New Home At Cusco
The first six children who moved in on the 11th of April 2008 and far right houseparent Hector Valdivia.
The new centre at Cusco is now open! Construction work on the new centre for abandoned boys near the historic city of Cusco was finished a couple of months ago. The home was completed on time and opened on the 11th of April.
A typical dorm in which the boys will sleep with Andean
tapstry on the walls.
All the work parties this summer will visit Cusco and help build a workshop for the street boys who are now there.
The centre is located within the breathtaking scenery of Peru’s famous ‘Sacred Valley.’
One of the first boys identified to move into the home is “Fernando.”
Our partner organisation, Union Biblica Del Peru, were told that he had an incredible record for his age, in the streets and children’s centers in the city. Here is what Paul Clark, of UB Peru, had to say about him:
“We have all fallen in love with this boy. Given his track record, we have not only kept a special watch on him but also taken the time to understand this boy whose background is different from any other we have ever encountered.
It so happens that Fernando was brought up with animals – mainly sheep, rather that with other human beings. He was put out to live in the pens, sheep and sheep folds, which are very common in Peru’s Andean slopes.
Some abandoned boys never cry, which is very sad. Others, like Fernando, can. Except that he does not cry like a little boy. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he bleats, just like a baby lamb.
We offered him shoes. “Please not like the ones these boys wear!” He pleaded. “I want ojotas”. These are what shepherds on the Cusco hillsides wear - a sole and straps made of old car tires. Someone brought us a pair recently and you should have seen Fernando running and jumping once he had them on!
We were told by the police in Cusco that every time he was captured and taken to some institution, he would smash windows and escape. None of that has been done in our Girasol home.
We now look forward to taking him back to our new home in Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, near the world famous ruins of Machu Picchu.”
The new home at Cuzco - plans are afoot to build workshops in which the boys can learn skills. Work parties this summer will help with the construction of these workshops.
To find out more about street children in Peru click here.