CCOC-HUA, SCHOOL KITCHEN

Mission: Turn a primate cooking area into a formal kitchen. 

About an hour drive from Curahuasi, at an altitude of 10,200 feet, there is a village called Ccoc-Hua (pronounced Hoh-Wa). It has a population of about 1,500 villagers, and an average family income of about $800 per year.

Their only school is located in the middle of the village, and similar to most village schools in this area, it lacks many things. However, what caught our attention most during a school tour was their extreme primitive cooking area, with no walls, no tables, no running water, or anything else except large rocks for the cooking fire. And with the lack of a clean service, we also noted that it made for a very unhygienic place for serving food to children.

Fortunately with the help of one Lake Jackson, Texas family, we were able to do something special. Thanks to the Macias´ family (Antonio, Jennifer, Gloria, Rico and John), our project sponsors and volunteers, we were able to design and build the school a new complete kitchen using an unused classroom. In just a few days, we built them: an advance wooden stove, which lets smoke out via two smoke stacks (no more smoke in the cook´s and children eyes or lungs); a large sink with running water; a concrete table with a ceramic tile counter top; a dedicated firewood stand; we gave them two additional tables and a metal shelf for organizational purposes; and 75 plates, cups, and spoons for the children to use. Interestingly, we didn´t give them forks and knifes because most of the children at the village have never even held or used them.

With the help of the Macias' family, the project was a huge success and tremendous aid to the school and students! We had parents from all around come to thank us personally. Overall the project took 5 days and cost $1,125 to complete, and helps all 198 students at the school.

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