Location: Mollepamba
A Bill & Donna Pike Commemorative School
Because of it's remote location, high above the Vilcabamaba Valley, the school has mostly been ignored by the government and had a great many needs when we first visited it in 2004. Before dedicating a 1 acre plot of land on the edge of the village of Mollepamba, the villagers would send their children to a local teacher who would conduct class inside his one-room home. After the student body grew to over 10, the teacher requested that they consider building a small classroom on a plot of ground which had been donated by a local resident. Since then, it has been the recipient of numerous gifts including:
Materials to build a roof on their first classroom building
Bags of concrete to mix with local stones to make a floor
Door & Windows for the Classroom
3 Montessori-Style Round Tables with 18 chairs for the classroom
School & Crafts supplies
Backpacks for all of the students
Complete Computer System with monitor, mouse, keyboard, video camera
Digital Camera
Video Projector
Refrigerator
Voltage Regulator
This is how the school looked in 2007 after they constructed the new roof provided by a special generous donation project to the ACF by ViaViente distributors across the world.
A one-room school house filled with possibilities.
The School started out with dirt floors
Changes being discussed by Director: Jaime Mendoza, Trustee: Terry Minke and the Saraguros Indian teacher.
School Improvements through the years
2008-2013
New windows placed throughout the school
New floors added to the school as shown in picture with new windows
New solid door is hung to replace the old one
Jaime Mendoza hands over donations for school materials and supplies
Saraguros Indian parent and teacher serve us a traditional chicken borth soup with yucca stalks inside the 1-room school
Outside the school, now 2-room school with addition of a room for the new computer equipment shown here. April that was built with the help on ACF. April 2011.
Saraguros Indian mountain school. April 2011. Entire Group Shot of Mollepamba, Saraguros Indian mountain school. April 2011.
Saraguros Indian in their traditional dress with ACF Team and Laurie & Larry from One World Vilcabamba.
RECENT PICTURES OF MOLLEPAMBA FROM 2013 TRIP:
This Mollepamba Montessori Schools now accommodates 18 Saraguros Indian children. In 2011 they added a small computer room off of the old classroom building and just recently in 2012 a kitchen facility. The kitchen was in need of a refrigerator to keep the food safe and also allowed the student the opportunity to bring their lunches from home. The school now has two teachers and two classroom buildings. ACF was able to provide them with the new refrigerator and a voltage regulator that the school needed in their computer room to regulate the inconsistent electrical source they receive from down in the valley. ACF has been told that internet service will be provide soon by the government, but if not by our 2014 trip, we plan on providing it through a local service provider, VilcaNet.
Teacher, students and Craig give the "Vilcabamba" sign in appreciation of the new refrigerator for the school.
Terry Minke, ACF Director and Trustee embracing two of his favorite students in front of the new kitchen just constructed recently which houses their new refrigerator.
Recent Video of Mission Trip #6
ENGLISH Version
SPANISH Version
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