Gender Equality Peru Project #19343

TEACHERS are the BACKBONE to EDUCATE GIRLS in Peru

by Chicuchas Wasi

TEACHERS are the BACKBONE to EDUCATE GIRLS in Peru

Project Report | Feb 26, 2018
CW parent find solution for hot burning Andean sun

By Diana Rae Lewis | Founder & President

Huge collection of plastic bottles by parents

CW active parents solve a problem..

Cusco parents (especially in the rural areas) have believed for generations that educating girls is a waste of time, BUT that long held attitude is changing within our Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls community. After 20 years of CW School presence working to bring gender equality in education to underserved girls, our parents see a change in their daughters and families and come together to find a solution for the hot Andean sun beating down on their daughters...

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CW girls are often the first females in their family, mothers, grandmothers, aunties who came before them, to be able to go to school. This is a huge achievement for families of the rural community we serve.

The enthusiasm and pride they show in their daughters achievements is apparent as they attend and participate in the parent classes at the school to learn about responsible parenting and how to protect their daughters. They ask questions during the psychological meetings and are changing their behavior slowly improving their domestic live - all improving the girls abilities to do well academically.

During the January / February CW school summer vacation, our parents are busy working to solve structural school problems by creating special projects for the benefit of the school. One such project was to block the hot sun over the school main patio - 1/2 the size of a football field, so that their daughters would not be subject to heat stroke under the hot Andean sun while performing a theatrical history project the girls will present to the entire student body, teachers and parents. The result is this very clever use of recycled bottles that now covers the patio and provides shade.

This project cost is only pennies to complete and will cover the entire large patio and a smaller patio where school events take place, casting a welcome shadow over the girls and audience. Parents and students have collected plastic bottles, washed them out and painted the inside different colors to block the sun. They then strung them creating a long line to reach across the patio, line by line to block the sun. This was very creative, effective and used only recycled plastic throw-away bottles. Everyone wins including mother earth.

PLEASE DONATE TO EDUCATE GIRLS

Here is another example of what the parents do to make the school successful for their daughters. We have created a community where all the participants are learning and growing because of their participation. This is a win win for all.

Parents create a school vegetable garden each year taking advantage of the rains and supply the school meal program with many fresh vegetables that grow in the fertile soil of rural Cusco. They planted and then returned to harvest the corn, potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables.

These are just a few ways our parents are learning to value their own skills and their growing desire to help their daughters. Our parents live is absolute poverty without the material things we take for granted, but they have found that they can contribute to their daughters education by working with the other parents to create needed projects they can do, like painting the school over the summer. Another win win for all. We appreciate our active parents at the school

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS
YOU MAKE CHICUCHAS WASI SCHOOL POSSIBLE.

So many expand who they are and benefit personally from our special school for girls - because of the changes they see in our students, like their parents, siblings who learn from their sisters, cousins and stories they share with neighbors.

For the 2018 school year we will be adding 36 new kinder students. We graduated 11 to high school in December of 2017. We will have approx. 140 students this year.

Big floppy sun hats protect girls from heat

Prepared bottles line up for overhead sun barrier

Ready to hang up the bottle lines overhead

Small patio covered sun protection

Parents cultivating annual garden for the meals

Entire school says THANK YOU

Links:

Official website for Chicuchas Wasi school for girls.

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