Los Amigos is a faith-based organization dedicated to supporting programs that improve and transform the lives of the poor of Chimbote, Peru.

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Programs & Services

Education

Public schools in Peru are free—sort of. The overburdened public school system in Peru is a major challenge to Chimbote families who want their children to receive an Elementary school students show off their uniforms while standing in a corner of a classroom. Such disrepair is typical in a Chimbote classroom. education. At the beginning of each school year, students receive a detailed list of what they must bring in order to enter the classroom, including:

  • All the paper and writing utensils they will use
  • Soap and toilet paper for bathroom trips
  • Copying fees to be paid in advance of receiving all homework, exams, quizzes, and textbook readings
  • At least two school uniforms, one for school and one for gym

Because of lack of funds, some children start first grade when they’re much older or are forced to drop out mid-year when the expenses can no longer be paid.

Elementary school students stare out from a broken window in their classroom. Hunger also can be an issue. Unlike their American counterparts, Peruvian public schools do not provide meals or snacks to students.  Often, the children in Chimbote eat at a soup kitchen just prior to school or go to class hungry. Because homes often do not have lights, tables, chairs, or basic supplies like pens and paper, studying is a challenge.

But your donations are making a huge difference. Between the mid-1990s, when Los Amigos donations began arriving, and today, school drop out rates within the parish boundaries have gone from 40% to 3%. The percent of students within parish boundaries who dropped out of high school went from 60% to less than 5%.

The educational support programs contributing to this success include:

  • A learning support program. In this program, tutors help children do homework and monitor a child’s home life to determine what items, such as money for uniforms or school supplies, a child needs to stay in school. Tutoring jobs, paid for through donations, are dearly prized in this city where few jobs are available. A student studies in a library donated by Los Amigos.
  • Libraries. Several libraries contain books, tables, chairs, and proper lighting so that children can have a place to study.
  • Kindergartens and daycare. Because many parents are illiterate, children often begin school unprepared for their first lessons. Several parish kindergartens provide basic lessons to children so they can begin school ready to learn. When parents need a place for their children to be cared for while they are at work, the daycare at the mission provides a safe place for infants and toddlers.
  • Adult learning program. A recently instituted program is the reading and math  program for adults. Many times, parents are unable to help their children with homework because they do not know how to read, write, or do math.  This program began with 10 adults and initial results are promising. One program participant stated, “This program is great. I now feel proud that I can read the newspaper and do simple math that I was never able to do before.” Other adult learning includes classes in reading, writing, psychology and child-raising, and techniques and approaches to empower children to be better students and citizens.