YOUTH ORGANIZATION CLEANS UP AND REPAINTS LOCAL CHURCH

As part of its regular activities considered on its annual plan of the youth organization "Fishermen of the Youth" from the Saint Francisco de Paula Church, several youngsters organized an outdoor cleaning and painting event of the mentioned church. The aim was to rescue and revalue our cultural heritage, which is reflected in the local construction with colonial style of the churches part of the Ayacucho city touristic circuit.

These young participants gave a positive example by showing that they are real agents of change. As they stated, the revalue of our heritage must come from its own citizens and hope that other local youth organizations will organize similar activities. The institution CEDRO is offering technical assistance on similar initiatives, which foster healthy life styles, away from the drug's chain and invite the community to participate on "civic actions" and artistic-cultural events, such as the cleaning of public spaces, social campaigns, dance fests, theater, among others.

YOUTH UNITED AGAINST THE EXCESIVE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL

Hundreds of youngsters from several educational institutions and faith-based youth organizations joined a parade against the excessive consumption of alcohol which may be done during the Holy Week. This initiative was called by the Youth Pastoral Union (Pastoral Juvenil Orgánica) in Ayacucho and in joint work with local institutions such as CEDRO.

Youth recognize that this religious fest is being affected by the excessive purchase and consumption of alcohol, which puts in danger the civil security and confuses the real escence of this type of gathering in the city of Ayacucho.

THE MESSAGE OF CULTURE OF LEGALITY REACHED MORE THAN 9,000 PEOPLE DURING 2008

After one year of executing the "Youth in Ayacucho: towards a culture of legality" Program, CEDRO evaluated it with the aim of measuring the impact of this project in the target group, which is located in the provinces of Huamanga, Cangallo, Vilcashuaman, Huanta and La Mar(especifically in the Apurimac and Ene River Valleys).

Firstly, 9,142 people (mainly youngsters representing different local youth organizations) received information regarding the fight against drugs in our society, promotion of an ethical behaviour and the value of Ayacucho's culture. Based on this learning platform, youngsters executed 23 artistic-cultural eventos, 10 social initiatives and 32 entrepeneurial initiatives, aiming to use local resources in their respective regions in a sustainable way.

YOUTH IN HUANTA OFFER A DEVELOPMENT AGENDA BY USING LOCAL RESOURCES

More than 35 representatives from youth organizations in the province of Huanta came together for making a development agenda in the region, based on the use of local resources and active youth participation in the civil society.

Among the proposed initiatives, it was stressed the execution of actions for drugs abuse prevention (particularly alcohol and illegal drugs) through sports, workshops using the peer to peer education methodology (youngsters educating their friends) and artistic-cultural events. Furthermore, the participants agreed on promoting healthy recreational spaces, such as short trekking day and team building through food gatherings and social actions. In this way, youngsters expect to gain an active role in the civil society and lead a mindset of peace and positive behaviour.

YOUTH WILL DESIGN INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION PROJECTS

Today it was launched a training curse directed to young people, towards developing new leaders with competencies for developing innovative production projects.

This opportunity aims to promote a new generation of young leaders which will take advantage in a responsible way of the local resources, and aiming to promote healthy lifestyles without drug’s abuse. This learning platform will enable them to have a positive impact in their communities in the framework of licit activities, living far away from violent economical actions, such as the ones promoted by the illegal sector of drug trafficking. This program will take 3 months and is being executed by specialists from the American Development Corporate, and with the certification of the National Agriculture University of La Molina.

YOUTH RECOVER AYACUCHO’S MYSTIC

With the aim to recover our identity and cultural heritage in Ayacucho trough music and singing, yesterday youngsters realized the musical contest "Sunqunchikmanta Takisun" (Singing from our Heart), organized by CEDRO and the San Ramon School.

This event took place in the Alameda Park, whereas 15 youth participants offered beautiful local melodies in front of the historical Independence Monument scene. CEDRO congratulated youth for promoting cultural activities which offer healthy life styles and foster pride and desire for development in the region.

YOUTH WILL START UP INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES BY USING LOCAL RESOURCES

A total of 35 business plans made by young entrepreneurs will become true through a grant given by CEDRO, in the Framework of the "Youth in Ayacucho: towards a Culture of Legality" Project.

These businesses promote the local culture and sustainable use of the regional resources. Furthermore, they will be lead by young leaders committed to the development of licit activities so as to have a positive impact in their communities. Among these business ideas we have: cultural restaurant and coffee shop, recycling of materials, trade of fruit nectar, tourist restaurants, handicrafts on stone, guinea pig production and a network of local taxis (motorcycles) that offer tourist information. This initiative has received an important support from the "My Enterprise Program" (Programa Mi Empresa) from the Ministry of Labor, which has offered free trainings and consultancy to these young beneficiaries in order to come up with their business plans.

YOUTH OFFER ARTS AND SPORTS IN IGUAIN

The initiative of youth for promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraged them to organize last Friday cultural activities and Sports in the district of Iguain, located 45 minutes from the main city and with a big concurrence.

Activities started with sports tournaments and a concourse of artistic walls in the local school Carlos Ch. Hiraoka. Youngsters proved their creativity on motivating their friends for leading the development in their communities; by avoiding drugs (alcoholism and narcotraffic are main threats for youth in the region). Moreover, there was a gastronomic festival with typical dishes, which aimed to revalue the consumption of local food by informing about their nutrition facts. Among the dishes, there was: Qawinka Mazamorra, Mondongo, Calabaza Mazamorra, Chuño Soup, Cebada drink, Tortilla de Maíz and Siquy Patachi.

YOUTH DEVELOP INOVATIVE ENTERPRISES AROUND TOURISM AND CULTURE

Continuing with the conception of micro-enterprises which promote the culture and identity in Ayacucho, more than 200 youngsters started a new phase of trainnings towards developing innovative business plans.

As an example, in Vilcashuaman, youth participants have suggested business ideas directly related to the promotion of local arts and tourist atractions, through tourist camps (which actually do not exist in that area), guided services, typical food’s restaurants, handicrafts, among others. These types of initiatives enable them to develop entrepreneurship capacities and competitiveness on themselves, which will facilitate their access to high demanding amployment opportunities and ensure their active participation on their communities’ development. On September, CEDRO aims to recognize the best business ideas, by offering 100 youngsters a start-up finance composed by 300 USD per beneficiary.

YOUTH OFFER GASTRONOMIC ART IN VILCASHUAMAN

In the framework of the 10th Vilcas Raymi and national days, the youth organizations CEFOSS and TURISMO organized the gastronomic festival “Ñuqanchikpa Mikuyninchik” (Our food in Quechua language) in the province of Vilcashuaman.

This activity had the objective to revalue the gastronomic art in Vilcashuaman, by promoting the consume of typical Andean dishes with ingredients such as corn, khawinca, pumkin, quinua, haba, charqui among others. The youth organizations exposed different dishes such as: lawa quinua, chilly lever, fried corn, olluquito with charki, carapulcra a la vilquin, pumpkin huatia, hot huallhua, caputo drink, cebada drink, chilji, among others. In this way, youngsters aim to promote a social trend in favour of licit productive activities, which take advantage of the local culture and identity in Ayacucho.

YOUNG LEADERS RE-VALUE BEAUTINES OF THEIR STREETS

On Friday, around 200 youngsters from local educational institutions in the province of Huanta organized a cleaning activity in the main streets and parks in that city. This brought motivation, since is an example on how youth leadership can foster healthy spaces in their own communities.

Together with brooms, bags, baskets, youth sensitized their fellows around keeping their city clean, so visitors can enjoy it during these national days, without pollution. This attitude proves that young people are more aware about the need of keeping healthy environments, so they take an active role as leaders. This action was taken by youngsters from the following schools: Gonzáles Vigil, Esmeralda de los Andes, Maria Auxiliadora and San Francisco de Asís, and received technical asístanse from CEDRO, the Municipality of the Huanta Province and organized youth organizations.

YOUTH PROMOTE RECREATIONAL SPACES WITHOUTH THE ABUSE OF DRUGS

This week 4 youth organizations in Cangallo received a workshop around drug’s prevention and as a result of it, they have committed to organize activities which will foster healthy life styles in their community, and without the abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

The partipant groups: María Parado de Bellido, Santa Rosa, Group of Dance and Manuela Ramos will promote recreational and educational activities, which will showcase their cultural Heritage such as: gastronomic festivals, music awards, Sports tournaments, Workshops for parents around drug’s prevention, among others, and with the technical assistance of CEDRO. In this way, these young Readers expect more involvement in their local civil society, as well as more attention from their authorities around the promotion of healthy life styles among youth. This educational event ended with a colorful artistic presentation made by the participants themselves (dance called "kings’ arrival").

YOUTH BRING BACK THE BEAUTINES OF THEIR STREETS

With the aim to keep the streets clean and promote a healthy community, organized youth organizations realized several cleaning outdoor event last week, in both the cities of Ayacucho and Huanta. In the first one, most of the executers were youth from last years of secondary school, who received technical assistance from the institution CEDRO and the Province Municipality of Huanta. During that same day, in the area of Quinuapata in the city of Ayacucho, members of youth organizations did the cleaning of the sport area and close streets by their own initative.

These young leaders express that these cleaning initiatives should receive more attention from their local authorities, since these offer spaces where they can prove their civic spirit as well as they can have some fun by doing something productive, thus forgetting about the consumption of alcohol and any other drugs. They invite other young people to join them in regular dates for the next 3 months.

YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE IN AYACUCHO

After 3 days of intensive work and a colorful artistic march, the conference "Youth: potential for development" came to the end, and was attended by 300 young leaders from the provinces of Huamanga, Huanta, Vilcashuaman, Cangallo and the VRAE area. In this way, these leaders have committed to lead the change in their regions through initiatives organized by themselves.

During this event, the youth leaders shared information on the topics of drug’s prevention, youth leadership, culture of legality, participation in the civil society, entrepreneurial proyects, among others. This information was provided trough workshops, discussion panels and speeches. Moreover, cultural and artistic performances were offered through information fairs, whereas the youngsters shared good practices around the activities they are currently executing in their communities. Finally, cultural nights were offered by the youth themselves through theatric, dance and music performances. This important event took place in the Cultural Center of the National University of San Cristobal de Huamanga, in the city of Ayacucho.

YOUTH SPOKE UP IN FAVOUR OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Around 300 people among students from local schools and youth groups in the province of Huanta organized a colorful march and theatric presentation. Thus, they promoted healthy life styles, without the abuse of drugs.

These cultural activities were organized in the framework of the “World no Tobacco Day” and with co-organization with youth grupos in the region and with the support of the program “Youth in Ayacucho” of the institution CEDRO.

YOUTH FESTIVAL IN JESUS NAZARENO

The organization CEDRO offered the first youth festival “Yes to life, no to drugs” in partnership with the youth groups: Conquistadores del Tercer Milenio, Red Interqorum, Ñoqanchik, Sonqollaqta, and the institutions: DEVIDA, ESLIDER and the District Municipality of Jesus Nazareno.

This event aimed to offer information about drug’s prevention and to offer a public space to youth groups, so they can take an active action in the public opinion. Moreover, several artistic performances were offered in the ways of music and traditional dance.

YOUTH WILL ORGANIZE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES

Several youth organizations which benefit from the “Youth in Ayacucho” by CEDRO, will participate in different cultural and artistic activities throughout this weekend. These events will be focused on showing and enjoying the local culture and arts.

Firstly, on may 30th in the city of Huanta, there will be a colourful artistic march and afterwards a theatrical presentation called “Breaking Barriers, Building Roads”, in which youth will perform sketches about the dangers of drugs’ abuse and the need of healthy lifestyles among youth. In Huamanga, on Saturday 31st of May, it will be organized the first Youth Festival “Yes to life, No to drugs”, which is being co-organized with the municipality of Jesus Nazareno. Furthermore, in the framework of the “World no Tobacco Day”, there will be another theatrical performance on that same 31st of May in the Bosco coliseum, in cooperation with the Provincial Municipality of Huamanga.

These activities aim to foster healthy lifestyles through artistic and cultural performances, which offer young people, spaces for personal development. In this way, these experiences may enable them to access to licit jobs easily, since they may have acquired leadership skills through these performances.

YOUTH WILL DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN AYACUCHO

After trainning more than 2 thousand youngsters belonging to several youth organizations in the provinces of Huamanga, Huanta, Cangallo, Vilcashuamán and VRAE, the institution CEDRO has achieved recently the selection of youth participants for leadership courses, which will be implemented within these regions. This learning platform will enable 300 youngsters to receive educational sessions around youth networking, leadership tools, social project planning, among others.

NOVOANDEAN GASTRONOMIC FESTIVAL WAS A SUCCESS

In the framework of the Huamanga Day, the first novoandean gastronomic festival was organized last weekend, called “Ñuqanchikpa Mikuyninchik” with the support of CEDRO. This event aimed to promote the gastronomic richness and the consumption of Andean food made with local ingredients.

Furthermore, this activity enabled young people to develop their leadership skills through the execution of this cultural event. In this way, we foster together a social trend in favour of legal activities promoted by youth and by showing the Ayacuchean identity and culture. This festival ended with an award to the best dish called “Convido Andino” (Andean Invitation) from the youth organization Ñuqanchik, then the second place with the dish “Puñuchi” by the group Eagles of the Communication Sciences and the third place with the dish “Chilly Pea” made by LIDA.

YOUNG LEADERS WILL ORGANIZE NOVOANDEAN GASTRONOMIC FESTIVAL WITH THE SUPPORT OF CEDRO

In the framework of the "Huamanga Day", CEDRO and different partner youth groups in the city of Ayacucho will organize the gastronomic festival with novoandean food "Ñuqanchikpa Mikuyninchik" (which means Our Food in Quechua language). The aim of this event is to promote the gastronomic richness of the region, by offering andean food made of local ingredientes, such as dry potato, tarwi, qahuinca, pumpkin, wheat, allpaca meat, quinua, aguaymanto, tumbo, oca, among others.

The event will take place in the "Ciudad de Camana" Stadium , the 25th of april starting at 9am. The participant youth groups are (with their original names in Spanish): Granito de Arena, Jóvenes Cristianos con Visión al Futuro, Águilas de Ciencias de la Comunicación, Jóvenes Emprendedores de San Juan, Jóvenes por un Cambio Social, LIDA, Killatary, among others.