Summary Our aim is to provide long-term, sustainable help by improving basic education and access to water in small communities, "los pueblos jovenes", around the city of Arequipa, Peru. GVI and our volunteers work in government-run schools leading or assisting in classes where there is just one teacher in multiple grades, providing much needed assistence and attention for the children.
What is the issue, problem, or challenge?
There are huge economic constraints due to lack of employment opportunities. According to INEI, an average family in the region of Arequipa needs $75/week to provide the basic foodstuffs and other necessary essentials. In these pueblos jovenes, the average income is just $20/week for the whole family, leaving a shortfall of $55 each week. This is just one of the factors thats leads to problems such as malnourishment, poor health, alcoholism and not being able to afford secondary education. As these communities have only recently formed they also have a poor infrastructure with basic housing, limited access to electricity and just 2 hours access to water each day.How will this project solve this problem?
Our work in the schools improves the quality of the eduction received by reducing the student-teacher ratio, providing consistency when government teachers are unavailable and giving fun, interactive lessons rather than the usual copying that they are often set. We also provide a hot meal and a piece of fruit for each child every day to improve their health as well as awarding scholarships to give all of the children the opportunity to attend secondary school, which they otherwise cannot afford.
Potential Long Term Impact
Our help provides the children with an improved education, leading to much more opportunities later in life. We work closely with the communities to help them develop in a sustainable way and improve the quality of the lives of those living there.These children deserve more, they don't have the opportunities to progress. Secondary education is key to fulfill there life's dreams.
Project Message
- Ruth Atayupanqui Ramirez, Local Head Teacher
