PERU: My grandson Gabriel (17) and I recently visited the barrio of Pamplona Alta, where we are going to partner with the Global Health Initiative Peru, which is supported by Wabash College, my alma mater. Thanks to your help, we are supporting the education of women in health and skills that will provide a source of income. We will also support pre-schoolers, for whom there is a weekly program of lessons and crafts.
After Easter, we flew to the city of Huanaco, a Quechua city. The Global Health Initiative works with schools there to provide health education (I attended a lesson on parasites) and also serves food to children. One of the children there has Down Syndrome. Jose more or less wanders around, and there really is no plan for his education. I would like to find a place for him to go to school where he can learn important skills that will allow him independence later in life.
As we add worthy programs like this one, we obviously need greater support. I hope that you will consider a gift to the Bill Cook Foundation so we can continue our vital work in 25 countries and also, when prudent, add to our list of schools and students and youth groups that we help. I also want to remind you that I pay for all my travel expenses out of my own pocket; nearly all of your donation goes straight to the programs that support children.
PS: If you have time, please read our annual report, which is available on our website, www.billcookfoundation.org.
The photos show a women’s class and a pre-school class in Pamplona Alta and a classroom and me with Jose, the Down Syndrome child.
