On our way home we stopped by the US Embassy for a lunch meeting to thank them for funding part of our project. Della Hareland and her cultural affairs team thanked us for the opportunity to be part of our pilot project.
Black History Month.
The inauguration day, last Tuesday 25th of January, started with Mango decorating and face painting at 2pm, with the attendence of about 400 children and adults. The inauguration ceremony of Yapatera's first playground built by us started at 5pm. We had Afro-Peruvian dances by children and women, speeches by Tamara Hale and Cheri Tatem, and thank you speeches by local authorities, Della Hareland (Cultural Affairs Specialist from the Embassy of the United States in Lima), Angele Tatem (representing the donors) and neighbors and children among others. 
The slide was baptised untying ribbons and children slid down; we toasted with a Mango cocktail. The community thanked us with presents of Ceramic vases created by a well known local artist depicting Afro-Peruvian themes. In her speech Cheri reflected on the the effort, dedication and commitment by so many people that has made this project possible.. it truely takes a village!
Three local women who had been trained in how to use the blood pressure machines. The machines were donated to the community and the women will organise their own rotating clinics. For the first time villagers will be able to check their blood pressure regularly and in an emergency or at night they will no longer have to travel to the next city to check their blood pressure.
Boys and girls from the village were invited over the community radio speakers to attend the Mango decorating and face-painting before the inauguration ceremony. We ran out of mangos fast and 100 mango heads with googley eyes, pipe cleaner hair and capes were created. Cheri's sister Angele Tatem joined us from Colorado did face paints on 100 children! We were also joined by Miss Mango 2011, the winner of the harvest festival beauty contest.
Cheri brought the benefits of exercise and self-care to Yapatera's villagers in a half-day clinic held at the village municipality. Villagers were able to address complaints of chronic discomfort and pain in one-on-one sessions and were prescribed exercises to do at home.
Thanks to your donations we were able to procure medication for Johan, 8 who was severely burnt by a cooking fire.
On Thursday and Friday Yapatera's community radio, (these are speakerphones on long cane polls that blast announcements to the population), invited villagers to have their blood pressure checked for free at Heart of Yapatera's first two Heart Health Posts. The Heart of Yapatera Health Project will be holding four weekly Heart Health Posts at two different
locations on neighborhood porches, with 
education on preventative measures. On Thursday and Friday 33 villagers were able to monitor their blood pressure, body fat and BMI. Some of the villagers had never had their blood pressure or height measure. Many people dressed up for the event and lingered for hours chatting, it was a major social event.
to give his blessing to Yapatera Corazon and the playground.
Pictures from our visit to the Hogar in Anta, near Cusco, the orphanage supported by Peruvian Hearts. Sister Ana Yolanda and the girls showed us around the wonderful home and we discussed their visions for the future. We are scheduled for another visit in February.
