Help the Children of Huaycan
I first met Lara at a bus stop in Lima, after a short and enthusiastic greeting we were inundated by small buses which were really more like vans typically driven by soccer moms. Except here in Lima they’re operated by Peruvians with an innate sense of spacial awareness. Along with the driver, these buses have a man on board who’s job is to loudly announce the destinations upon each stop, slapping the van while he hangs out of the open door. Once on board I immediately begin asking Lara what motivated her to take on such a project all by herself- oh and she was 23 years old when she first opened the facility. After each change of buses it was plain to see we were heading closer to the poverty stricken areas of Lima. The roads were dusty and I began to notice the shacks built right into the hillsides.
Lara’s story:
She began volunteering in high school and after a few trips to Peru she developed a close relationship with a family living in one of the many slums that encircle Peru’s capital city. It was that experience that motivated her to get involved with the community and work towards providing a long-term solution for the poverty found there. She admitted to me that once when she was 19 she considered entering the Peace Corps but after some contemplating and maybe a bit of fear, she decided against it. Only 4 years later she’d be on her way to Peru, to a city where she knew no one. On her own she began what is now the Light and Leadership Initiative of Huaycan.
(youtube video)
I was immediately struck by the stark contrast of the colorful rooms of the youth and teen centers compared to the bleak situation that the city of Huaycan is currently in. The LLI centers are such a source of hope and happiness for these children and teens.
LLI began as an after school program for young children ages 7-12. It has now grown to include other programs for teens and women. Lara chose to focus on education because (and I think we can all agree) that is what will give the kids the best chance at breaking out of the cycle of poverty.
As you may or may not know, Peru has consistently been rated last or second to last when it comes to the quality education provided. Lara aims to supplement the children’s schooling with an after school program that provides reading and English classes among a ton of other classes like math, art and sports. They even provide classes for the children to begin to learn how to code! I thought that was just amazing. English coupled with a knowledge of coding I think will help the children have a much better chance to get good paying jobs and be able to better provide for their families.
LLI has been open since 2009 and has seen many of the children grow up into teens. Two years ago Lara was able to get a grant to help fund their teen center. It’s a great space for the local teens to come in and read, play music, use computers and just socialize.
The teen center is so important because it also provides the teens with resources for learning about college opportunities and truly advancing their prospects for a secure career in the future. Unfortunately the grant they had initially received is no longer a guarantee and now the teen center may be at risk if further funding isn’t being provided.
Here’s where us at Steemit come into play!
This is a price breakdown of how Light and Leadership will be able to utilize the funds raised for them with this post. Please spread the word about this post so we can provide an amazing gift to these incredibly hard working and giving volunteers and to the very deserving children, teens and women that they help.
If this post reaches $1,000: New books for kids
If this post reaches $2,500: Fund a female artisan to learn a new craft- screen printing
If this post reaches $5,000: Provide the Teen center with funds for special events- field trips, leadership training for at least a year
If this post reaches $20,000: Provide a part time salary for TWO YEARS for a local Peruvian to run LLI’s career counseling and higher education services to teens- THEY REALLY NEED THIS ONE!
Ultimately Lara wants these facitilties to be run by more Peruvians, thus keeping this whole idea totally beneficial to the community. Lara and her volunteers want the city of Huaycan to be able to lift itself up out of it’s current situation. It’s going to take time, but the best way is to invest in the children by giving them the time and resources to best prepare them for success in the future. Lara has spent the past 7 years working to make this a reality and I believe she’s on the right track. We can help solidify the success of these children. All you need to do is UPVOTE!
If you’re interested in becoming involved with this initiative by volunteering or if you want to donate directly to them here is their website
Here is more information on their philosophy of ethical volunteering
You can also help support LLI by purchasing merchandise offered on their newly launched online store. The clothing, bags and accessories are handmade by a local women.
Here is the link to the artisan project