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Peru

Discover Peru

More than 5000 years of history have filled these lands with mysterious archaeological sites, beautiful colonial streets and lush jungles. In Cusco, the senses can't get enough to savour so much architectural and cultural beauty. In the Sacred Valley, you can still feel the magical energy of the ancient Inca empire. And in Iquitos, in the heart of the jungle, life goes by slowly amidst palm trees, chatting neighbours and children bathing in the Amazon.

Why do we like Peru?

Because it got into us, literally! The first time we visited, we planned to spend a few weeks there... and we stayed for more than 3 months! There is so much to see that time is always short: the colonial architecture of Cusco, the hidden villages of the Sacred Valley, the impressive pre-Columbian ruins of Chan Chan, the most extensive in America, the enigmatic geoglyphs of Nazca, the jungle, the street festivals, its quiet people... and, of course, the food.

What happens to children in Cusco?

Cusco is the region of Peru that receives the most tourists throughout the year. This has generated great economic growth, but also great inequalities. The phenomenon is well known: gentrification. The massive influx of tourists to the city has pushed up the prices of housing and services in the city centre. This has forced the local population to move to the periphery and created inequality and discrimination. In addition, there has been a pull effect that has led thousands of families to move from their villages and farms to precarious jobs and very humble housing on the outskirts.

 

Children in Cusco face several obstacles. On the one hand, they must contribute to the family economy, so they often miss classes or drop out of school. According to the International Labour Organisation, Peru has the highest rate of child labour in South America, with 21.8% of children and adolescents working. On the other hand, in their families they face terrible situations such as gender violence, alcoholism or lack of resources. In addition, many of their parents speak Quechua and are not fully fluent in Spanish. This makes their integration and job opportunities even more difficult.

In Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we collaborate with four projects that strengthen children's education, boost their self-esteem, work on their emotional intelligence and teach them to value nature and culture:

  • Little school in the centre of Cusco: its main objective is to provide school reinforcement, work on emotions and promote creativity through artistic workshops (this project is not available at the moment).
  • Ecovillage in the Sacred Valley: located in the heart of the Sacred Valley, is a smaller educational project, with outdoor activities linked to nature.
  • Centre for Quechua-speaking children: offers school reinforcement and sports activities in the neighbourhood of San Geronimo, where many families from rural villages live. Here, Spanish language support is essential.
  • Little school in Collana:is a low-income community made of very poor families who have migrated from rural areas to provide a better future for their children.

And in Iquitos?

Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon, with almost 400,000 inhabitants, although, with its jungle setting and lively tropical life, it is nothing like Inca cities such as Cusco. There are no roads linking it to other towns. To get there, you have to take a small plane or get on a boat and spend several days sailing down the Amazon. The village of Santa Clara del Ojeal, which can only be reached by wooden boat, is about an hour from Iquitos.

 

The main problem of the children in Santa Clara is isolation and lack of educational and leisure options. Until recently, they had never spoken to people from other countries and cultures. Now, 40 children come to the solidarity school with which we collaborate to do their homework, play games and take part in recreational workshops.

CAPITAL: Lima
POPULATION:  33.1 Million
HOURLY USE: UTC-5
CURRENCY: Sol
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish

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