Have you ever had a real "aha" moment? Peru for Life is the result of one such moment, when we realized we CAN and MUST make a difference. Hola! Basic Safety.
Greetings from Cusco, Peru. We are a passionate group of volunteers who have been moved to action to make a real difference in the lives of some of the girls we met working at an orphanage. Our first project is to open up a new home for teen moms and their babies. The conditions we've seen are beyond appalling. There is so much need here, however we've decided to focus on a particular segment of t
he orphan population. There are virtually no homes for teen moms to have and raise their babies. Their families kick the soon-to-be moms out as young as 13 years old and they are sent to homes with dozens of other girls where they are expected to work long hours, leaving their babies unattended. There are 3 main issues we are addressing. When we arrived the other day, we found a 10 month old and a 2 year old playing at the top of the stairs with nobody watching them. We grabbed them and went to find their moms, only to learn they were cleaning. The younger orphans, many with special needs, were expected to "babysit" while the moms did their duties. Parenting Skills. We've seen girls swing their babies around as if they are dolls, having no idea how delicate they are. Many of the babies are developmentally delayed. Hope for the Future. What future can you expect for a girl kicked out of her house at 13 with no education and an extra mouth to feed? We are providing a fresh direction. Need & Impact
Our immediate need is to move the girls into the new home we have rented so the girls can live in a loving, baby-proof, structured home environment where they are given the perspective of ambition and hope for a successful future where both mom and child thrive. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Peru, those fluent in English have a huge competitive advantage over the general population. English will be formally taught as well as spoken in the home. Three month plan is to move the girls into a new home, hire a home "mom", set up an internal daycare, and get the girls back into the educational system. ($10,000)
Three year plan is to open a joint Orphanage/Bed & Breakfast where the girls will learn the culinary and hospitality skills to have a solid career to provide an income where they can take care of their babies, not just while they are living in the orphanage, but for the future. ($1,200,000)
Five Year Plan. After five years, the Bed & Breakfast will sustain the needs of the orphanage. Other Ways You Can Help
Volunteer opportunities. Our home will be open to hosting volunteers who can help us provide an intercultural exchange by sharing their time, love, and experiences with our girls. Please share our mission with your friends and family (heck, they don't even have to be your friends :) ...we appreciate all the help we can get)
