BY GEORGINA GIBSON
We hope you had a joyous holiday season, a Happy New Year and that 2008 brings us peace in the world.
We want to thank you for your generous donations to our annual Christmas campaign “Pro-Navidad”. Yet again it was a great success and with your help we raised over $us 1,700 and were able to give gifts to over 400 children and their mothers.
The campaign officially started bright and early one morning when the gang made their way to the huge outdoor market, La Cancha. With our shopping lists in hand and fighting the enormous crowds, we left hours later with balls, dolls, teddy bears, games and much, much more.
After a second shopping excursion the next day, we set about sorting and packing all the presents for Toro Toro.
The following day we packed
ourselves (Georgina, Laura, Daniela, Carola, Claudia and Javier) and the gifts into the 4x4; and set about on our journey through the countryside to Toro Toro, giving biscuits to all the children we saw along the way.
As we arrived the crowds of children and mums had already began to gather. We unpacked the presents, blew up the balls and arranged the baskets of food for the mums. When we were ready we began to distribute the presents. It was amazing and humbling to see the joy on the children’s faces as they scurried off with a quiet gracias.
Once the gifts were distributed in town we re-packed the 4x4 and went to a nearby village. Arriving in a car full to the brim with balls, dolls and games it was hard not to feel like Santa and his elves with the 4x4 acting as the sleigh. It was wonderful to watch children excitably running down the road as word spread that 
we were there.
The next day we woke up early feeling good about how well everything had gone so far. Before we left Toro Toro we made hot chocolate and gave cookies to all the children.
As we still had lots of presents to give out which we decided to distribute to the ch
ildren we saw on our way back home to Cochabamba. The journey back home was unforgettable. We all had our eyes peeled for kids, when we saw them we shouted for them in our newly learned Quechua to come and get their presents. They ran as fast as they could and were all so pleased with their new gifts - the dolls and the soccer balls were especially popular.
After the last present had been given out, we were soon back in the hustle and bustle of Cochabamba. Our time in Toro Toro was incredible and whole experience made us all realise what Christmas is really about.
Thank you once again for supporting the “Pro-Navidad” Christmas campaign and Peace in 2008,
