We’re sharing with you some initiatives and organizations here in Peru that need support during this difficult and uncertain time. 

If you are able to, please consider donating to one or some of these projects. 

Thank you, on behalf of the Aula and Aulita teams! 

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Mapa19 shows households across the country that need support – here you’ll be able to donate directly to families and individuals who have listed themselves on the map. 

Casa Mantay is a safe home for young mothers in Cusco – they “offer a safe haven to teenage mums and their babies who have suffered abuse or rejection by their families.” They are running a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds needed to keep the house running throughout the pandemic as they have had to close their artisan workshops and are not receiving their usual sources of income. 

Association of Ceramicists, Pucallpa, Ucayali region

At Aula, we partner with the ceramicist Leidy Martinez who makes shipibo ceramics with a cooperative of women in the Peruvian Jungle. As they are currently not able to make and sell their ceramics, a main source of income has been cut off. If you would like to donate to support these women and their families, there are a couple of ways to do so: 

If you’re in Peru you can deposit a donation into Aula’s bank account with the following information and the reference “Covid-19 donation”.

• AULA ARTESANA SAC (cuenta corriente soles)

• BCP: 285-2542865-0-90

• CCI: 00228500254286509054

If you are an international donor, you can get in touch with Steph (steph@aulaartesana.com) for more information about how to donate.

Qosqo Maki has been working for 30 years in defense of the rights of children and adolescents living on the streets in the city of Cusco. Their Qosqo Maki Dormitory provides beds for children and adolescents to spend the night in healthy and safe conditions. Due to the current pandemic of Covid-19, these same children and adolescents are not able to earn an income, and, because they are not recognized as a vulnerable population by the government, they are not eligible for state support either. 

Therefore, Qosqo Maki is temporarily changing its strategy and throughout the pandemic will be offering services 24 hours a day, including three meals a day and a team of educators who’ll be attending to their educational, health, leisure and personal development needs.

There are a couple of ways to support Qosqo Maki: 

• If you are in Cusco, you can coordinate with Apolline to donate food and supplies directly to the dormitory. Her contact number is: 933 675 342.

• If you would like to make a financial contribution, you can do so in Soles, Dollars or Euros by following this link and using the reference “Covid-19 donation.”

Mosqoy works with Quechua campesino communities in the Peruvian Andes, providing educational scholarships to young people and economical support to weavers through the sale of textiles. They have a Covid-19 Community Relief Fund which is receiving donations that will go directly to their five partnering artisan communities to support their most urgent needs:

If you’re an international donor, you can donate here with a memo “Covid-19 Fund.”

If you’re in Peru, you can donate directly to their BCP account at:

• ASOCIACIÓN CIVIL MOSQOY PERÚ (cuenta de ahorros soles)

• BCP: 285-91699983-0-09

• CCI: 00228519169998300950

LAFF is a UK registered charity that works with local partners to improve their long-term ability to provide quality education and personal development to children and young people in vulnerable conditions in Peru. In Cusco, it is common for children in extreme poverty conditions to be living and working on the streets. This is problematic at any time, but especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

One of LAFF’s partners, Azul Wasi, was founded as a direct response to this need. Azul Wasi provides home, food, education, and healthcare in a loving, accepting, and understanding environment to orphans who were either abducted, abused, or abandoned. Donations to LAFF will help them support the children at Azul Wasi through the facilitation of on-site education, ongoing career guidance, and virtual personal development workshops. Your donations will help them adapt to the current social distancing restrictions and ensure that these children continue to receive the shelter and support that they need from their only home.

Amantaní provides a home to 50 children and teenagers between the ages of 0 to 17 who are in vulnerable situations. Currently, the home’s care staff are living on site so as to limit their contact with the outdoors and prevent contracting and transmitting the virus. At the moment, they are most in need of: fresh food (vegetables, fruit, meat, fish), milk and diapers M-G sizes.

There are two ways to support Amantaní:

• Donate through their website

• Get in touch with Estefania (980709590) or Maria (997019262) to coordinate dropping off fresh food and supplies

Photography by: Ashli Akins, Leidy Martinez and Leah Pellegrini