Gender Equality Peru Project #8401

Peruvian Hearts - Girls' Education & Empowerment

by Peruvian Hearts

Peruvian Hearts - Girls' Education & Empowerment

Project Report | Nov 7, 2018
Colorado High School Student, Lily Mott, Raises $10,000 to Buy Laptops for all PH Scholars

By Danny Dodson | Executive Director

Lily Skyping from CO with PH Scholars in Cusco

Thanks to our PH family of supporters, our 40 PH scholars continue to work hard toward accomplishing their dreams. It is thanks to each and every supporter that we can offer these 40 selected girls the opportunity to transform their lives through their experience with Peruvian Hearts, in order to go out and make a positive change in the world while paying it forward. One example of “paying it forward” comes from a high-school student in Evergreen, Colorado.

Lily Mott, a senior at Evergreen High School and motivated humanitarian, came to us last year with a strong desire to help the PH scholars in Peru. She took the time to learn about our program and spoke with the PH scholars in Cusco, to better understand the obstacles they face and their strongest educational needs at university.

Peruvian Hearts scholars study hard every day in challenging university programs, from petrochemical engineering to archeology to law. Sometimes, though, they have had to share or borrow a laptop from a classmate or friend. As any college student in the United States would tell you, having a personal computer is a very necessary tool for success in university.

After her conversations with the girls in Cusco, Lily decided she wanted to raise $10,000 to provide laptops for each of the PH scholars. Lily wrote and mailed letters, spoke at her school and to the Evergreen Rotary and was even featured in an article in the local newspaper.

In June 2018, after fundraising more than her original goal, Lily traveled to Cusco with Holly Brekke, a local Rotarian. The Peruvian Hearts scholars were quick to embrace Lily with their great love, warmth, and appreciation for her empathy for their situation, and her generosity of heart and spirit. Lily stayed in Cusco for almost a month, getting to know the girls she was helping. She visited their homes and spent time with them, while also creating a documentary film to highlight a PH scholar, Aldeyny.

While Lily gave our scholars tools for learning, for which they are incredibly grateful, Lily says that she also was given gifts by the girls – gifts of widening perspective and connection with others that made her realize we have more in common than we do differences.

Lily is an amazing young leader and an ambassador for world change. She did more than purchase laptops, she provided the PH Scholars with a role model of what it means to be a compassionate leader. Lily isn’t stopping at her first goal; as we accept new girls into our program there is always a need for new computers, so she is determined to continue her fundraising and raising awareness for our girls in Peru among teens here in Colorado. Thank you Lily for your vision, your caring heart and your understanding that the actions of one person adds peace and love to the world.

Lily in Cusco with PH Scholar Alexandra

Lily & Holly visit PH Scholar Aldeyny's family

Lily and PH Scholar Aldeyny share lunch in Cusco

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Aug 2, 2018
5 PH Scholars @ MUJERES POWER Women's Empowerment Conference - Lima, PE

By Danny Dodson | Executive Director

PH Scholars at MUJERES POWER Conference

Thank you to our loyal PH family for such ongoing generosity. Each of our PH scholars, one by one, is on a path to completing her dreams. It is thanks of your thoughtful support, that our girls have the opportunity to reach their potential and become leaders of change in the world.

Recently in Lima, five Peruvian Hearts scholars and program director, Jeannette Sotomayor, attended a women’s empowerment conference called Mujeres Power. Hosted and led by Ana Romero, a businesswoman and the founder of the community of empowerment Tacos Fuertes and creator of essential coaching material through her project Mujeres Power, the conference was developed to teach women about the importance of their own empowerment.

The message and information our scholars received at the conference in Lima aligns perfectly with our work and mission: to end poverty and gender inequality by educating young women and creating leaders in Peru one girl at a time.

Through a powerful combination of educational scholarships for university and post-secondary education, 1:1 mentorship, involvement in service, and empowerment classes to improve self-awareness and personal agency, we enable young women to embrace education, believe in their own power and dream of a life beyond the conditions into which they were born.

Women's empowerment is a key weapon to support women in their process of personal and professional transformation. Women can be powerful by changing themselves from the inside. As each woman discovers her own strength and what she is capable of, she can begin to break down societal prejudices and apply ideas that motivate, inspire and help create powerful women.

The Peruvian Hearts scholars were inspired and motivated by their attendance at and participation in the conference and were humbled to meet and converse with Ms. Romero afterward.

We are excited that in just a few months, Ms. Romero will visit PH and the rest of our scholars while she is in Cusco.

Here is a comment from PH scholar Maribel about her experience at the Mujeres Power conference:

"I really liked the dynamic about life in which she showed us what life is like and how you face it, and above all that you do not have to think much, but face the paradigms, the fears, the doubt that each one of us posseses (spirit of change) and winnow (seek continuous improvement). Because otherwise life will consume you and we can not achieve what we want." ~PH Scholar, Maribel

PH Scholars with conference host, Ana Romero.

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May 7, 2018
Meet 4 New PH Scholars & our 1st PH Scholar to Graduate with a degree in Medicine!

By Danny Dodson | Executive Director

PH Scholar, Jhuvi, after defending her thesis.

Thank you, Peruvian Hearts family! Your generous and loyal support allows us to expand our program to help more deserving girls in Peru. We continue to search for and bring in new scholars who dream of continuing their education in University and becoming leaders within their families and communities.

It is with great pride that we honor our first PH scholar, Jhuvilka (Jhuvi), to graduate with a degree in Medicine. On March 23rd she successfully defended her thesis at University Andina in Cusco. Jhuvi will now begin a 3-year residency program where she will gain a specialization in reconstructive plastic surgery in order to fulfill her dream of helping children who have been involved in accidents or born with birth defects.

While Jhuvilka prepares for the next chapeter in her life, so do four of our newest Peruvian Hearts scholars who we are proud to introduce and welcome into our PH Family. These young women were selected for their passion to become leaders and strong women who will change the world in numerous ways. Each of our newest Peruvian Hearts scholars has great potential and a bright future ahead and we're excited to watch them grow as young women and as a group. Their strong academics and compassionate hearts, combined with a drive to develop important knowledge and life skills, will take them far and help them become agents of change in our world. We want to give a warm PH welcome to Yenifer, Aldeyny, Yanet, and Cecilia.

These girls recently finished their secondary education and their dreams are to establish professional careers in order to help others. Yenifer has just started to study Geological Engineering at the National University in Cusco. Cecilia has also just started at the National University in Cusco and is studying Education. Aldeyny and Yanet are preparing for their entrance exams with their goal being to gain admitance into the National University in Cusco to study Information Enginering.

Again, to all of our supporters and PH family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your loyal support and want you to understand the important and profound impact your generosity continues to make in the lives of each and every one of our PH scholars. #phfamily

PH Scholar, Jhuvi during her thesis presentation.

New PH Scholars: Yenifer, Aldeyny, Yanet & Cecilia

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