Arrival in Cusco 28.10.14

Today I arrived in my final destination area of Peru, the mountain city of Cusco.

After a long (and sleepless) 20 hour coach journey from Lima, this view from the old town apartment was a welcomed sight! The coaches here have been surprisingly comfortable, but couple the most winding and twisting roads with your neighbour being about 7 feet tall and 4 times my size in weight, my fears weren't from the bus toppling down the mountain-side, but from me being crushed in my sleep. Hence no shut-eye.  Anyway, I digress...

Cusco is an amazingly beautiful city and I feel honoured to be able to experience this through my campaign work with Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation and Sense UK/Sense International. 

The altitude is something that has hit quite hard and even a couple of hours walking around the markets and streets is knackering. It's not unlike the wobbly zoned out feeling you get after a full festival weekend!  

Tomorrow I come offline for 10 days as the trek experience commences. I don't think I can imagine what amazing sights are to come, and with the trek reaching an altitude of 4,600m, the reality of the physical challenge is just hitting me now.

If you would like to support the Breaking Boundaries campaign, helping deafblind children projects in UK & Peru, you can read more and donate here (copy & paste link into your browser):

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MissChivers

Bakery workshop 18.10.14

My final day with Sense International Peru was to visit another one of their workshops, in which the deafblind young adults learn how to bake various products, and which they can then sell to friends, family and neighbours.

Elisa & friend Nancy took us to the San Miguel area of Lima, where these workshops take place in a school for disabled children.

We met Diana and her son Miguel, who is just one of the young adults who benefits from the work Sense International does.

They live three hours away in a district of Lima (Sense provides the funds for transport to the workshops) - but used to live in Iquitos, which is much much further. Miguel is 23, and just learning sign language.

They moved to the district outside Lima and met one of the teachers, who brought Miguel into the workshop project. He has tumours in his brain that affect language too, but they are non cancerous. 

The bakery workshops provide a much needed sense of belonging for both the deafblind young adults *and* their families. Not only is it social interaction, the skills they are learning through the guided interpretation can be transferred to the real working place.

During the last week I have experienced only the tip of the iceberg where Sense Internationals projects are concerned. But it's been an amazing insight, and to see first hand how the funds benefit the lives of the children and young adults puts everything into perspective. Through the Breaking Boundaries campaign with Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation and B-Side Project, we hope to continue to provide awareness routes and funds to help these amazing projects. 

If you would like to donate, please visit the sponsorship page.

http://m.virginmoneygiving.com/mt/uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MissChivers

I am now taking a week off in Mancura, before I undertake a challenge of a lifetime - trekking to Machu Picchu. I am doing this to keep the awareness going and (hopefully) the sponsorship rolling in! 

 

Updates on the trek will follow as posts towards the end of the month.

Thank you for everyone's support so far. MissChivers xx

Massage workshop 16.10.14

It seems that Peru and massages go hand in hand, or maybe I just look like I need one. After two previous offers this week (albeit from slightly less "kosha" masseurs), I finally succumbed to a proposition I just couldn't refuse.

One of the four Sense International Peru projects is "Occupational Training" for young deafblind adults. Today another member of the Sense Peru team, Kiomi, took us to the Productive Centre Salomon Zorrilla, in the Callao area of Lima, where we were able to see (and participate!) in the massage workshop. This workshop is run by partner organisation "Condis" and the funds from Sense International go towards transport for the 10 deafblind students and families participating, and the tools and materials needed.

To see how Angela, the teacher, communicates with the students was amazing, using guide interpretation - this is where the deafblind person feels the hands of the other person as they sign language. Communication for deafblimd people has always left my head reeling - how on earth do they do it? I saw exactly how this is done today and it was mind blowing to say the least. Another of Sense Internationals projects here is to train people in all aspects of sign language, and Angela herself is going through this course to develop her sign skills and understanding.

I must say it was probably the best massage I have had, but then if you think about it, being deafblind means you rely heavily on touch, and therefore incredibly tactile. Learning how to professionally massage not only gives the young adults a sense of purpose and achievement, but it will also eventually lead to inclusion in the workplace with socially responsible companies in the area, and it also provides a version of sensory therapy. 

It was a unique experience to meet Monika, Tono (and Mariella his guide interpreter) Fernando & Carlos (and Carlos' mother Rosa). It was a pleasure to be their massage model! :-)

To find out more about Breaking Boundaries, helping deafblind projects in UK and Peru, and if you have a few pennies to donate, please visit this page: www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MissChivers

Sense International / Sense Peru 15.10.14

(Videos will be added to blog soon!)

This morning I met with Bethan (from Sense International, who travelled from London on Sunday) and Cecilia (Sense International Peru) and we took a taxi to the "hippy" area of Lima, Barranco. There we met project workers Jorge and Glidy, and travelled onto chorillos.  We were so welcomed into the home of Mia by her mother. Mia is 18 months old and has Down's syndrome & glaucoma. The project visits Mia and many other families regularly. The effect the simple light ball had on Mia was amazing to see. And these sensory activities and toys are just some things which the projects are introducing. It may seem so basic, but touch and light reactions are just one of the many aspects that can help deafblind children develop. 

We then went onto the home of Jose Luis, who at 21 years old is multi-disabled and bed-bound. Contracting meningitis at 9 months and with no treatment, Jose is hypertonic, and can hear but has very limited vision. His mother received no support until the Sense project found their case and intervened, meaning she was on her own in the situation for over 20 years. She has seen the benefits to her son's quality of life, with massage and respiraritory exercises, and described the help from Sense as being "from the angels".

Sense find cases by reaching out to other community groups and churches, and people there mention the families in need of help. Unfortunately in many situations it's clear that doctors have not followed up on diagnosis, abandon cases and families are left to deal with quite staggeringly difficult medical and social issues.

It's an incredible eye opening experience to see first hand just how the charity helps. And to know that the funds raised through Breaking Boundaries and Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation are supporting this work reiterates how everyone's support is so worthwhile. 

If you have a few spare pennies, please donate here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MissChivers

no hablo español 14.10.14

So not learning Spanish before I ventured out here is probably going down as one of the biggest school girl errors in MissChivers life history.

A couple of days recuperating at the first apartment (albeit in quite a dodgy area, I didn't venture out much yesterday), I left today to realise I had no idea how I was going to explain to a taxi driver where I needed to go. Luckily the boss of the bakers next to the apartment helped out, hailing a taxi and explaining where my destination in San Borja was. However, this was not before I was shown to his office behind the bakery, played some electronic music and from what I can gather, escaped a proposal of marriage. From buying bread to having 20-question inquisition about why I am single and that I might like to spend time with him (massage included) is rather quick relationship progression, even for me. I declined politely.

I am now at a very aptly named "Happy Up Here" hostel in San Borja, Lima. It's £9.00 per night and beats any hostel I've stayed in back in the UK. As soon as I have worked out my Animoto video editor, I can start adding my video blogs to this, and then you'll see what I mean!

Aside from that, I am getting quite excited about joining the Sense International team tomorrow, which is what this trip and campaign is all about.

** For more info on the campaign and to donate please click here **

Let's fly away.... the day before Peru 11.10.14

Saturday 11.10.14

I'd like to say I am prepared but then that just wouldn't be me, or truthful.  I have three hours before I am due to leave my flat for my Mum's, and the place still resembles a bomb site, laundry to be done, and there is nothing packed in the rucksack.  
I've got to say a huge thank you to Mathew Setchell for the loan of a lot of the equipment (and bags!) needed for this trip, and to Gaia Fleet who gave me much needed antibiotics today (typically a chest infection has hit).  Without their help I would be even less prepared, which is saying something.

So... I need to crack on.  But before I do, here's the reason I am (now panicking about) going away:

BREAKING BOUNDARIES (LNADJ in association with the B-Side Project)

Raising awareness and much needed funds for deaf blind children and young people across the globe, through the medium and love of music.

B-Side Project and Last Night A DJ Saved My Life have launched Breaking Boundaries in 2014 with the first focus on two specific projects managed by Sense International and Sense UK.

As part of the campaign I am spending a month in Peru.  Whilst in Peru, I will be visiting the Sense  Internaltional deafblind childrens project to experience first-hand how the funds can really make a difference.  There are large funding needs in the new project in Peru which has a range of activities from helping deaf blind children access basic education, home-based support and therapy, and assistive devices.  I will also be working closely with the team at Woodside Family Centre project in Bristol through 2014.

I myself suffer from a degenerative eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.  I truly believe that music has kept me positive throughout.  It is one of the most important things to me.  Although I am registered partially sighted, to me it is totally incomprehensible to have hearing loss too.  There are young people and children with blind deaf issues who are so far less fortunate, but who can be really helped through music therapy projects that Sense facilitates.  

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life will help raise this awareness and encourage the fundraising for this campaign, alongside the B-Side Project which I founded in 2009 to bring music together internationally.

The ‘home and away’ campaign to generate awareness and funds for these projects hopes to continue year after year and encourage various dance music ambassadors to follow with similar actions.   Breaking down geographical boundaries, and educating people on the amazing work that is done, and the inspirational results that are achieved.  

I am paying for my own flights to Peru and the fundraising/sponsorship you donate is not used to cover this cost.  If you are able to donate, click here.