Empowering Indigenous Girls in the Peruvian Amazon

As the year comes to a close, we want to share a story that reflects the power of education when it is rooted in identity, leadership, and hope.

Liz is a Wampis student living and studying in a school residence in the Peruvian Amazon. From an early age, she learned that school is not only a place to gain knowledge, but also a space to raise one’s voice, protect cultural identity, and create change.

In early December, Liz traveled to Lima (the capital of Peru) to take part in a student exchange alongside young people from Awajún communities. This experience gave her the opportunity to bring the voices, concerns, and dreams of many girls from her territory to spaces where they are rarely heard.

During the exchange, Liz shared the project “Tamboras Amazonas Sororas,” an initiative that uses collective drumming as a tool for expression, leadership, and empowerment. Inspired by ancestral traditions of rhythm and song, the project strengthens identity, confidence, and solidarity among Awajún and Wampis girls.

One of the most meaningful moments of her journey was speaking at a space hosted by the Ministry of Culture, where she explained how art and education can help girls make informed decisions and defend their rights. There, Liz shared a powerful message:
“Girls should be studying, not worrying about defending their rights.”

Throughout the experience, Liz also connected with other students, cultural spaces, and intercultural dialogues that deepened her sense of identity and reinforced her role as a student leader.

Liz’s story reminds us that when girls are given safe spaces to learn, express themselves, and be heard, they become powerful agents of change in their communities.

Thanks to your continued support, more students like Liz can raise their voices, strengthen their leadership, and build futures filled with dignity, opportunity, and hope. Your donations make stories like this possible.

In Wachapea, Amazonas, teacher Trilce discovered something powerful about her classroom. Teaching Social Sciences and Life Skills to girls from 2nd to 5th grade of secondary school, she realized that their greatest challenge was not academic—it was emotional.

Many of her students live far from their families, facing situations of violence or insecurity that weigh heavily on their ability to learn. One day, during a well-being activity, she noticed a student standing apart, refusing to join. When Trilce gently invited her, the girl replied firmly: “No, I have nothing happy to share.”

That moment became a turning point. Trilce offered her a safe space to talk, and the student opened up about the violence she was experiencing at home. From that silence—and from many other stories shared later—grew a powerful project: “Tamboras Amazonas Sororas.”

Through batucada, a collective percussion performance filled with energy and rhythm, these young women found a way to protest, to celebrate, and to be heard. With every beat of the drum, they raise their voices, expressing what words alone cannot.

One of the main goals of this project is to create open conversations about Comprehensive Sexual Education. In a context where girls often lack safe spaces to talk about their bodies, rights, and protection from violence, the batucada has become a place of trust and empowerment.

Trilce and her students dream that this movement will grow beyond their school, bringing together Awajún, Wampis, and Spanish-speaking girls into a sisterhood of strength, resilience, and solidarity.

Today, their classroom is no longer just a space for lessons. It is a place where each student discovers her voice, connects with her culture, and realizes she has the power to shape her future.

The story of Trilce and her students reminds us that education not only teaches—it heals, empowers, and transforms.