Peru

Peru is Gate 1 Foundation’s first and longest standing Country Partner, and is home to the largest number of Foundation schools. Projects began to take shape in 2011. The Foundation currently supports six separate schools in Peru, with an additional three schools it has supported in the past that are considered successful, completed projects. Situated in the Peruvian highlands near the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, Cusco is the city closest to all of the Foundation’s supported schools.

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About

Although home to Machu Picchu, one of the world’s premier travel destinations, these highlands are among the most impoverished areas in Peru. The majority of families in this region are subsistence farmers, who work hard growing crops just so they can eat. What little they can afford to give up for sale does not bring in much money, leaving these families struggling to afford even the most basic of necessities, including education expenses for their children.

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Situated in the Peruvian highlands, Cusco is the city closest to all of the Foundation schools, and to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, a featured destination on most of Gate 1’s Peru tours. Although home to Machu Picchu, one of the premier travel destinations in the world, these highlands are among the most impoverished areas in Peru. The majority of families in this region are subsistence farmers, who work hard growing crops just so they can eat. What little they can afford to give up for sale does not bring in much money, leaving these families struggling to afford even the most basic of necessities, including education expenses for their children.

In Peru, the government provides only limited financial support to schools, leaving many daily educational expenses such as building maintenance, school supplies, meals and transportation costs, to local residents. With no buses or other transportation provided, and in many cases no paved roads, children can walk up to two miles just to get to school, since transportation is a luxury most parents can’t afford. While the government may pay for erecting the school buildings, they are often built without bathrooms or kitchens, or access to water for plumbing. Nor does the government supply basic school supplies, like notebooks, pencils and pens, paper and textbooks, all of which are financially out of reach for the parents of these poor families. The need for these things most of us take for granted, is profound.

Assessing the individual needs of each of the six schools supported by the Foundation, Gate 1 has supplied permanent, structural items – capable of being used year after year by each incoming class. Our goal is to invest in things that stand the test of time, that will provide universal improvement in the quality of life of all students who attend each school, long into the future. It is our hope that as the learning environment improves, so do the chances for successful, happy lives! Among the projects the Foundation has funded at many of its eight affiliated schools in Peru, are: new kitchen and dining facilities; new playgrounds; new bathrooms; roofing for unprotected buildings; and  greenhouses. Many of the schools have received more than one of these items, so great is the need in this region of Peru. In addition to the infrastructure and building projects the Gate 1 Foundation undertakes to benefit our supported schools, we also invite tour passengers who visit as part of their itineraries, to bring small items needed, but in short supply, to the children who attend the schools. In this way, Gate 1 is able to supplement its giving with essential educational supplies that students’ parents are often unable to afford, thereby multiplying our impact.

Gifts to Bring if You’re Visiting:

Winter/warm clothing – socks, hats, gloves, Sunscreen (sun is very strong at region’s altitude), Toys/educational games for children ages 3-12, Books in Spanish and English, School supplies – colored pencils, lead pencils, pens, white sheets of paper, Quad-Rule or Square-Grid notebooks, Personal cleaning supplies – toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, gel hand sanitizers, washcloths, Child sized backpacks, First aid kits, Used functional technology such as tablets (with needed charging cables)

2023 Project updates:

Project progress: