Day Four

We spent the day out in a less fortunate district to help the Institucion Educative Initial 765 (Ninitos de Jesus), a local public school. Isabel, our Peru Ambassador and team leader had explained how they lost their school 6 years ago, but the community banded together for support through physical labour and what little funding they could personally provide to re-build. The Peru-Canadian commerce had explained the public-school system is drastically under-funded and it was emotional to see it with my own eyes. As the school is reliant only on public funding and community support for upgrades, our task was to help level ground for extra classrooms, paint both a fence and chairs for pre-school age students. It was enlightening to see the perspectives of those in different living conditions then our own. We take so much for granted living in a nation with housing that has simple comforts like air conditioning, and clean drinking water. It was inspiring to see how a community with little money still support each other for the greater good. Ruth their principle explained that the school is successfully educating youth, they have now grown from 40 to 180 and now receives regular funding from their Government for supplies, chairs, and such. This inspiring tale has caused other communities to use this model of community education so they may help their youth get a head start in life.