Newsletter January 2023

We wish all the best for the year 2023, health, joy and God’s blessing.

We are happy to tell you about some highlights of December 22 in this newsletter. These include an unforgettable Christmas party on the property in Mi Peru as well as the couples’ course. A report from a project visit (Rolf Kühni) is also included.

Please think or pray for the political situation or the great unrest in Peru. Until now we have not been directly confronted with it, but a few days ago people from the rural areas of Lima marched in to demonstrate (incl. vandalism).

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Newsletter January 2023 (pdf)

Overview newsletters

Christmas “a la Bethlehem Stable“

We held this year’s Estación Esperanza Christmas party at the Mi Peru property. The families of all three sites (Kouri Hanna – Ventanilla, Mi Peru and Pachacutec) were invited. In the stable in Bethlehem there was probably no electricity or water. The situation at the site matched this very well: No toilets, no electricity (or we bought a long cable and were allowed to plug it in a neighboring family), no chairs, lots of dust, etc.

But it was a very nice occasion. We were visited by an external youth group, who told the Christmas story with theater, songs and interactive contributions. The head of the neighboring slum also visited us. Two years ago he and his board were against the construction and made it difficult for us to build the wall.

This is how things can change. At the end of the event, we were able to give everyone a piece of Panetone and a chocolate drink (not to be missed in Peru at Christmas), as well as a ball with elastic band for all the children. Also this time the Lima Swiss Club donated the food and 500 balls.

Christmas party on the property

Couples course

In December, we were able to conclude the seven-week couples’ course with a romantic dinner. Albert (EsEs staff) prepared cordon bleu for this. Most of them did not know this at all and asked beforehand what it was. A highlight was that Fernando proposed to his partner after eight years of relationship (they also have two small children).

She said, “I always wanted this, but didn’t think it would happen”. Three couples from our EsEs team also completed the course. Their relationships were strengthened. One couple dropped out of the course because their serious problems did not allow them to discuss topics such as the “Five Languages of Love”, sexuality, influence of the family of origin, etc. in peace. Carlos and I now accompany this couple in private sessions.

Outlook year 2023

At the end of January, an architect from Switzerland visits us. He is contacting several schools and social projects in Lima. We assume that he will enrich our construction plans for the property in Mi Peru with additional ideas. As it looks, we will be able to carry out the second stage of construction this year. This will include the completion of the kindergarten.

Our employee Evely is a trained early childhood educator. Since she wants to have her two little daughters (6 months and 2 years) with her at work and we also realize that we need a new crèche (both for the children of employees as well as for several women from the slums), we are organizing this new offer. Evely, with the support of volunteers, will run a crèche from 8:00 to 15:00 from February 2023.

In addition, another cell phone repair course, a sewing course (printed self-sewn bags), a finance course, a camp and children’s weeks are planned. In December, Carlos and I held year-end discussions with all employees. We received valuable impulses. We will try to implement various ideas in the coming months. We are grateful that our team is honest and has already made great progress in communicating constructive criticism. This is not a matter of course in Latin America.

From the results of my master’s thesis (I was able to complete my master’s degree in leadership and leadership psychology at the end of 2022), it became clear that indirect communication and the culture of shame are particularly widespread in the Andean countries. All the more consciously we would like to work with the team this year on giving and accepting constructive criticism and on communication in general.

Report from a project visit
(Rolf Kühni, Sargans)

“Sustainability” is a word that is probably more often misused than used in marketing. Nevertheless, it is the word that Daniel Bützberger (Finance Department) and I, Rolf Kühni (Communications Department), think of when we talk about our visit to Ventanilla. And that is because sustainability is lived in the project and is not just an empty phrase. Sustainability in the context of Estación Esperanza means that people reorient themselves, constructively take responsibility for their lives, actively distance themselves from harmful influences and habits, and socialize in a group where their efforts are supported and encouraged. In our case, this group is a Christian community that is in close contact with Estación Esperanza and fully shares our values.

What we experienced in the areas north of Lima, which we visited as board members of the Swiss support association, impressed us tremendously. I myself, as Miriam’s father, have been involved in the project for a very long time and am probably its most critical supporter: I have the most “but …”, and I formulate these not only clearly but also publicly. More consciously than ever before, I must or may now say “but” that very good work is being done.

The project management as well as the whole team always have good, surprising ideas and put them into practice. They have an eye for what is often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and even two eyes for those people who are also often forgotten. Their testimony of faith is authentic without constraints, loving without intrusiveness. The whole thing is also characterized by an infectious cheerfulness.

The work, combined with a large presence, is demanding. We are concerned that there is a permanent hectic pace. This is inherent in the system and is related to the everyday life of all the people in the area. Unexpected, unplanned, often dramatic things happen every day. In contrast to our well-organized lives, such events there usually lead to consequences that require a great deal of energy to cope with.

This makes us tired. We brought the concern to the board that all operationally active people must be obliged to take sufficiently good care of their health. Last but not least, there is also the tension between quality and quantity. The project management should be relieved of the obligation to be able to list as many projects as possible to the donors thanks to many activities. “Sustainability,” as mentioned above, is truly something else.