“TOUR DE FRANCE” OF INEPE
The orchestra and choir of INEPE invited for concerts in eight French cities
This article presents the extraordinary adventure of the children of the Ecuadorian school, sponsored by CERN's Long-Term Collections (CLT) and the association “Partage” from Compiègne in France”.
The new president of “Partage” visited the INEPE school in Quito and was so enthusiastic that the entire Association decided to invite the school's choir and orchestra to take on a tour of eight French cities. In each city they were taken care of by the local correspondants of “Partage”. Andrea Raza, director of the music programme, with the child musicians and their teachers, 40 people in total, left Quito at the beginning of November 2019 to sing and play Latin American songs.
The generosity and availability of the association Partage is so commendable that it seems unreal. In this world of galloping individualism, it is worth explaining how actions going in the opposite direction can be achieved.
In 1995 I discovered the Dolorosa School, located at an altitude of 3200 meters on Mount Unguis in Quito, during a visit to my first sponsored daughter via “Partage”. On that occasion, I met Liliane Alvaro and Patricio Raza, the leaders of a small primary school with about ten pupils, who gathered in a small house lent by a woman whose husband had emigrated and left her alone. With the immediate help of the CLT, the school started with the first three-storey and earthquake-resistant building. Having notified Partage of my discovery, their call throughout France immediately produced 700 sponsors who pledged to give a minimum of 35 € per child per month. Since 1996 the number of students has increased steadily to reach 750 at present. The small house has become a prestigious high school. The school has even become a national reference and its teaching method has been adopted by the Correa government, which has also revalued teaching and teachers. Such a success of international aid is so rare and difficult that the CLT can say that they have been the promoters of an extraordinary adventure. However, this enormous feat required the untiring genius and commitment of the promoters and the entire INEPE team. Liliane and Patricio, helped by the great Alvaro family and supported by the values they internalized during Latin America's first awakening in the 1970s, have deployed treasures of inventiveness and made incredible efforts. Where did their incredible strength come from? The driving forces behind their success are their excellent professional qualifications, their honesty, their dedication to a fundamental cause and above all the certainty of giving back to the indigenous people, from whom they come, the dignity that they have been waiting for since the invasion of their territory.
The school has overcome overwhelming difficulties but the spirit of tolerance and love for all humanity has remained the primary value of all teachers in the Dolorosa. The example of CERN, which several of their teachers have had the opportunity to get to know, has greatly contributed to their motivation.
When on Friday, November 15, the tour offered by Partage arrived in Lyon at the Victor Hugo Hall, we had the pleasure of meeting them and sharing with them an immense emotion.
Franco Francia
We reproduce below the speech given by Liliane Alvaro Raza before the show.
SOLIDARITY IS THE BEST WAY TO SHOW YOU CARE
The beauty and serenity of the first snowfall since our arrival took us to another dimension. The silent fall of the snow and its fragility have brought us back to the dimension of solidarity and remind us that our "mother earth" is resting.
We are the children of Pachamama, of mixed America. Our musical delegation has the multi-coloured spirit of sanjuanitos, andareles and sambas.
The show that we offer to you is in resonance with the people of France, expressed by the benevolent and professional commitment of the Association Partage. The sounds of guitars, violins, flutes, saxophones and pianos harmonize with the voices of the choir of our educational community INEPE. Diversity of voices and knowledge in which the souls of our music masters, their students and mothers and fathers of families are expressed. That is how our delegation is composed. Within it are contained all the voices of the teaching community that pay tribute to Paulo Freire and Shinichi Suzuki, whose lives have been dedicated to building a new humanity.
The recital we perform expresses the gratitude in our hearts to the volunteers, godmothers and godparentsgodfathers, as well as to all the staff of Partage who, with their daily work, defend the rights of children. Your generous contribution fulfils the dreams and ideals of the INEPE family. With such actions of hope, it contributes to building selfless and generous human beings, who in turn will commit themselves to defending peace and the quality of life on our planet.
During this night, we particularly welcome the presence of Franco Francia, one of CERN's first employees who, with his action, is at the origin of our collaboration with Partage. I would also like to express our deep gratitude to Chantal Brodier and her husband Bertrand, Anna Sandler, Yolande Francia and Francois Siohan. I would ask you to convey to CERN's "Long Term Collections" our deep gratitude for their support in solidarity. Each concert is the expression and the fruit of a profound relationship between the people of Ecuador and France.
