River of Happiness: KusiMayo
Imagine early morning on the shores of Lake Titicaca, at 3900 meters, the sun lifts it's face across the opposite horizon and the frosty air rises as mist from the waves that lap up onto the stone covered beach. As the Sun slowly moves up into the sky, you hear in the distant the sound of children's voices, and looking to the village above the lake you catch a glimpse of them in the brisk morning light.
Kusimayo, “Happy River” in Quechua, is a nonprofit organization that works improving the living conditions of children and adults affected by poverty in Peru. Thousands of Dreams is one of the projects of the Association.
KusiMayo
It's objective is to improve the nutritional status, education and health of children in the Provinces of Puno and Lampa. It assists over 350 children in preschool centers in 19 communities. Children from ages 3-6 are given daily breakfast, and supplied with educational materials and supplies and a hygiene kit! Each of the centers also provides a well for clean water, a latrine, appropriate furniture, and basic kitchen utensils.
The exhibition ArteFeliz is an annual art fair, called ArteFeliz and is taking place on Av. Las Casuarinas 445, Lima 33, Peru. This is a huge undertaking and there are works by hundreds of Peruvian artists on display! The building is a massive restored old mansion in Barranco. and it will host for the next two days an eclectic art show that is like no art fair you have ever attended! This is not a promotional opportunity for galleries, or even for the artists for that matter, it is an exhibition with intent! That intent is to raise funds for the assistance of this and other great programs funded by the NGO KusiMayo. The artists too benefit in that they collect 60% of all sales which is better than the cut offered by many greedy gallery owners. That is another topic to be dealt with at another time, I digress. The slide show that follows will give you some idea of the magnitude of this undertaking and a glimpse of some of the great art works that you could have hanging in your home if you go and support the arts and children of Peru.