Leaving Huancayo Today

We depart from Huancayo and the bus ride down into Lima in about an hour. This part of the project is finished. We are leaving a core group of 5 people, including 3 teachers and several professional artists, with a real enthusiasm for music, the instruments, playing together and a desire to use music and the skills we have been sharing to work with children in Huancayo in a therapeutic way. I really hope the project is sustained and I think it will be :)

Week 3

Week 3, our last week here, is underway. Staff are beginning to lead sessions so things looking positive. A few sessions lost due to stomach problems but still on course. Just 4 days left before we head back to Lima on Saturday.

Week 2 underway

With week one finished, the instruments bought and used for the first time, the second week of the project is now underway.
Daily sessions and staff workshops (info/pics at the Music as Therapy blog http://www.musicastherapy.org/news/blog.html) mean doing everything we can to embed and make the project sustainable when we leave in less than 2 weeks.
Some pics of Huancayo and the local area now posted down the side of the blog.

Link to photos

Try following this link for photos of our trip so far.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150728803440347&set=a.10150728803125347.718876.601375346&type=1&theater&pid=20173385&id=601375346
Hopefully that will work.

All good in Huanacayo

Yesterday we bought the musical instruments for the project. Some funny looks that were wondering what sort of a band we were planning on forming with that selection of instruments but after some hard bargaining I think we got a good deal. Start with sessions tomorrow. Sun so bright up here and wearing thermals. Learnt to play volleyball today, left breathless by the altitude.

Arrived in Huancayo...

Made it to Huancayo late last night after amazing bus ride winding up through the mountains. Brilliant blue sky this morning but a chill in the air too! Talking and thinking about the project... exploring Huancayo a little today before we begin tomorrow.

all good in Lima

Safely arrived in Lima, walk by the sea and bus into the mountains and Huancayo this afternoon. All good