La Roca building update

La Roca from the front.

It has been some time since we started work again, but with a second son time seems to disappear like satsumas when Daniel is hungry. Hence the lack of posts this month.
Last Saturday morning I went to La Roca with Daniel (a normal part of our work). Normally we spend time with Richar and Mari encouraging them and chatting through any issues they have. Daniel of course just causes havoc and runs around there at 100 miles an hour!

Daniel moving a stool to go look out of the window, Mauro eating breakfast and Anita.

We are hoping to help Mari start a mums and tots group in La Roca there for the community and there are several things that need to be done before we can do this.

The view of the neigbour's children in their backyard from the 3rd floor of La Roca.

Last Saturday I met Mauro, a builder that goes to La Tablada church, and he, with myself and Richar tried to work what needed doing to make the building safe and secure. At the moment we have no money to do this, so we are waiting for this to come before work can be started.

Richar and Mauro standing by the back of the building.

There are 3 different pieces of work which need to be done over time, although number 1 is the main focus to start off with:

1. Securing the first floor, and making it baby friendly. This includes buying rugs/carpet, buying toys, putting doors on where they are none, making cupboards, and shelves, and also building a secure wall at the back, and putting in doors.

2. Making the third floor child friendly, which includes putting a roof on to give shade in the summer. It also means putting up walls to stop children jumping off(!) and perhaps building a small garden area, to teach about growing plants.

3. Building a stairway in between these 2 areas, so this bypasses the 2nd floor which is Richar and Mari's house. They have sacrificed their house for so many years for the work there that this appears to be a great way to seperate the church property (where the mums and tots group will go) and Richar and Mari's house.

The state of the 3rd floor ater rain.

The current state of the 3rd floor.

This is happening alongside the work of trying to get running water in the building, and formalising the community.
If you'd like to be involved in this work in anyway, please let us know.

The passage where the stairs will go at the back of the building.

A view of some of the southern shanty towns of Lima from La Roca

In other news: Anna's parents are due to arrive for 2 weeks on the 7th November, with Mark and Julian planning a trip to Pulcallpa in the jungle for 4 days, alongside visiting our other work here in Lima.