Empowering Indigenous Girls in the Peruvian Amazon

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.