Peru, Nuevo Chimbote

CONTEXT

Compared to other Latin American countries, education in Peru falls short. At the same time, families frequently do not send all their children to school because of the expenses such as matriculation fees, school uniforms, and required materials. There are several other problems which have to be addressed:

High percentage of early school dropouts, especially among females who become pregnant while in school.
Child labor.
High school fees, low education quality: school fees in private schools are unreasonably high and unaffordable for most Peruvians. Most of the children in Nuevo Chimbote consequently attend overcrowded public schools.
Low learning outcomes: in 2015, 27 percent of all primary school children in Santa Province did not possess basic math skills and only 50 percent achieved satisfactory reading competences.

During construction

After construction

Project Type

Phase I: 3 furnished classrooms, toilets, school yards + football field

Phase II: 3 classrooms, 2 bathrooms

Side project: Kitchen, dining room and furniture

Construction Period:

Phase I: August 2018 – June 2019

Phase II: December 2022 – February 2024

Side project: 2 months

Budget I

$49.809

Budget II

$47.500

Side Project Budget

$4.854

Children

130

Partner

Associazione Don Bosco 3a

Donor

Acronis

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE I

The desire to set up a free, high quality educational institution emerged to give children from extremely poor backgrounds access to education.

This is how the Institución Educativa Virgen de las Gracias was founded, and later recognized by the Ministry of Education. There are currently about 90 primary school children in the first and second grades who get free education, learning material, uniforms and lunch. These children are chosen among the neediest and would not attend school without the parish community’s help. To foster community support and involvement, the local population will participate in the construction process.

About 230 children will benefit from the project (children who are already enrolled and those who will get the chance to attend this school after the building’s successful extension).

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE II

The keyword of this school is free. However, this results in more enrollment requests than space the school can provide. Especially after a year of regular school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this project included the following measures to allow more students access and opportunity to education. Three classrooms and two bathrooms will be constructed, and a fence for the terrace will be added.

SIDE PROJECT: KITCHEN, DINING ROOM AND FURNITURE

The project has been done to enable two more classrooms at the school to receive more students since the demand is very high. Additionally, a canteen was implemented, where the students can have breakfast and lunch free of charge every day.

The improvement of the school’s condition will make more families enrol their children at the educational institution.