Opening of the Children's Kitchen of El Trebol

Sunday morning, 15th of April 2007. Last minute work being done on the stairway up to the Children's Kitchen at El Trebol in the Valley of Jicamarca. Development on the road in front had left a very steep approach to our multi pupose building, but with some picks and shovels and some flat rocks, the stairway was completed within a couple of hours as our official opening got underway.

The mothers and children who will participate in the Kitchen process from the multi purpose building, which serves both as a chapel and meeting space and will also serve as the place where the children will eat, out to the simple cooking kitchen that was constructed by the women themselves on the official Peruvian "Women's Day" in March.

Lucy, the Parish Social Worker, reads out a prayer of dedication in front of the simple building that will provide space for the actual cooking of food. The bottle of champagne hangs by the door waiting to be smashed to signal the official opening - not an expensive bottle!

We were accompanied by some Irish visitors who have been supporters of the Parish here, and who were invited by the locals to do the honours of the unveiling of the plaque. Jennifer, one of the children who will benefit from the kitchen and her friend get a close look.

With the help of Margaret and Briga, we officially unveil the plaque to a round of cheers and applause.

The Children´s Kitchen "Señor de Huanca" of the Human Settlement of The Valley of Jicamarca - Peru, thank our brothers and sisters of Australia for their valuable assistance: April 2007. So reads the simple plaque on the door of the Kitchen at El Trebol, and on Monday the 16th of April, this our sixth kitchen was open for providing a meal a day for 35 children.

For more information on The Shared Table contact Fr. Michael McKinnon:

mickmckinnon@yahoo.com