70% of the children suffer from anemia *
54% of the population are extremely poor *
14% of the children have never attended a school *
*The figures refer to the start of the project in 2011.
Los Libertadores is located in the interior of the country, about 500 km southeast of the capital Lima. The villages are located in the Andes, on the edge of a valley at an altitude of 3,000 meters. About 11,700 people live here, some of them in simple, precariously built clay huts next to dangerous river courses or steep hillsides. Droughts, frost, landslides and strong winds make life difficult for the families. 90 % of the people are small farmers. Because of the unfavorable location in the mountains, however, they can only use about 13 % of the available land for agriculture. Another small part is suitable as grassland. A large part of the population is very poor. With this regional development project, World Vision now supports the children and their families who are most affected by poverty.
Focus of our work
Health & Nutrition
53 % of the children were undernourished or malnourished at the beginning of the project. One reason was that many parents simply did not know how to feed their children in a healthy way. More than half of the families had no access to functioning sanitation facilities. The healthcare centers were very far away for many families and besides poorly equipped.
How World Vision helps
- Training for parents in healthy nutrition
- Education on hygiene practices, such as regular washing of hands to prevent illnesses
- Further training for healthcare workers
- Equipping the health stations with medicines
Agriculture & Income
The small farmers in the region harvested too little for themselves and their families before the project began. In addition, they could not afford many food supplies from their low income. Besides agriculture, there were not enough alternatives for the families to earn a stable and sufficient income.
How World Vision helps
- Establishment of irrigation systems to increase the harvest
- Establishment and promotion of farmers' groups, in which small farmers for example learn new cultivation methods and support each other
- Access to markets so that farmers can sell their products
Education
Almost 30 % of the children over the age of 15 could not read or write properly at the start of the project, and many never attended school. When they start school, most children do not know Spanish as the language of instruction, and only about half complete the first grade. For many children, schools are difficult to reach, and they have to help in the farms instead.
How World Vision helps
- Renovation and equipment of schools
- Further training for teachers
- Educating parents about the importance of education
How we work
World Vision has gained important experience over the years. We know that our work can only be successful if we closely involve the children and families in our projects in all processes. Together we decide at the beginning of a project: What are the biggest problems in the area? In which areas do we start? Decisions are made by a committee consisting of elected representatives of the community, World Vision staff and other local partners. Over time, families take on more and more responsibility so that one day – usually after about 15 years – they will be able to continue developing their area without World Vision. To achieve this, we teach people how to successfully advocate for their children's rights with authorities and claim government support.
