Protect 300 girls from Child domestic work in Peru

Dear friend,

We would like to thank all of you for enabling us to keep supporting domestic workers during the long quarantine in Peru and the ongoing pandemic. Domestic workers are one of the most vulnerable groups in Peru, as they are women from low-income backgrounds, often internal migrants who moved to the city from Andean regions or the Amazon and working in a sector that has historically been marginalized for its ties to slavery and servitude. During the 108-days-long quarantine, most of them lost their job and their livelihood, while not being included in any of the subsidies the Government created for other vulnerable citizens. 

At AGTR we were able to raise funds (also thanks to the GlobalGiving Relief Fund) to provide approximately 150 domestic workers and their families with food baskets. The average basket contained approximately 12 kg of non-perishable food, such as rice, beans, oats or canned tuna. We are now working to secure additional funding to help many others who are still in need of assistance and to include sanitary material, such as face masks and hydroalcoholic gel, in the baskets. Some domestic workers are back to work and they need this kind of equipment to protect themselves and others around them. 

Toghether we can make a difference. Thank you!

Sincerely, 

Andrea Gandolfi

Dear Supporters,

We started a new initiative to face a stereotype that for a long time has been one of the main issues for domestic workers. The notion of servitude and a marked class structure, which continue to characterize Peruvian society since colonial times, combined with a segmented rights system, have prevented domestic service from being included in the labor and social conquests of the last two decades. Work in domestic service is not considered “real work” or qualified work. As a result, domestic workers do not receive the same labor rights and benefits as other workers.

AGTR and its in-house employment agency have created a program aimed at the professionalization and certification of domestic workers. We now offer four specialization workshops: 

1. Early stimulation workshop, for the development of the brain functions of babies, through games and exercises; 
2. Child psychology workshops, on behavior management techniques that promote the child's self-esteem and self-control; 
3. Workshop for the care of the elderly, to attend their basic needs and promote dignified aging; 
4. First aid workshops, on how to take care of victims of accidents or sudden illness (until specialized personnel arrive).

Through the professionalization of domestic workers, we plan to change the stereotyped image of the women in this sector, reducing the discrimination they continue to suffer. We would like to thank you for your continued support, which has enabled us to embark in this new project. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Andrea Gandolfi