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The Internado Pallcapampa-BQE Hogar Estudiantil |
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The Internado is a student residence, set in the beautiful Sorata Valley, that gives indigenous young people access to education beyond the elementary school in their home village. Most students live more than a 3 hour walk from the nearest high schools in Sorata. |
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About 20 students live here in community, with supervision, guidance and educational support. Most walk 3 to 6 hours on Friday afternoons to spend the weekend helping their families, then return on Sunday evening. This beautiful former bed and breakfast was purchased thanks to generous donors, primarily in Ireland, also the US and UK.
uring the scho |
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The Internado was initiated in 2006 as the dream of Benito Jallurana, who was attending university with a BQEF scholarship. He was the first from his area to go beyond high school and had made the daily 4 hour walk to Sorata for 3 years. Here is Benito on Easter, 2004, ready to begin the hike to his home community of Pallcapampa to present his idea of establishing an internado. The villagers embraced the idea with enthusiasm. Treasures of the Andes donors to The WALJOK Foundation and to BQEF made the dream a reality. |
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Friends from many countries have enriched the learning experiences with donations of laptops, digital cameras, books and games. |
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Students grow many of the vegetables they consume. They are learning organic methods they can share with their families. |
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Albertina would like to study law. |
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As the best student in his school, William (below right) has led civic parades for eight years. |
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Zulema and Juana figure out the new camera brought by volunteers. |
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Alicia Lucasi, the very capable administrator of the Internado, earned a degree in educational administration as a BQEF scholarship student. In the 2008-09 school year, she was a teacher intern at Carolina Friends School. |
