Peru Service Project Background

Peru Service Project Background

Overview

Peru is a democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes Mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a poverty level around 45%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining and manufacturing of products such as textiles. 

The Peruvian population, estimated at 28 million, is multi-ethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

We will be staying in Lima and Cuzco Peru. We will also have the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Machu Picchu. Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1450, but abandoned a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. 

The climate in these areas in moderate in temperature and should be comfortable, warm and dry, especially in the summer months. However, it will get very cool at night. These areas are said to have the highest ultraviolet levels in the world so bring your sunscreen. 

Service Project

Outside the city of Lima we will build school rooms for a kindergarten and pre-kindergarten classroom. Lima and its surrounding areas have grown drastically over the past few years so that many of its public facilities are inadequate to support the populations they serve. In this particular elementary school, the youngest students are crammed into classrooms with students in grades upwards of high school. Without classrooms of their own, they cannot learn at their own level, and are more likely to fail in their long-term education.

Along with the help of a few local construction workers, we will build this new classroom from the ground up. Since school will be in session we will have the chance to see the school children who will benefit from this project come and go from their classes. 

Trip Environment: Pleasant but very polluted air
Medical Care Access: Fair
Special Notes: Some crime risk, high altitude in Cusco