2012 Wrap-up from Victoria

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! FELIZ AÑO!

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are full of energy for 2013. A year full of healthy protein and fiber, as...

The year 2013 has been declared "The International Year of the Quinoa"  [by FAO, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations], recognizing the Andean indigenous peoples, who have maintained, controlled, protected and preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations thanks to their traditional knowledge and practices of living well in harmony with mother earth and nature.

On top of some great articles on the history and heathy properties of quinoa, we have found some tasty-looking recipes! Over the years, Mosqoy students and friends in Peru have made some yummy quinoa dishes for volunteers on the field - such as this quinoa salad with stuffed avocado and sweet potatoes, made by our dear friends in Soqma. 
A fantastic vegetarian alternative to guinea pig!

2012 Annual Soirée & Presentation

Last month, December 15th, the Victoria team got together with volunteers, supporters and curious Victorians for our Annual Soirée.

BEYOND MACHU PICCHU: Off the Beaten Track in the Peruvian Andes

After many years gathering at a beautiful house by the sea, we wanted to be more open to the public this year and settled on Solstice Café. It was a lovely night, full of familiar faces and old friends, carrot cake, tea & gin cocktails and a new shipment of beautiful textiles.

The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Mosqoy founder and director, Ashli Akins, who had just returned from an epic adventure down the last mountain of the Andes and into the jungle.  I won't give much away, as we will share the video presentation soon and wouldn't want to spoil it! But here's a teaser image of the diverse journey that Ashli shared with us.

We received very positive feedback from attendees that were looking to learn more about Peru. Most of them were planning a trip and wanted to be better informed about the culture and people in the Andes,  as well as get some practical tips before going off the beaten track. Overall, it was a very enjoyable way to bring people closer to understanding the communities that we work with. After the presentation, we all mingled and used the time to catch up with everyone before the holidays.





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On a sad note, our long-term volunteer, board member and all-round wonder woman, Jasmine Nielsen, stepped down from her position with Mosqoy to focus on her career and studies. Jasmine has been an invaluable Mosqoy volunteer and it is safe to say that we wouldn't be where we are today without her hard work, creative vision, skills and energy.  But we will continue to follow all her great work on Twitter @jasmineshea! Jasmine - we wish you every success!