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Brit expats in Mallorca fundraise for poverty stricken Peruvian kids
| Published: | 10 May at 6 PM |
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Tagged: Money
From a small but determined beginning seven years ago to 2016’s successful school and orphanage, Brit expats’ efforts have changed the lives of hundreds of impoverished Peruvian children.
Seven years ago, a group of mostly British expats living in Palmanova on Mallorca became aware of the devastating poverty of rural Peruvian communities. They decided to hold fundraising events, but couldn’t have imagined how far and fast their efforts would spread and the near-miracles which would result.
Since the group’s early days, around 300 children living in a shanty town close to Lima, Peru’s capital, have received two good meals every day in order to combat the diseases and malnutrition prevalent in the community. An early priority was the development of a paediatric health clinic and maternity unit, as health care doesn’t come free and most poor people cannot afford to pay.
The school’s kitchen has been completely refurbished, a computer room has been installed and equipped, and long-term financial support for day-to-day running expenses is now in place. One of the the expat group’s leaders, Chris Barter, explained that the focus of the fundraising should be the children, as Peru’s future depends on its young people and their development.
Just three years ago, Padre Eugenio, the curate at Palmanova’s church before he left to serve as a missionary in Peru, saw the urgent need for an orphanage in another poverty-stricken village near Lima. He contacted the group, with the result that the majority of the orphanage’s financial needs are now provided thanks to fundraising on Mallorca.
Family break-ups amongst poor communities are, tragically, the norm in Peru, with the group now financing another new-build orphanage, its furnishing and its equipment. Support is also being provided for disabled people living in the area.
All the money donated to the villages are the result of fundraisers held in Mallorca’s English-speaking expat community located in the south-west of the island. From simple coffee mornings to handicraft shows and other events, the group’s determination to better the lives of people a world away is a miracle in itself.
Seven years ago, a group of mostly British expats living in Palmanova on Mallorca became aware of the devastating poverty of rural Peruvian communities. They decided to hold fundraising events, but couldn’t have imagined how far and fast their efforts would spread and the near-miracles which would result.
Since the group’s early days, around 300 children living in a shanty town close to Lima, Peru’s capital, have received two good meals every day in order to combat the diseases and malnutrition prevalent in the community. An early priority was the development of a paediatric health clinic and maternity unit, as health care doesn’t come free and most poor people cannot afford to pay.
The school’s kitchen has been completely refurbished, a computer room has been installed and equipped, and long-term financial support for day-to-day running expenses is now in place. One of the the expat group’s leaders, Chris Barter, explained that the focus of the fundraising should be the children, as Peru’s future depends on its young people and their development.
Just three years ago, Padre Eugenio, the curate at Palmanova’s church before he left to serve as a missionary in Peru, saw the urgent need for an orphanage in another poverty-stricken village near Lima. He contacted the group, with the result that the majority of the orphanage’s financial needs are now provided thanks to fundraising on Mallorca.
Family break-ups amongst poor communities are, tragically, the norm in Peru, with the group now financing another new-build orphanage, its furnishing and its equipment. Support is also being provided for disabled people living in the area.
All the money donated to the villages are the result of fundraisers held in Mallorca’s English-speaking expat community located in the south-west of the island. From simple coffee mornings to handicraft shows and other events, the group’s determination to better the lives of people a world away is a miracle in itself.
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