Ministering in Chincha Alta, Peru

Canadian Donations Finance Many Well Needed Peruvian Projects

"In spite of all the homes that we have helped in some way, living conditions remain very poor, rooms are barely furnished and in many cases unhealthy.  Anything that we have done, though, provides the families with more comfort and they begin to feel a sense of dignity.  We know it is just a drop in the bucket but every drop brings satisfaction and we see it on their faces and hear it in their voice as they express their thanks.  It is not uncommon to see a very dusty dirty, dilapidated straw-mat huts covered with some blue tarpaulin that houses a family who obviously requires assistance but the Sisters do not know who is living in some of these dwellings, as they have not yet presented themselves in the parish or in one of the many Basic Christian Communities.

We want to thank all our Canadian Friends for their continued support and to assure you that every dollar you give makes a difference.  Twenty-five dollars paid for a basket of food or a straw mattress or a comfortable woven wicker chair. We did some construction of new rooms using straw matting, and repairs to existing roofs and walls. We installed 5 new washrooms and delivered several beds and mattresses.

Sr. María Choquez, Sr. Pauline Coulterman, & Sr. Gloria Muchypiña

This year a large sum of money went into a water project, which provides   twelve extended families with water and sewage. Each family can now work towards installing their own indoor plumbing as the water pipes are now at their front door." - from a letter from The February 2011 Mission to Chincha Alta, Peru

Scholarship Program

Through our Scholarship program, a Canadian family or organization can sponsor a Peruvian child’s studies for one year at a cost of $200.00. This donation pays for the child’s school supplies and his/her uniform. This program calls forth a commitment on the part of the sponsor to consider seeing the child through six years of primary studies and five years of high school.

The school year in Peru begins the first of March and terminates just before Christmas. (If you support this program a reminder will be sent to you at Christmas regarding your donation for the new school year.) We attempt to have the children correspond with their sponsor twice a year, and the children look forward to hearing from their benefactor. (This is optional on the part of the benefactor.)

Soup Kitchens

Since the Aug. 2007 Earthquake that struck the south coast of Peru, destroying more than 60% of the homes, schools, churches, hospitals and business areas of both the Chincha and Pisco Valleys, we have been supporting soup kitchens and common pots in needy rural areas of Chincha. Families come together to share their resources and support one another in order to assure better nourishment for their children. When donation funds are available, milk, rice and other staples are distributed to these kitchens, this help often assures a more balanced meal for all concerned and alleviating the pressure on the part of those preparing the meal.

Medical Center

The ‘Health Centre’ is one of the greatest assets of Our Lady of Fatima Parish. All of the professionals working here volunteer a few hours a week to attend to the most needy. Some of the services offered are general medicine, gynocology, dentistry, basic lab work, reflexology, psychiatry, etc. Our donations are often used to purchase medical supplies and basic hygenic needs for the center. There are times when we would have to help finance medical emergency services that we cannot attend to in the Center.

Other Projects

Their treasures are few, but their home is the most precious thing in their life. Funds are sometimes used to attend to  an immediate need within the home.

• Water projects (helping to put water and sewage into homes)
• Breakfast program
• Family Catechesis (training of leaders and youth animators)
• Adult Educational Center
• Retreat House 
• Legal Attention
• Youth Group Programs
• Nursery Classrooms
• Creation of Employment (loaning of capital for small business)