Our Trip to Puno on the Shore of Lake Titicaca (Day 1)

01 March 2017

We trek by car 10 hours south east to the city of Puno.  The drive takes us over countless bends and speed humps of the highlands over La Raya pass (4,335m) which make this journey far longer than it would in any developed country.  We also drive through several thunderstorms before arriving in Puno at 9:45pm. 

 We approach Mt Chimboya (5,489m) over the La Raya mountain range on our journey to Puno.

That day Klaus reports the latest numbers of Diospi Suyana hospital patients, with 25,565 patients being residents of Puno State.  This is out of a total of 222,969 patient visits to Diospi Suyana hospital since 2007.  Puno is a city of some 200,000 people.

Our team is made up of Diospi Suyana building engineer Udo Klemenz, broadcast engineer Chris Welch, head of Diospi Suyana Media Centre Doris Manco and Klaus.  This trip is to acquire a site of land on the hill overlooking the city of Puno for our FM radio tower.

Puno is a very picturesque place and is the gateway to Lake Titicaca bordering Peru and Bolivia in the Andes mountains.  The very large expanse of water (190km long, 80km wide, 8,372 km² in area) is also deep (max. 281m) and makes claim to be the world’s highest navigable lake with surface elevation of 3,812 meters.  Its waters are famously still and brightly reflective.

Map of Lago (Lake) Titicaca and its surrounding populations.

There is much Inca history associated with Lake Titicaca and home to the famous floating islands and reed boats (stock photo).

Arriving at our hotel in the night we walk past rubbish left by the daytime street markets – walking past discarded pigs heads and scavenging dogs leaves me wondering what part of the world we have entered into – a great mission experience! J  Sadly there are no waste containment systems in Peru – rubbish is simply left of the street for manual scoop up collection.  For example the provincial capital city of Juliaca is the worst I have seen and its entrance is like the gateway to hell in my mind - see my photos below, taken as we drove through Puno.  It is a good reminder of the need here and the purpose of our work in Peru.

The above two photos are of the main entrance to the city of Juliaca – capital city and gateway of Puno Province!

A further update on our Puno visit (day 2) is to follow…

Regards,

Chris

The New Diospi Suyana Anthem (YouTube link)

01 March 2017

As was officially released on 22 February 2017, here below is a YouTube link to the new Diospi Suyana anthem composed by our Centro de Medios team and set to video taken in Curahuasi;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYnEFeMEJpE

This will hopefully provide a feel for the style of our productions from Diospi Suyana.

Regards,

Chris

A call in the night

28 February 2017

Original article by Dr Klaus John with some English edits by me.

A visitor to Peru once remarked: “Even the smallest thing turns into a steeplechase in this country!” Dr. Dankfried Geister had no idea how true his words were.

Monday was challenging.  Long queues of patients in front of our hospital and a waiting area that was bursting at the seams.  But neither the doctors nor the nurses have to ask themselves why they are doing this as our every conversation and action is with conviction.

In the area of our media work, things are currently not yet as they need to be.  Firstly importing the satellite link equipment from the USA is being delayed again and again by Peru government red tape.  Further we desperately need plots of land, FM radio towers and antennas in several cities.  The power cables that should have been installed between Curahuasi and our broadcast tower eight days ago are still nowhere to be seen; even though the electricity company had sworn to us they would get it done immediately.  It is simply exhausting!

But at 6 pm, seven members of staff convene for an international prayer meeting.  For nearly nine years in Diospi Suyana a constantly changing group of us meet together to intercede.

When Doris Manco, head of our Media Centre, prays my ears prick up – half an hour later I hear the whole story…

Sunday 26th February.  Darkness covers Curahuasi and silence reigns.  Doris’ mobile rings.  She starts up; the display tells her it is 4:20 am.  Has something bad happened, has someone died…?  She presses the button to take the call.

“I am calling from Huanipaca”, says the speaker, a Quechua Indian at the other end.  “Radio Diospi Suyana is the only frequency we can receive in our village.  Thank you ever so much for your programme!”  By this time Doris is wide awake and listens intensely to his words.  “Those of us living here are frequently disheartened; often we have neither electricity nor water.  But you encourage us!”

In our small prayer group Doris thanks God for this wake-up call in the middle of the night.  What an encouragement!  That makes it all worth it.  Who can say what a far-reaching impact our broadcasts will have in Peru?  How many inhabitants of the many states will listen to Diospi Suyana’s radio programme at 4 am, in which God fills the most important role?

Regards,

Chris

Here is the link to the original Diospi Suyana post in English by Dr Klaus John;

http://www.diospi-suyana.de/der-anruf-in-der-nacht/?lang=en

Another FM License for Diospi Suyana: Puerto Maldonado 107.7 MHz

26 February 2017

The name “Madre Dios” is translated “Mother of God” from the Spanish.  And Puerto Maldonado is a thriving city with its port on the Amazon River.  The original article is by Dr Klaus John with some clarifications made by me.

Downtown Puerto Maldonado

Madre Dios is a state on the border to Brazil and Bolivia. Most of its inhabitants live in the capital Puerto Maldonado. In the past 12 years its population has increased fourfold to 210,000 people who brave the hot and humid climate and have built their homes in the booming city.  An amazing number of patients travel the 600km from Puerto Maldonado to Curahuasi to be treated in Diospi Suyana hospital.

In Puerto Maldonado Diospi Suyana obtained its fifth FM frequency from a source private. On Friday Sr. Jairzino Pulla and his wife Sra. Silvia Santa Cruz met Dr John Cusco. Sra. Cruz signed the necessary document at a notary's office in Abancay yesterday, 25 February.

Once all Diospi Suyana antennas are erected and are equipped with the necessary transmitter equipment, Diospi Suyana hopes to be able to reach 600,000 Peruvians with our FM radio programs.

Silvia Santa Cruz laughs and signs. During a long car journey she and her husband heard many stories about Diospi Suyana.

Regards,

Chris

Here is the link to the original Diospi Suyana post in English by Dr Klaus John;

http://www.diospi-suyana.de/puerto-maldonado-107-7-mhz/?lang=en

Two further FM licences in two states for Diospi Suyana

18 February 2017

Two more FM licenses were secured from the Perú regulator MTC; Chincheros province (about 7 hours’ drive due west of Curahuasi) and Puno on the infamous Lake Titicaca (about 11 hours’ drive south east of Curahuasi). 

Here is my edited version (which needed a few English corrections) of the original Diospi Suyana post by Dr Klaus John;

The Lima Country Club

One could call it a major breakthrough.  Yesterday 17 February, the Ministry for Communications issued a public tender for the FM radio frequency in Puno Province, which Diospi Suyana received.  0.23 million people live in the immediate vicinity of Lake Titicaca.  We also got a frequency in Chincheros Province, a part of Apurimac State.  Taken together with our frequencies in the Andahuaylas Province and Curahuasi, 0.5 million Peruvians live in the future catchment of our aerials.

The Ministry‘s Concurso Público is not for weak nerves.  The interested parties have to hand in their tenders beforehand in sealed envelopes.  The result is also dependent on the application date, the intended purpose (commercial vs social) and the place of residence of the interested party.  One has no second chances in the bidding process.  The motto is: “you have either won it or lost it”.  No one knows the contents of the other envelopes.  One wants to win narrowly, but there is the danger of totally missing the mark and getting nothing.

11 of our 23 fellow competitors scored better than we did.  Six frequencies were available in Puno.  Our bid was perfectly placed, so that Diospi Suyana was ranked second.

In Chincheros Province it was a totally different story: 3 buyers for the 4 frequencies.  The whole procedure only had a symbolic significance.

The Ministry for Transport and Communications (MTC) tenders radio and TV licences twice a year.  The event was held in the Country Club in Lima.

We thank God for this fantastic opportunity to be able to reach so many people in Diospi Suyana Hospital’s catchment area with a Christian family programme.

The official Perú MTC banner

Chincheros Province is in the western part of the State.  Here Diospi Suyana is ranked first in the bids.

Puno Province borders the famous Lake Titicaca.  Here Diospi Suyana is ranked second in the bids.

The Ministry’s commission has the final word.

Regards,

Chris

Here is the link to the original Diospi Suyana post in English;

http://www.diospi-suyana.de/eilmeldung-diospi-suyana-radio-erreicht-bald-eine-halbe-million-menschen/?lang=en

The Curahuasi Broadcast Tower Site is Nearly Completed

17 February 2017

This post is my extract from a Diospi Suyana building report by Udo Klemenz on Friday 17 February 2017, focussing on our new Curahuasi radio and TV transmission (Tx) site construction at an almost complete stage.

 

Works finishing up the Curahuasi tower site equipment room roof and awning

Dear Diospi Suyana Friends, another week full of activity on our various fronts has flown by.

Our work on the Curahuasi broadcast tower site is nearly finished.  The roof for the 3m x 4m shelter within the surrounding walls has been covered and the two steel doors are in place.  By the middle of next week we will have finished the outside plastering work; then we only have to paint the facility and erect the razor-wire mesh on top of the wall.

Wishing you a blessed weekend,

Udo

The Diospi Suyana Mercedes Benz “Unimog” in action at the tower site

The equipment shelter roof is being covered

Sieving by hand – inconceivable in the developed world!

Materials no longer needed are removed from the site.

Monday morning: hundreds wait to be admitted into the Hospital.

Regards,

Chris

Original Diospi Suyana post by Udo Klemenz;

http://www.diospi-suyana.de/nach-dem-antennenstandort-warten-weitere-aufgaben-auf-das-bauteam/?lang=en

Poltocsa - the day after the vote and a week before the building work starts

13 February 2017

Diospi Suyana building engineer Udo Klemenz and me discussed important broadcast technical needs for the planned FM radio tower construction in Andahuaylas.

After the surprising majority vote from the local community of Poltocsa (see my previous blog of 12 February), the building works are planned to start next Monday.  Diospi Suyana contracted an external construction company to manage the project, and they will keep Udo in the loop of the building progress through regular photo reports.  Our tower supplier ICESE will construct the 36m free standing tower after the 3m security wall has been erected and the site is secure.

To the right of the existing towers overlooking Andahuylas is the transmission site for Diospi Suyana

Regards,

Chris

Original Diospi Suyana post by Dr Klaus John;

http://www.diospi-suyana.de/poltocsa-ein-tag-nach-der-entscheidung-ist-eine-woche-vor-baubeginn/?lang=en