvian Andean highlands, although some reports claim that the death toll is much higher.

On this regard, Peruvian bloggers have started a “Campaña por los niños del Perú” solidarity campaign, in order to collect winter clothes and to get more help for the children in the highlands.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Second Summit of Children and Youngsters was opened today in Puno (alongside with the Fourth Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples), an event that is gathering representatives from more than 23 countries.

The president of the Province Federation of Saraguro (Loja, Ecuador), Jose Huaman, said that “we are here to discuss not only the importance of our culture and our languages, but also to discuss the economic systems of our countries."

He said that this meeting will serve to determine what are the rights of children and young people, and remarked that this summit's goal is to submit the conclusions to the International Court of Justice at the UNO.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Nearly 380 families hope to adopt a child in Peru and a 50% of them are actually foreign couples, declared Carmen Vasquez de Velasco, the Executive Director of Peru's National Institute for Family Well-Being (Inabif).

She said that some foreign families are willing to adopt children with special needs, or even victims of incest or rape.

“They are much more sensitive, especially Europeans and Italians in particular; but all in all, Peruvian families have first priority in adoption requests," she emphasized.

However, she also said that Peruvian prospective parents who wish to adopt a child are more selective, since they usually request for children younger than two years old and without siblings.

Peru's legal requirements for adoption are very strict, and this is intended "to ensure the child's welfare,” said Vasquez de Velasco.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.