Protect 300 girls from Child domestic work in Peru

Dear friends,

We want to share with you how our Sunday sessions with girls in child domestic labor at La Casa de Panchita work.
Early in the morning, on a private bus parked in Pamplona Alta, San Juan de Miraflores, Mrs. Susana (community leader) waits for the girls, usually 25 to 30, who live in nearby areas. Along with one or two promoters, former child domestic workers, they make their way to La Casa de Panchita. On the way there, the girls eat some fruit, since many of them probably didn’t have breakfast.

They arrive at 10am. Staff members and volunteers receive them with warm hugs and kisses. The girls are then divided into small groups of five. Each group is assigned to a tutor, who helps the project coordinator carry out the activities planned. Sunday activities are divided into four sessions of 1,5 hours each. At 1pm, lunch is served and it is usually one of the girls’ favourite meals (chicken, fish or meat, accompanied by vegetables or potatoes, with juice and a fruit dessert).

The abovementioned four sessions are always carried out with games and playful dynamics. The first assesses the risks of child domestic labor. The second one is a crafting workshop, like painting a box or a picture frame that the girls can take back home. The third session addresses a special topic chosen by the girls, while during the fourth one, we take them to nice park near La Casa de Panchita. Sometimes we are able to take the girls to the beach, museums or to the zoo.

During the day, the girls needing school support receive special assistance and there is also some time left to read and comment AGTR’s "The future in my hands", a publication describing the support channels available for children exposed to domestic labor.

We would like to share with you some of the girls’ comments on these Sunday sessions at La Casa de Panchita:

"I've never been at this park before. It is very large and very nice”.
Shirley M., 13 year-old

"I hardly ever go out for a walk when I’m home. I do not have enough time."
Nancy M., 11 years-old
 
“How pretty! I never imagined the sea would be like this. It looks very different than I expected: It looks colourful, It’s not just a single color”.
Susana Q., 17 year-old
 
“What a pity we cannot have these kind of trips all the time. It’s very cool and I'm not afraid of crossing the street anymore. When there is no traffic light it’s scary because they don’t even look at you”.
Miriam B., 15 year-old

Best regards,

Blanca Figueroa