Peruvian Hearts - Girls' Education & Empowerment

First and most importantly, we want to thank each and every donor and friend who has so generously given to support this important initiative.  Peruvian Promise is unique in the way it empowers young women to become leaders in their families and communities.  The program has grown in several ways and is making a significant impact in the lives of many deserving girls in Peru. 

During recent months, the young women in Peruvian Promise have continued their personal growth and are more motivated than ever to finish their education and fulfill their dreams for the future. 2015 will be an exciting year for Peruvian Hearts, and especially for our empowerment program, Peruvian Promise, as a number of our inspirational scholars will be the first program participants to finish their classes and graduate from their respective universities. These dignified and proud young women will be the first of their families to graduate college, and they are excited to bring progressive and meaningful change to their families and communities.

In addition to the academic devotion the girls continue to demonstrate towards their chosen careers, they continue their daily English classes, and are now able to enthusiastically discuss their goals and dreams for the future in English! Their spirited desire to learn and speak English is evident in their continued progress and growth. These driven young women clearly understand the importance of learning English and the advantages and opportunities that will present themselves once the girls are able to understand and speak with confidence and ease.

On October 31^st, Peruvian Promise held a meeting for the parents of the participating girls to offer them the opportunity to come together to discuss their thoughts ideas and about the program. It was a very productive meeting, and all of the parents became even more united as a group, and felt comfortable sharing their opinions the program. In addition to discussing their ideas about Peruvian Promise, every parent mentioned how grateful they are for the opportunity that Peruvian Hearts as given their daughters. They discussed how their daughters’ involvement in Peruvian Promise has not only changed their daughters’ lives, but the lives of every family member. The families of the girls in Peruvian Promise come from extreme poverty, and without Peruvian Hearts’ support for their daughters, these parents would have to make an extremely difficult decision, deciding which of their children they will choose to provide with an education and which of their children will not be able to receive an education. Several parents remarked that because Peruvian Hearts is supporting their daughter, they no longer have to make that choice and can instead afford to educate their other children as well. The important critiques and comments from the parents made it clear that the impact of this unique program reaches far beyond the participants themselves, and has a correspondingly significant impact on the lives of their parents and siblings.

Peruvian Hearts is excited to announce the partnership with Colegio Educandas, a girls’ secondary school in Cusco. We are impressed by the dreams and desires of the bright young students, and are enthusiastic about offering nine young women from Educandas the opportunity to participate in Peruvian Promise. On November 16th, these top students will take their university entrance exam, and we are hopeful that they will gain admittance to the very competitive National University, and be able to join our program. Currently, four Peruvian Promise scholars are studying at the National University in Cusco, for careers such as chemical engineering, mathematics, archeology, and accounting. In addition to the nine young women from Educandas, two current Peruvian Promise participants will also be graduating from secondary school and taking their university entrance exam on the same day. We wish all eleven of these girls the best of luck on their exam and know they will soon aspire to greatness in their post-secondary studies.

We are excited to announce that in January of 2015, the Peruvian Promise scholars enrolled in university will host Peruvian Hearts' 2nd annual Women’s Conference at a girls’ secondary school in Cusco. Approximately 120 people attended Peruvian Hearts’ first-ever Women’s Conference last year, and this upcoming January the Peruvian Promise scholars are enthusiastic about inviting and offering this unique experience to more than twice as many people. They are expecting 250-300 girls, women, teachers, and mentors from local secondary schools and universities to attend. We have selected some amazing speakers to present at the 2015 conference, from as far away as Mexico City, who will travel to Cusco to discuss important subjects such as self-esteem, leadership, family violence, conflict resolution, spirituality, and sexual health. The 2015 keynote speaker will be Christina Berton from Mexico City, who runs the Amara Foundation, which specializes in self-esteem for girls and women. Christina has worked for many years with DOVE’S world-renowned girls’ self-esteem program, and we are thrilled to have her working with Peruvian Hearts. Christina’s team at the Amara Foundation is in the process of developing a self-esteem program specifically for Peruvian Promise! We are eager to incorporate it into the program at the beginning of next year, as we know it will deeply strengthen Peruvian Promise and its impact on the participating girls.

Links:

• Peruvian Hearts' Website
• Peruvian Hearts on Facebook!
• Sponsor a Peruvian Promise Scholar!