nurseries-lima-peru

Nurseries, Lima, Peru

We now support two nurseries in the shanty towns outside the centre of Lima. They are the nursery of Christ the Redeemer and the nursery of the Holy Trinity. Both are run by the Anglican Church of Peru and there are about 100 children aged 3 – 5 years who come from a shanty town area where the homes are made from wood, cardboard and corrugated iron. Humidity is very high in Lima and so the houses and their contents are always damp.

Nurseries Lima new

In 2022/23 Caring and Sharing gave over £4000 to the nurseries. This money helps to pay for the salaries of the teachers who earn the basic Peruvian minimum wage. It also helps to provide breakfast, lunch, a milk drink and fruit for the children. Parents have to pay about 20p per day towards this (the cost of a meal at a soup kitchen) as well as some of the cost of the uniform. If they cannot pay they help in other ways such as with the painting or cleaning.

Nurseries Lima

A view of some of the homes not far away from the nursery

The children often come from single families or their father may work a 15-day shift with perhaps a two-hour journey to work, so there is little family life. Mother’s partner may not be the child’s father. The children often have low self-esteem, and so the nursery tries to build up self-confidence and to teach them about the Christian faith. The lunch they receive at the nursery may be their only meal of the day.