The Rural Voice, 1987-08, Page 28CHESLEY HOSTS PERUVIAN
AND CANADIAN YOUTH
Canada World Youth has come to
Chesley this summer, with seven
young people from across Canada and
seven from the Huancayo region of
the Andes in Peru living and working
on farms in the area. Each farm is
hosting a Canadian and Peruvian.
While the group is in Canada, the
Canadian partici-
pants are helping the
Peruvians to adapt to
life in a small south-
western Ontario
community. When
the group goes to
Peru at the end of
August, the Peru-
vians will be offer-
ing the support in a
new and strange
environment.
The farms,
which are within
about 15 miles of
Chesley, range from
market gardening
and organic oper-
ations to sheep, hog,
dairy, and cow -calf
operations. Families
are assisted with
food costs for the
two participants.
Besides becoming
familiar with the
individual farms,
the participants
Team about broader
agricultural issues.
One Canadian notes that "this has
been as much a culture shuck for me,
coming from a large city to a farm, as
going to Peru will be."
This is Chesley's first year as a
host community for the Canada World
Youth Exchange. Residents have had
various opportunities to meet wih the
exhange participants. The group regu-
larly visits Parkview Manor Nursing
Home to assist with recreational acti-
vities, has visited ARC Industries in
Walkerton, and has shared a potluck
meal with the Big and Little Sisters.
As well as being involved in com-
munity days, each pair of participants
is responsible for preparing topics for
Educational Activity Days. Topics
relate closely to agricultural issues in
the area and the links that can be made
on an international level: organic
farming, rural -urban migration,
The seven Peruvian participants
were selected from the 28 member
communities of an agricultural co-
operative in Peru known as SAIS
Cahuide No. 6, which was formed
after the agrarian land reform in 1971.
This co-operative raises cattle, sheep,
llamas, and some alpacas.
Throughout the
Peruvian and Canadian guests enjoying the hospitality of Chesley are (top,
left to right) Isabel Lanteigne of New Brunswick, Victor Ramirez of Peru, Sara
Cordova of Peru, Marie-Josee Laforest of Quebec, Luzmila Lazo of Peru;
(middle, left to right) Gwen Phillips of Manitoba, David Majeau of Quebec, Mery
Ticse of Peru, Sophie Hargest of Ontario, Steve Martindale of Ontario, Yolanda
Moreno of Peru, Franklin Coz of Peru, Suzanne Stump — Ontario group leader
—, Andres Sapallanay — Peruvian group leader —; (front, left to right) Nestor
Melchor of Peru, Hamish Thom of British Columbia. (photo by W. Merle Gunby)
energy, and sheep farming, for exam-
ple. Women in Development featured
Genie Blake of Hanover, who spoke
for the Concerned Farm Women.
After three months in Chesley, the
entire group, accompanied by Cana-
dian group leader Suzanne Stump of
Walkerton and Peruvian group leader
Andres Sapallanay, will be the guests
of the Peruvian Society for Agricul-
tural Concern. In December, the
Canadian participants will return to
Chesley for several days to report on
their experience.
seven months of
the exchange, the
young people will
develop leadership,
communication,
and organization
skills. Communi-
cation being a key
to greater under-
standing, learning
languages is a
major focus. One
family member
remarked, "It's like
the United Nations
at our dinner table
sometimes when
the four languages,
English, French,
Spanish, and
Quechua, start
flying!"
Canada World
Youth is a private,
non-profit organi-
zation largely funo-
ed by the Canadian
International Devel-
opment Agency
(CIDA). More
than 10,000 Canadian participants
and 1,000 communities such as
Chesley have been involved since the
exchange was founded in 1971. Any
Canadians aged 17 to 20 are welcome
to apply. Simply contact the Ontario
Regional Office of Canada World
Youth at 386 Bloor St. W., Toronto,
Ontario, M5S 1X4, or telephone 416-
922-0776.0
Suzanne Stump
Ontario Group Leader
Walkerton, Ontario
26 THE RURAL VOICE