a couple pictures: check out more on our Facebook Page

Celebracion de Coprodeli-- a perspective of our intern

If there is a recipe for a great evening, Coprodeli seems to have struck on it. The secret ingredient? One great cause.

Celebración de Coprodeli, the 10th annual, is not the typical fare for a college student like myself. Walking up to the Blackstone Hotel, I really didn't know what to expect. Having worked on the Celebración event all summer as an intern for Coprodeli, I was both excited and nervous to see the final product. What had I forgotten to do? What if that great idea had turned out horrible in practice? What does one even wear to a gala?

Of course, in true Coprodeli fashion, everyone was welcoming, energetic and excited from the moment I walked in the door. That same energy that sustains the organization was truly evident that night, and as the first guests came in the door at 6pm, all the details that I had been stressing about turned out not to matter at all. People were here to have fun, spend some time with other philanthropically-minded people, and support the amazing cause of Coprodeli education programs. In the midst of that overwhelming spirit, it couldn't have mattered if a table tent or two was missing, or a display was misplaced. (Happily, all the details came off smoothly!) But I think there was a bigger lesson involved in this event. It's easy to wrap oneself up in the minutiae of a project, at the expense of the bigger picture. Celebración, in its actualization, allowed me to see with clarity the greater goal at hand - through the Padrinos and the Mission Drive - of helping secure a brighter future for Peru.

The layout of the program or the font of a brochure no longer mattered. What mattered was the spirit of altruism, in no place more evident than in Padre Ranera's speech on Coprodeli successes in education. The heartwarming sincerity of the speech meant for me that motivation and inspiration far and away outstripped worries over caterers and A/V equipment. It was, to say the least, a pleasant revelation.

The spirit at the event was infectious. Even I, fresh from 3 months of learning the ins and outs of Coprodeli, was reminded of our true purpose. I know that I - and I think I speak for everyone else at Celebración, supporters new and old - felt connected more closely to Coprodeli as an organization, and to Coprodeli as a dream, a goal, a success, and an inspiration.

Thanks, Coprodeli, for an inspiring summer! See you in Peru sometime!

-Erin Britton, Summer Intern 2010

A Fantastic Celebración!

Thank you for coming out for the Celebración! As our 10th Annual event in Chicago, we are very happy for all the support we continue to receive. What a wonderful community of people--

We had a bunch of fun, and you inspired a lot of solidarity to empower communities through education!

Tomorrow (Thursday, 10/28) we will do it again in Washington, DC. This will be our 4th Annual Celebración de Coprodeli in Washington, and we are looking forward to another fantastic event.

We will post highlights and pictures very soon...

A Summer in Cañete, Peru

I learned about Coprodeli though the office of the Embassy of Peru, whom I contacted requesting information and suggestions on volunteer opportunities. To my excitement, I received a message shortly after referring me to the Coprodeli organization. Dedicated to providing essential needs to Peruvian families, Coprodeli stationed me to teach English in one of the new elementary schools that was undergoing construction in San Luis. I was blessed with the opportunity to dedicate three short months of work in one of the most remarkable and truly eye-opening experiences I have undergone. What began as an internship quickly developed into a devoted relationship between with the wonderful community within which I worked.

The first thing I did upon landing in Lima was start introducing myself as “Mateo,” instead of “Matt.” I already knew some basic Spanish but, nevertheless, I jumped right in asking questions and conversing with the locals. I arrived with no expectations regarding living arrangements and I was not disheartened to find that my room was a simple wooden structure built among others without heat or water. I was appreciative of the single light bulb and roof above my head that kept out the damp air and rain.

I worked steady for several weeks getting to know the students at the school, the parents, and the community. I was shocked at how optimistic and content they were. Upon my inquiries or comments on things such as the lack of hot water they would respond, “Así es, Mateo.” That’s the way it is. The more I heard it, the more things I had taken for granted all my life became much more aware, before they disappeared completely. The values of friendship, family, love, and religion came into much sharper focus and quickly replaced the high perceived values of material items.

The turning point of my time in San Luis came the day I talked to Brenda, the secretary, about the wage of the teachers working at the school. She told me they received around S/.1200, or $400, each month. I was shocked because I had seen how hard these teachers worked, and I felt they deserved more. However, Brenda continued by telling me that this amount is what they would be receiving if the government were paying them, which they are not. Coprodeli affirmed that employees at the school in San Luis, along with several others, were not receiving salaries. Yet, the teachers continued to show up every day, often working long past their scheduled hours and sometimes into the night past dark. It was at that moment that I felt a powerful obligation to better these people’s lives and match the dedication of the teachers. They became my new role models as I worked harder thinking that maybe, by the end of my term I could reach their level of commitment and hard work.

My memories in Peru are filled with smiles and laughter, the girls teaching me how to dance to Shakira, and the boys attempting to teach me how to play soccer. The tears didn’t come until the end, when the staff, students and parents gathered to throw me a surprise going away party and each stood up and spoke words of appreciation. I was rewarded in many ways but I feel as though there is much more to be done. I have seen what real passion and dedication looks like. It is my new goal to match this dedication and hopefully one day become an inspiration to others as my friends in Peru inspired me.

-Matt Schmidgall, Northern Arizona University

Coprodeli Peru Intern, Summer 2010

The One+One Campaign has been an amazing success! Thank you to all of our generous supporters--we have raised more than $12,000 through hundreds of donations; and with the matching gift, that's $24,000 toward our successful humanitarian aid efforts in Peru!

The Campaign culminated with the 10th Annual Clothing Drive in Chicago on Sunday, August 15. It was the most successful Drive to date--hundreds of donors, 40+ volunteers, 424 boxes packed, and over $250,000 in donations on their way to Peru.

It's been an amazing summer, and we look forward to many more to come!

On behalf of the 110,000 beneficiaries in Peru, Muchas Gracias!

From failure to inspiration

My name is Danielle Portugal, and I am currently interning for Coprodeli USA. I am from Highland Park, IL, and I go to Vanderbilt University. Working for Coprodeli has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. From planning extraordinary events that go toward a great cause to helping Coprodeli USA with their marketing efforts, not only have I learned a great deal, but I have also had the satisfaction of knowing that my work directly benefits children, adults, and families in Peru.

To be completely honest, starting out with Coprodeli USA was quite the journey. During the first week of work, I deleted the entire website, which spiraled into a complete nightmare, especially for an intern who had started merely a week prior. Yet surprisingly enough, my horrible first-week experience taught me many lessons that have been very beneficial to my learning experience. I learned to read the manual before deleting the Webmaster account on a website, and I discovered how to overcompensate for such a dire mistake by fixing the problem immediately and going above and beyond what was expected of me for future projects. As I’m sure many other interns for any organization can relate to, starting out with an organization can be quite the journey, and starting off on the wrong foot makes it even harder. However, Coprodeli helped me get right back on track, without getting angry or frustrated (well, they secretly may have been a bit overwhelmed…), and I was able to turn this negative experience into a positive one.

True to form, Coprodeli USA has been a fantastic place to work. My projects have been intellectually stimulating, teaching me a vast array of skills in the areas of marketing and event planning. It has been great to work with interns that are more or less my age, and it is extremely satisfying to be able to see an event from start to finish.

For anyone who is interested in gaining experience in the fields of marketing, event planning, or translating, Coprodeli USA can undoubtedly be the place for you. Coprodeli USA has given me invaluable work experience that will be useful for my future career, but more important, it has taught me the importance of being passionate about the work that I do. By caring about the people that I work with as well as the cause that I work for, I am proud of the work I do. And that is, without a doubt, satisfying.

Peru's Teacher's Union begins Strike against Education Reform

Collaborating with the State in the Reconstruction of the South, Coprodeli built and equipped six public schools in Cañete, Chincha, Pisco, Ica and Nazca to meet the educational demand of the marginal populations affected by earthquake August 2007 in Southern Peru.

Currently, these schools serve to about 1,000 students, being attended by teachers trained, motivated and committed to the reconstruction of educational quality, but to date NOT PAID; How can we speak of "equal opportunities and conditions of quality of life for teachers’’ when they can’t even access the Bachelor in Education through contracts.

Sinking Your Teeth In, Dental Campaign Inspires! by Alycia Ebbinghaus

Traveling to Peru each year has become one of the most energizing parts of my job with Coprodeli USA. For the majority of the year, I'm concentrating on the behind-the-scenes part of the development work we do - getting our projects funded - sometimes it feels removed from what is actually happening on the ground.

The chance to spend three weeks on the ground with Coprodeli Peru, work with US volunteers, visit the project sites and people, really brings a new clarity to the value of our work - to see the progress each year in Coprodeli communities amidst continuing poverty that surrounds it!

This year, I had the honor to lead a group of 9 volunteers from the University of Tennessee - visiting 5 provinces and providing free care to 550 patients over 10 days. The dedication, compassion, work ethic, and enthusiasm demonstrated by all was inspiring and earned tremendous respect and praise from the Coprodeli team - calling them 'chambiadores,' or 'those who answer the need for work.'

In my role as translator/coordinator for this amazing group of volunteers, I was reenergized for the mission of Coprodeli USA.

And I flew back north with a clear understanding of the ongoing challanges that still face us. Many of Coprodeli's Health & Humanitarian Aid Programs depend on donations for daily operation; they depend on Coprodeli USA.

I will continue to do my part to ensure that Coprodeli doctors in Peru have the resources they need to attend to their patients. I invite you to play a role too! Join the One+One campaign, and help us send a container of invaluable supplies to our friends in Peru in August!

Be The Impact, Volunteer with Coprodeli USA By Nikki Evans

I've been to Peru 4 times and many of you have joined me in this life changing adventure. Once as a volunteer, and then as the volunteer group leader, ow, as the Program Manager with Coprodeli USA, I'm looking forward to my 5th trip to Peru in September! At this stage in my life I am grateful to spend so much time with our friends in Peru. Some of you know well how amazing this experience is!

My time with Coprodeli is a continually unfolding story that I will cherish forever. Introducing volunteers to all of the remarkable programs of Coprodeli and to the amazing places and people of Peru is so rewarding! I look forward to these trips because I want to share in the transformation that each volunteer, and each group, inevitably faces, so to relive my own first experience in Peru.

Working with Coprodeli in Peru, every day I am inspired by their dedication and touched by their mission to give people in need a sense of purpose and meaning. However, my words are not enough; the only way to truly engage with this transformative journey is to join us in Peru. The benefits of doing so aren't limited to a sense of personal gratification; rather, they tend to manifest themselves in the tangible change that Coprodeli provides to the Peruvian community.

To those who have joined Coprodeli in past trips, I urge you to continue sharing your stories with others not simply to reconnect with your own experiences but also to inspire them to participate in a mission dedicated to true social change. For those who have yet to join us, we ask that you consider how Coprodeli may help you better realize your ambition for personal and global change.

Hello!

My name is Carmen and I come from Spain. I came to Chicago to join Coprodeli as a summer intern. When reading through the information that Coprodeli USA provides and looking through their web page, it almost sounded too good to be true. Doing this internship means I am helping people in Peru, and supporting a good cause puts a smile in my face and makes me work every minute I am at the office.

If you are interested in event planning, Coprodeli is the right place to intern. You will gain a lot of experience assisting in the organization of many fun events which take place during the summer and in the fall, and you will also take part in the marketing department of the organization. Personally, I think that choosing to intern abroad was the correct decision as I'm expanding my horizons and experiencing a different culture and environment.

Joining Coprodeli for the summer has made me learn about life itself and has helped me achieve a lot of good work experience which will be useful for my future career.

-Carmen

Hello!

My name is Erin Britton. I'm originally from Anchorage, AK, and I attend school at the University of Chicago, but I'm new to Coprodeli - just started interning this week at the Chicago office! I'm already so excited for all the events that we are working on. If the level of excitement and energy in the office is any measure, this summer is going to be huge!

As you hopefully know, we've kicked off thisOne+One Campaign, and we are trying hard to get the word out to as many people as possible. (Pssst: Tell all your friends!) The more people know, the more support we can give to Coprodeli in Peru! But also, the more people who know, the more individuals there are who can get involved with Coprodeli and come to know all of the awesome work that is going on in Peru.

This week, one of the other interns told me to watch me this video called "Acércate" which showed all the projects we are working on in Peru - which are SO COOL. The video is even a little out of date, and doesn't even show all of the new projects we're working on. Talk about inspiration. I wanted to just immediately sign up for the Peru Volunteer Trip in September.

In all, it's been a great first week getting to know Coprodeli, and I look forward to getting to know some of you all at our Chicago events this summer!

Best,

Erin B.

One+One Campaign

If you haven't heard yet, Coprodeli USA has kicked off its summer humanitarian aid campaign, the One+One Campaign!
So, what is One+One?
One+One = Dollar + Dollar This campaign is supported by a generous matching gift from a Coprodeli supporter, which means every dollar we raise will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000! How cool is that?!
One+One = TWOmorrow It's a terribly clever catchphrase, but it also contains a lot of truth. The humanitarian aid initiatives that Coprodeli implements help to build a strong foundation for economies and communities, opening new possibilities for education and entrepreneurship. The One+One campaign is an investment in tomorrow, but an investment that has a direct and immediate impact towards meeting the most basic needs today.
One+One = You + CoprodeliEverything you do for Coprodeli this summer - whether its attending our events, donating to our clothing drive, or getting involved in other ways - will go towards the One+One Campaign. Basically, we have this unique opportunity to double our - and your - impact in the lives of Peruvians. We've set our sights on the goal of raising $15,000 to make the most of this opportunity, and we can only do it with your help!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Coprodeli USA blog!

We have a hugely exciting slate of summer events for 2010, and we hope this blog will help us maintain contact with our community, as well as be a resource to find the latest and greatest happenings from Coprodeli!

This summer is designated the Coprodeli USA Humanitarian Aid Campaign, where every dollar you donate will be matched, up to $15,000, doubling the impact you can make in the lives of Peruvians in the communities that Coprodeli serves.

Check back here often for information on our upcoming events and other ways you can support Coprodeli. Feel free to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, or our website.