Christmas Chocolatada

26 January 2012

Caption:The chocolatada

Caption:Santa at the chocolatada

Every year, shortly before Christmas, small villages and towns across Peru host an event called a 'chocolatada'. A chocolatada is very much a community event, in which children and adults come together for a mug of hot chocolate and a slice of Pannetonne, and the children receive a present from Santa. This can only happen if wealthier communities elsewhere are willing to provide the funds to make the chocolatada possible. In 2010, generous donations from Shiplake College staff and other kind friends enabled Richard and Agueda Starr to send £400 to fund the chocolatada in Pilcomayo, a village high up in the Peruvian Andes on the outskirts of Huancayo. In 2011, Mr and Mrs Starr wanted to do better than this, and with this in mind, pupils, staff, friends and the Parents' Association raised the magnificent sum of £1200 through donations and a mufti day. On 23rd December, the community of Pilcomayo came together and over 260 people were fed and watered, over a period of some 6 hours. All the children received a present from Santa, ranging from plastic toy trucks, to colouring pencils and little dolls. All the gifts were gratefully received and photos of the event were sent back to Shiplake.