Sponsor's update from Cuzco, Peru

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Villages Cuzco, Peru from Summer 2008

Dear sponsors:

Let us give you herewith the best regards on behalf of the families of our SOS Children´s Village Cusco, which is currently sheltering 115 boys and girls in 13 family houses, while 8 young men and 7 young ladies are living in two SOS Youth Facilities. Furthermore, 15 youths chose other housing options in the course of these last months. 33 young people have started their way towards independent life and they are making us feel proud: Plinio graduated as a Technician of the National Police Academy, while Nily became a teacher and Luz Marina just opened her own restaurant of typical Peruvian seafood together with her husband. She is very enthusiastic about her new business and we are sure it will work out!

During these first six months of the year we carried out several activities in the framework of the integrated approach work with Family-based care and Family Strengthening Programmes, both with the same commitment: encouraging the development of children, women, families, and communities. Different alliances were signed with educational institutions working on behalf of childhood, thanks to which more children have the opportunity to receive a good education. Agreements were also signed with local health care centres, which will support us carrying out half-yearly weight and height, as well as vaccination controls. In March an agreement with the NGO “Pasa la Voz” (Spread the news) was signed with the participation of 15 young people in the workshops for Photography, Journalism, and Graphic Design.

The Family Strengthening in Cusco supports 134 children at the Social Centre and 800 children in Childminding Programmes located in poverty and extreme poverty areas.

Children's event at Cuzco

One of our biggest concerns is to guarantee the quality of the services we provide. For this reason, in the framework of our training programme we offered workshops dealing with topics like: Nutrition, Values, Self-esteem, with the participation of children, mothers, aunts, and co-workers. Just through quality services the adequate attention to children and youths can be ensured.

During the school holidays from January to March some families organised trips to the countryside, some of them took their children to visit their biological relatives in their efforts to strengthen the family bonds. This was also a good opportunity to start the preparation process for reinsertion into the biological family which some of the children and youths are about to undergo soon.

In May we organised a very special dinner on Mother´s Day, where the guests of honour were the SOS mothers, accompanied by the whole village community, included the co-workers. They all shared and enjoyed a nice and entertaining music evening. We also celebrated the traditional festivity of Mary Help of Christians together with the whole community, especially with the children, who could show their artistic skills through dancing, singing, and theatre performances.

In June our beloved city of Cusco celebrates it´s anniversary with different events along the whole month. We took part in the festivities marching with typical costumes around the main square to the rhythm of local folk-music bands. Our 4 and 5-year-old children, who go together to the same nursery school, took part in a big typical dance contest together with all nursery schools from Cusco. They looked so cute in their little costumes! They won the contest and were so excited when they heard the news, as if they had won a world championship… and that is what they are for us, world champions.

These little big accomplishments would have not been possible without your support! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your loving care and for your generosity!

Yours faithfully

Miguel Arévalo
Director - SOS Children´s Village Cusco