This quote describes so beautifully why we treasure education for our Niños.
“Because we are Quechua, because we speak our language and live according to our customs, and because we don’t know how to read and write, we live in the world of the night. We have no eyes, and we are invalids like the blind. In contrast, those who know how to read and write live in daylight. They have eyes. It is senseless to stay in the world of darkness because we must progress to be like those who go to school and have eyes. Going to school, we open our eyes, we awake.”
Peru: Inequality of Education for Indigenous Groups, the Neglected Class
Cusco kids have serious problems in education
This is a country where many children are not succeeding in school because of poverty or stress in the home. In the Cusco area, 56% of adolescents are below grade level in communication skills, and 88% of 11th graders are underperforming in mathematics. More than half (52%) of all teens in the Cusco area are enrolled in grades that do not correspond to their age, and dropout rates are high.*
Our Niños are very different
Nearly all of our kids are finishing high school and going on to post-secondary education. Ada, Lisbett, Luis, Soledad, and Rusbel are all at the very top of their class in school. Ermelinda was the youngest student ever accepted into the Chemical Engineering program at Cusco University, and she will graduate this year. Jose Luis and Belisario are also currently attending University, while their housemates in Cusco have all completed high school and are pursuing career education.
Why are our kids so successful?
Because of you.
Our donors know that it’s not enough to feed and warehouse children until they reach maturity — kids who are not nourished intellectually and supported through education cannot easily break the cycle of poverty and abuse that made them orphans in the first place. Your generosity allows us to provide them with a real home life and the clothing and experiences they need to fit in with their classmates and have the cultural literacy of a successful Peruvian.
Many of our Niños are attending private academies or are already at University, which is expensive but vital to their ultimate success in life. Our higher staff to child ratio means we can help with homework, conference with teachers, and support their education in ways a less expensive program cannot.
Thank you for understanding this, and for valuing what we do here. It is your ongoing support, love, and trust that enable our children to thrive beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. <3
~ Lauren
P.S. If you are not already a donor but would like to join us, please click here to visit our donation page. We’d love to have you on board with us!
