Yurac Yacu Project Request

PROJECT DATA PAGE

Project Name: Yurac Yacu Community Development Center

Project Location: Huaraz, Ancash, Peru

Project Applicant: Andean Alliance (NGO)

Contact Person(s):
Wayne Lamphier
wlamphier@andeanalliance.com
Tel: 94367-2388

Diana Morris
dbmorris@andeanalliance.com
Tel: 94378-9330

Project Description:

This project involves the construction of a Community Development Center that will offer two mutually supporting programs including: i) a poverty reduction education program providing neonatal and maternal care, nutrition, health and hygiene education programs as well as youth and women's skills training programs and ii) a Community Small Business Center including an Internet Café and a Guides & Porters Expedition Services Office, together with several other revenue channels including a community bread oven, health and fitness center and meeting room facility.

The community of Yurac Yacu is ideally located at the edge of Huascarán National Park and the Cordillera Blanca mountains to provide exclusive tourist/visitor services. Revenues from community tourism services and small businesses will cover the Center's operating expenses and the educational instructional expenses while generating a small number of employment positions for local residents.

Project Beneficiaries:

Approximately 320 (rural) Andean indigenous campesinos including 54 families with 155 children < 14 years old and 40 youth between 15 and 18 years old.

Project Proposal

YURAC YACU - PERU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The average education level for rural residents in Peru is Grade 5. Education, or the lack of it, lies at the heart of under-development in Peru and in much of the developing world. Countless studies testify to the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty. Education provided to young teens, especially girls, can help reduce unwanted teenage pregnancies. Education for expectant mothers can reduce infant mortality and improve early childhood development through better nutrition and childcare practices. Education and sporting activities for young boys can help reduce substance abuse and delinquency problems.

The community of Yurac Yacu lies at the base of the Cordillera Blanca mountains on the edge of Huascarán National Park, 8 kms from Huaraz the capital of the Departmental of Ancash. The area presents untapped potential for tourism and the training of rural residents in the provision of tourism services. Tourism could provide local residents with a supplementary source of income to their subsistence agricultural activities. Women and youth will particularly benefit from this project with education and income benefits directed to these groups.

Yurac Yacu is a sector which encompasses the upper parts of two adjacent communities (Rivas and Cachimpampa) and whose residents live in closer proximity to each other than to their own community centers.

While Yurac Yacu suffers from the same poverty that affects most communities in the Peruvian Andes it now counts on limited but long term assistance provided by a Peruvian registered NGO called 'Andean Alliance', which was established as a family fund by a Canadian couple who became permanent residents of the area in 2005, having opened an Inn called The Lazy Dog Inn (www.thelazydoginn.com).

2.0 PROJECT LOCATION

Yurac Yacu is located approximately 8 kms east of the city of Huaraz above the town of Marian and near the entrance to the Llaca Valley of Huascarán National Park (see Figure 1). Access to Huaraz from Lima is via an 8 hour bus ride traveling north along the Peruvian coast and then east (inland) for approximately 4.0 hours. Huaraz is a full service city with approximately 90,000 residents.

The area is widely visited by hikers, climbers and mountain enthusiasts (mainly foreigners) every year between May 15 th and September 15th as it provides access to five major valleys containing many popular mountain peaks. There are no other rural tourism services in the area with virtually all services being based in Huaraz. Consequently the Center would provide exclusive visitor services in the immediate proximity of the National Park. The Center will be located within the territorial limits of the community of Rivas.

Figure 1:Project Location Map

3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This Project Proposal was developed by Andean Alliance in conjunction with the residents of Yurac Yacu. The project objective is to develop a financially self-sustaining Community Development Center. The project would involve construction of a 337 m2 traditional adobe building (see Figure 2) which would house three main programs and facilities including:

• A Community Learning Center - with two rooms including a) a library (55 m2) with eight internet terminals that would also serve as a conference room to be rented out for special events and b) a Mother/Child Development Center (52 m2) providing maternal and early childhood education, care and materials to local residents
• A Personal Health & Fitness Center: (84 m2) including male and female change rooms and showers with an exercise area, and
• A Community Business Center including a) a Guides & Porters Office (9 m2) - where visitors can hire local guides, cooks and porters for expeditions, hikes, local walks or trail rides, plus b) an open courtyard Café (43.2 m2) and kitchen (9.6 m2) serving coffee, refreshments, light meals and desserts to visitors. The kitchen would also produce bread ("pan de piso") for local residents who currently buy their bread in Huaraz. Revenues for sustaining the Center would therefore be generated from five sources including: a) the courtyard Café b) the Internet services c) a percentage of the Guides & Porters income d) fees collected for the use of the Health & Fitness Center and e) income made from the sale of bread to local residents

Local professionals including health care workers, teachers, computer experts, social workers, artisans, sports coaches etc. will be enlisted to provide training, workshops, courses and guest lectures on a regular basis using revenue obtained from the income generated by the Center itself.

The Center would also house a resident Administrator's apartment (21.3 m2), a storage room (9.2 m2) and public washroom (3.6 m2).

4.0 PROJECT BENEFITS & BENEFICIARIES

Yurac Yacu has approximately 320 residents (54 families, 155 children <14 years old and 40 youth between 15 and 18 years old). The project will generate immediate short-term as well as long term benefits for the community of Yurac Yacu and its residents.

Short-term benefits will come through the hiring of community residents for construction of the center. Residents will be hired on a rotational (monthly) basis and will be paid a daily wage 25% below the average local laborer's wage with this amount considered part the community's contribution to the project.

Long term benefits will come from: a) the educational benefits provided to local residents in maternal and neo-natal care, nutrition, health, hygiene and skills training (computers, knitting, crafts and agricultural technical training etc). b) income earned by local residents and the Center from the community businesses housed in the Center. The Center is expected to be economically self-sustaining immediately by offering marketable visitor services including: guides services, internet services, a small café and a fitness center. Finally, the Center will serve as an important focal point in the community for meetings and communication among residents.