Protect 300 girls from Child domestic work in Peru

Dear Global Giving Supporters:

As the year draws to a close at La Casa de Panchita, our girls are almost done with school and are all very excited, looking forward to the summer and school vacations (that go from December to February).

It’s been a good year with lessons learned for us and the girls. On the girls´ side, some of them have better grades at school as a result of a conscious focus on learning and doing homework with us, some have improved their family relationships, and others have won modest improvements in their working conditions.  On our end, we’ve grown as a team and are seeing better results from our work. Thanks to hard work by both staff and volunteers we achieved our goals for 2012, and we’re all so happy about that.

La Casa also advocates internationally for domestic workers’ welfare and rights-- there are exciting developments on this front. We joined in the launch of a British campaign to promote the ratification of ILO (International Labour Organization) Convention 189 on decent domestic work in London, and went on to press for ratification of the same convention at the United Nations in Geneva. Bringing the momentum home to Peru, we’ve helped move the issues of domestic work and child domestic work into the national political agenda and the society as a whole. Although initial steps, these are important initiatives moving us toward a Peru in which girls are no longer working in domestic service.

We thank you very much for your continuous support and hope the New Year brings you lots of happy moments.

Blanca Figueroa

Project leader

p.s. We are very happy to share our 2011 annual report (English language) with you. It explains much more about our work. Please follow this link to read it: http://www.gruporedes.org/contenido.php?menu=1&idioma=I&cont=79#1

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters:

This year, on Sunday the 22^nd of July, we celebrated our 23 anniversary! For 12 years now on our anniversary we also pause to remember our beloved “big sister” Elsa M. Chaney who passed away July 16^th, 2000.

As every year, we wanted to celebrate with all the people we care about: the domestic workers who find in La Casa de Panchita a space to learn and laugh, the young women and girls in domestic work who have found in us people they can trust, and all our friends, volunteers, and staff who even if they can’t be there in person, are present in our hearts.

We started with a big poster on the wall, done by students of the Escuela de Bellas Artes of Lima, on which everyone could write a message for our anniversary. Afterward came music in the main room by players from Star Factory, an organization that sponsors rock and pop bands.  Some of our little girls put on a great dance show. Closing time came and went… the music and dancing went on for two more hours. No matter how young or old, all of us were on the dance floor shaking our bodies.

You can meet people from La Casa in this video clip (at the end are some great moments from the party):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id4KE78DlGg 

We want all of you to be part of our joy that happens not only on La Casa’s celebration day, but every day and with every action you take to help girls and women in domestic work. We’re deeply grateful to count on you as a supporter and a friend.

Blanca Figueroa

Project leader