Inka Magik- Peru Community projects and volunteering

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Social inclusion: a real challenge in Peru

The Challenge-Social inclusion

People living in remote rural areas in Peru are still using kerosene lamps to light their homes because they cannot source other types of energy. However, kerosene and candles are more expensive in the long run and can have a negative effect on children, such as breathing problems

Solar energy

It has been estimated that Peru has favourable conditions for the development of solar energy projects, yet the country’s solar potential has not been fully exploited, especially in the mountains. In these locations solar energy reaches average levels of more than 6 kWh/m2/day, which is amongst the highest in the world. 

Solution

Our objective is to implement micro-solar energy sources in rural areas and promote social inclusion in these communities. The solar products are desk lamps and home lighting systems. The lighting source comes with a solar panel, battery, wires and mobile phone charging kits. The products are designed to be functional, easy to use and long lasting.






Benefits

Rural communities, as well as schools and medical centres, can benefit from inexpensive and clean environmentally friendly lighting systems. In terms of budget, these products are more accessible than a wind power turbine, solar panels on roofs, kerosene lamps and candles.

Social responsibility

People living in remote rural areas do not have enough spare income to purchase these solar energy products. Given this context, we are seeking sponsorship or donations for solar products, running projects in specific locations across Peru. By implementing clean energy, local people gain self-sufficiency, take care of their environment, engage in community development and reduce health risks for children.

Sponsorship

Your Donation will be highly appreciated as we currently have a project to benefit 500 hundred families in the rural central region of Peru where help is needed. If you are interested in our objectives please contact us to receive more information about it.
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Working towards of a new future in Nuevo Chimbote

We have been working in the education and environment of Nuevo Chimbote town.


Our volunteers have been able to work alonside community members and still is a long journey before we can get permament results in this community. Inka Magik volunteer programme keeps working in our goals to provide an adecuate support to this educational project. We are current recruiting volunteers all year around thus we willl very pleased to hear from you at any time.

Contact us to: general@inkamagik.com





Latest news

Peru’s economic growth not reaching rural highlands


By Robert Plummer
Business reporter, BBC News

peru
Presidents Alan García (Perú) and Sebastián Piñera (Chile) are both free-marketeers. (Photo: AP)

Peru is recalling darker times as [Keiko Fujimori], the daughter of an authoritarian ex-leader prepares to run for the presidency.

Although this country has the highest projected 2010 growth rate among Latin America's major economies (8.3 percent, according to the IMF), Peru's president, Alan García, has just a 34 percent approval rating.

Admittedly, that is far better than the 5 percent rating that he had at the end of his first presidential term, from 1985 to 1990.

But that earlier term was an unmitigated disaster that saw the country's GDP shrink by one-fifth and the number of people in poverty rise by five million.

This time, Mr García has presided over boom, not bust. Yet the gains have not been equally distributed among Peru's population: while urban coastal areas have benefited, the rural highlands remain impoverished.

Mr García's last presidential stint was followed by a decade of authoritarian rule under Alberto Fujimori, who rebuilt Peru's economy and saved it from the Maoist Shining Path insurgency, but rode roughshod over the country's democratic process.

Mr García is not eligible to run again in the April 2011 presidential election. However, Mr Fujimori's daughter, Keiko, is hoping to win the post for her Fuerza 2011 party.

She and Mr Fujimori's own successor, Alejandro Toledo, are vying with a former mayor of Lima, Luis Castañeda, in opinion polls.

All three front-runners are drawn from the right or center-right. As a result, the victor is likely to join Chile's Sebastián Piñera and Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos, both elected during 2010, in South America's small band of non-leftist leaders.

Peru's state health service criticized for supply shortages


Courtesy: LivinginPeru

peru
The principal state hospital in Lima, Rebagliati Hospital. (Photo: El Comercio)

Peru’s state health plan, Essalud, was criticized by the Ombudsman national office for shortage of supplies and long waits for surgeries, reported El Comercio.

“There are not enough beds, fans, wheelchairs,” said Eugenia Fernán Zegarra from the office of the Ombudsman, called the Defensoría del Pueblo.

“Services are insufficient and supplies are extremely low compared to the rising demand, and this is serious because we are close to starting universal care, where everyone will be part of the same system. It’s clear that Essalud won’t be able to handle it.”

Annual reports made by the Defensoría del Pueblo signal a shortage of medicine for hypertension and for the basic equipment for surgey, such as catheters.

Fernán says the Defensoría del Pueblo received a complaint in which a girl waited nine months waiting for a surgery because there was not a catheter.

“To date there are 200 children waiting in the pediatrics unit waiting for space to be operated on,” Fernán told El Comercio.

In 2009, 42 percent of the budget went towards salary and expenses of the 40,142 workers. Out of this personnel expense, 37 percent went to 3,000 administrative positions.

Maximum monthly salaries for surgeons in Essalud are 3,500 soles (US$ 1,250), while nurse assistants receive at most 760 soles (US$ 271).

The current president of Essalud, Félix Ortega, has told Congress that the institution had to dip into 20 percent of a reserve fund, money set aside for emergencies and epidemics.

Last Thursday, the National Comptroller’s Office sent 35 inspectors to review Essalud’s books, following the recent scandal over a US$ 73,000 payment given to outgoing Essalud president Fernando Barrios.

The Essalud president left for a position as interior minister; once press learned of the irregular payment, Barrios resigned from the ministry.