Opportunity for ranching development

Through its Conga Project, Yanacocha, along with FONCREAGRO and AGRORURAL inaugurated in the Santa Rosa hamlet, Huasmín district, Celendín province, the first 5 out of the 44 sheds for cattle proposed in the agreement and that are in process. The breeding of cattle in sheds is a technique that allows junior ranchers to protect cattle from weather negative effects, achieving an improvement in the production with a correct management of cattle.

Emilio Medina Chacón, Project beneficiary, thanked the support from participant institutions and manifested that opening the doors to Conga neighbors is a good opportunity to generate development, always with dialogue and proposals.

Walter Pesantes, AGRORURAL Head of zone, said that since they belong to the State, they will continue promoting strategic allies to boost projects in benefit of the inhabitants who are prepared to commit in improving cattle, which results in improvements of their economy.

This Project is one more of the 4 joint initiatives that Conga is working with MINAG (Ministry of Agriculture) for communal developments such as: forestation, water technical management, soil conservation and agro industrialization. These developments show supportive and arranged work to make sustainable developments programs and projects that improve the quality of life in the hamlets within Project Conga area of influence progress.

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"Alliance for the development against poverty"

On Wednesday the 9^th of February a workshop took place with members of the “Alliance for Development and Poverty” in Celendin. This workshop had the participation of authorities and CODECOS from the communities of Coñicorgue, Shanipata, Santa Rosa, Jerez, La Victoria Alto Huangashanga, Curapampa, Huangashanga, San Juan de Huangashanga, Primavera, Pring, Yanaquero and Florida

The purpose of this meeting was to confirm the commitment of the alliance with the CODECOS and the authorities to continue with the work to achieve the development of the communities

Through briefing sessions, dialogue and reflection it was possible to explain the wish of making this project real by working in teams to be able to achieve common goals.

The Neighbourhood Community or the Committees of Community Development (CODECOS) are the major organizations which seek to improve the capacity to formulate, implement and manage plans and community development projects with the participation of its citizens and both public and private institutions.

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A new life

Pura, a thirty-eight years old woman who has five children, was sufferering from headaches and could not stop coughing because of the state of her kitchen. The solution? Building an improved stove.

Thanks to the contribution of our partners in the project "Families in Solidarity, building improved stoves" the inhabitants of the hamlet Lagunas de Combayo are starting a healthier life.

Pura belongs to only one of the seventeen families who have been benefit by receiving improve stoves on Wednesday 26^th. Today, after receiving her new kitchen, her discomfort is disappearing.

"Before I used to cook in a small hut where I could not see anything, I kept coughing and my food was full of ashes, but now my kitchen has new lighting, and the most import thing is that there is no smoke so my children can be there with me, " says the owner of the house while blowing the wood off and carrying her youngest child.

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More reading, better education

The world of reading

PBecause we believe that by promoting reading we will strength the reading skills, and also because at the moment we do not have many areas open so that children and adolescents from Sorochuco and Huasmín could have access to quality books. We have also launched mini libraries in our information offices in response to the need for children and young people of school age who need reading areas to strengthen their education and academic preparation.

These mini-libraries will be open the12 months of the year, allowing students to come during their holiday period. In "The World of Reading", they will find updated information, and texts that are suitable to their education levels, such as primary, secondary and higher education.

The Local Education Management Unit from province of Celendín is backing up this project.

And the authorities say…

“As a son of Sorochuco I feel very proud to encourage culture and knowledge for the youth, it has been a difficult pathway to achieve this, I am sure that in the future there will be more work for the community for Sorochuco, it is great to have an open and direct dialogue with the project, all together we will find the best way to continue the development of Sorochuco.” LUIS CASTAÑEDA PISCO – Public Safety Coordinator from Sorochuco.

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Christmas in Conga

The employers `spouses of the Conga Project visited 32 hamlets of the territory in these festivities. They shared gifts and surprises with children of the educative institutions in a traditional Christmas event known as “Chocolatada” ..

Thus, with this type of activities we try to involve the families of our workmates to improve the relations with our neighbors. Not only in Christmas also in future campaigns in which we will ask for the active participation of the hamlets settlers, authorities, contributors and relatives.

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Visiting the Mine

The Yanacocha operations and the facilities of Porcón Farm were visited by students of the Technological Institute "Pedro Ortiz Montoya” from Celendin as well as primary students from the 5th class, teachers and parents of some educational institutions in villages near the Conga project, with the purpose of clearing up any doubts and fears about the environmental and social work carried out by modern mining in Cajamarca.

Visitors

"Our visit is really rewarding because students have learnt that it is possible for the agriculture, the livestock and the mining to live in harmony. Now I have realised that Yanacocha is a friendly- environment mining company.”

Walter Altesana Yallop, Teacher in the Institute of Technology.

"This visit is extremely important due to the information we receive regarding the mining operations, now we know how Yanacocha operates and how they care for the environment."

Mirzan Chávez Malaver, Student

"We are proud for everything we have seen in Porcón Farm. We have listened to those who say that mining damages the environment, but it is not true because here we have seen animals of all kinds and also trouts. I will take this message to my village so they come and see that mining does not hurt anybody.”

Salomón Cruzado Huaman, deputy Mayor of Huasiyuc hamlet.

"I thank the role of the authorities from our village and the goodwill of the Conga project who have made this visit possible for students, teachers and parents. We are happy because this trip allows our children to visit places they have never been able to visit before"

Eloy Quintana Ramos, President of Parents Association Huasiyuc IE.

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New business ideas for Celendin

Young people is in charge

The first competition on Business Ideas was carried out under the project: Training Program for Young Entrepreneurs Celendin (PFJEC for its acronyms in Spanish). This competition brought together young people from different secondary schools as: Jesus de Nazaret, Coronel Cortegana, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Manuel de Pierola Castro, Jose Cabellos, among other educational institutions within the area.

This program aims to encourage a culture of success among Celendin youth, providing them with the abilities to develop skills which will facilitate their integration into working life and business.

How was the competition achieved?

• First, it began with the distribution of business ideas workshops in schools within the area.
• There was a call to young secondary students.
• Young people presented their projects
• Friday, November 19, finalists were evaluated by a jury, who were members of the Andes of Cajamarca Association (1), the UEGEL Celendin (1) and the Junior Achievement Peru (1).
• After the evaluation, 10 finalists were selected out of 103 submitted projects.

Each group (of two pupils each), achieved a presentation of ten minutes, and then responded to questions from the jury.

The winners

The winners were the participants of the Project “Coffee made of sweetened cereals to boil”, Edgar Pereyra y Wilman García, pupils of the secondary school Pedro Paula Augusto Gil; both received a scholarship to attend the International Forum of Entrepreneurs FIE 2011 (in Cordoba, Argentina)

The Project “Company of Ecotourism services”, whose participants were Nilson Fidelia Hoyos and Sanchez, pupils of the same school but from a different class, received a digital camera and a MP4 player.

The awards

The awards ceremony was held on the 29th of November at the Municipal Auditorium and included the presentation of the speaker Fernando Escudero Espinoza.

The commitment of institutions as the Association Los Andes de Cajamarca and Yanacocha – Conga Project, which is supported by the UGEL Celendin and the implementation of Junior Achievment Peru, made possible this type of educational initiatives which improve the development of Celendin.

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