Free education for 60 deprived children in Peru

In an era dominated by technology, the pure joy of immersing oneself in a book frequently becomes overshadowed.

Many of the children that arrive at Picaflor House have very low levels of literacy and children from rural villages have a lower level of reading than their counterparts in the cities. This is due to a number of factors including the resources available to children in rural villages, the lower quality of education and Spanish not being the first language spoken in Peruvian villages.

Recently, we were so lucky to receive a grant from a UK Charity that allowed us to buy 293 books for our library. This has reignited the children's interest in reading with all these new wonderfully exciting resources. With help from our teachers and volunteers, we can help improve the children's literacy levels in a fun and imaginative way using our new books.

Widening the reach of literacy

Picaflor House also has a mobile library which we use to take books to rural villages. This increases our reach to many more children and allows us to bring resources to children that they would not otherwise have access to books.

The Mobile Library is closely aligned with Picaflor House, striving to enhance educational opportunities within remote rural areas. Commencing its activities in 2022, this library initiative transports books, teachers, and learning materials to five distant communities in the vicinity of Cusco. Over the course of the year, we provided support to youngsters spanning ages 3 to 16 across these five villages.

This undertaking holds immense significance, particularly in light of the pandemic, which starkly exacerbated disparities in educational accessibility. The rural children, hailing from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, were significantly impeded in accessing online education during this crisis.

Eye tests for the children

We have noticed with the latest intake of children that some kids were struggling with their sight. As a big part of our project is ensuring children are properly cared for and pastorally supported, we decided to take them to an optician. Many parents do not have the resources to get their children's eyes tested and to buy glasses so children are left to struggle at the back of the class. In the large classes at Peruvian government schools, children who have bad eyesight may be become quickly uninterested in classes and ignored by teachers just for the fact that they cannot see the board properly.

A high percentage of the children we took to the optician needed some kind of help from just needing glasses to therapy on their eyes due to the issues never previously being identified. Thankfully, all the children that needed glasses now have them and are now able to thrive in classes and catch up with their classmates.

Thank you for your support!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our generous donors. Your unwavering support has been the cornerstone of Picaflor Houses's success, driving us forward and making our impactful work possible. Your kindness and dedication have enabled us to make a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Truly, it is not possible without your compassion and commitment. Thank you for making everything we do possible!