PERU AND THE MARCH OF THE CPUs "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" Nelson Mandela We are going into the second phase of what has been our dream from day one when we created and founded Quipunet. 289 CPUs have been completed and donated to 44 entities such as rural schools, institutions, and organizations, in Peru. 250 more went directly to EIGER, the non-profit organization that worked alongside Quipunet. This wonderful endeavor has been the most difficult task that our virtual community; Quipunet, has ever arranged. But it also has been the most rewarding, and inspiring one that we have ever accomplished! I am sharing this story, with the hope that other poor (in money only) communities such as ours, will take it as an example of what can be done. As you all know, Quipunet is a virtual, non-profit organization formed by Peruvians and friends of Peru, living all over the world. Being a volunteer-driven organization, our philosophy has always been that we do what we can, when we are able to do it. Felipe Polo Wood, one of our founders, sent a message in September 1999, apologizing for not contributing any work, however, he was always �reading� us and, of course, always thinking of our beloved country. One year later, he had his opportunity to help and he took it. His company was going to dispose of some CPUs due to the advances in technology - these units had become obsolete for their line of business. These �obsolete� CPUs, were Pentium, with modems, and lot of power�and brand new! He requested 500 (later upped the request to 600) of them to be donated to Quipunet (having our 501(c) (3) really helped!) and when his request was accepted, he excitedly sent a message with the news. This donation was made in North Carolina. It took us a few months to get all in motion. The first committee was formed in Washington State since the President of Quipunet.- Raul Nakasone, lives in Olympia, WA. Another committee was formed in Peru with Paola Bazan, the Vice President of Quipunet in charge of it. Paola lives in Chiclayo, Peru, and the rest of her committee lives in Lima, Peru. Miles apart. Her committee had the responsibility of finding an organization we could cooperate with, to receive the CPUs, warehouse them and help distribute them. She did a wonderful job with a contract that pleased all. Her committee chose EIGER, another non-profit in Peru, whose mission is the same as ours: training disadvantaged young people for jobs. The contract called for EIGER to pay for all shipping costs, customs fees, etc. For this, they were to receive 250 CPUs with the stipulation that the rest of CPUs could be warehoused for three months �at the end of that period any uncompleted CPU was to be kept by them. An agreement that we found no fault because nobody wanted to see the CPUs in storage and not being used. Meanwhile, our committee in Washington State, took care of all the paper work, letters of donation, letters of thanks, other documents, all needing the Consulate�s seals. (The Consul of Peru in Seattle is one of Quipunet�s volunteers). We also had to find the shipping firm, costs, etc. With the names of all the contacts, costs, etc. we sent the information and the money to Felipe, who, in turn had to finalize all arrangements. The shipping was to be done from South Carolina to Peru. On the day of the shipping, Felipe and several volunteers (in North Carolina) packed the container that, alas, was short of space and so only 544 CPUs were sent via truck, to S. Carolina. After the CPUs arrived to Peru, we were all on pins and needles, hoping that Customs would not delay the process. We were lucky! The shipped cargo passed without any problem. And that night, we received a euphoric message: �The CPUs are now in EIGER�s warehouse! I am going to have a beer to celebrate!!� During the waiting period until the CPUs arrived to Peru Edwin San Roman, traveled to Cusco where he talked to all his friends, relatives, anybody and everyone he met, into donating money to �complete� the CPUs. The first quote we had received to complete the CPUs with a monitor, keyboard and mouse had been of $210 per CPU. Edwin had gone to several places and by offering to buy in bulk he had a quote of $156. But that was not enough for Edwin. Next he went to IBM in Peru and obtained a price of $125 (it helps shopping around!). The donations of money started coming in, from coins donated by children to big checks donated by groups of people. Groups of different backgrounds, getting together and putting enough money to complete 10 CPUs, or to complete just one. Edwin, by himself, was responsible for completing more than 100 computers. Paola, in Chiclayo also did her part and completed about 80, Carlos and Blanca Rioja completed 42 in Lima, and �Embrace a School� completed almost 60. Embrace a School.- Group # 5 in Japan sent enough money to complete 9 computers for the Ashaninkas. Group # 13 -of American school children donated $210; Group # 16 of American college students, sending what they had collected from a Bake Sale; big checks from the Bangor Chapel (Group # 10) to help two different places; proceeds from sales of �tamales� from Group #3; Group # 2 helped two different places, Group # 14, send what they had been collecting for almost two years; and Group #4 borrowed money to be paid later with events. We thought it was going to take us three months to gather the funds. It took only 2 weeks. The committee responsible for the distribution had the hardest part. They had asked for letters from the Parents Associations rather than the schools, that way assuring that the computers will be used by the kids. They had to collect the funds, look for better prices, approve the requests, pick up the monitors and parts, call the recipients, see about transportation (most of the recipients didn�t have any money for transporting them). I quote part of Edwin�s letter to us: �It has been two weeks of hard, physical, and mental work, my body is tired, but my spirit is so full of joy! Thank you for the opportunity to serve my country, to help my countrymen, especially the kids! � At one of the distribution ceremonies, in Cusco, several of the teachers, were going from box to box, shaking their head, wiping some tears, saying: �I can�t believe it, I can�t believe it�. It has been a lot of work. Shared by so many volunteers that it would take pages to write their names. We ALL have followed the work, the problems, the successes, the poignant moments. Once more, we have seen what a chain of people, miles apart in distance, but a heartbeat away can accomplish. Once more, we have marveled at the Internet and its power of communication, and once more, we have experienced the feeling of close communion that Quipunet has wrought. We are ready now to start the Chasqui Project. Linking the rural areas as they were linked in Inca times, with Chasquis runners, carrying the information from Tambo to Tambo. We are ready now, to start our Yachayhuasi (schools) where our rural kids (and adults), can share, exchange information and be part of the forging of their new future.. We know now, more than ever, that as Edwin always says: �THE SUM OF LITTLE EFFORTS MAKES A GREAT TOTAL!� Martha Davies [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.e-connexions.net ------------ ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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