What is the Hogar Hermelinda?
Hogar Hermelinda offers housing and support to six young women from the surrounding rural areas of San Martin. Participants must have specific post-secondary educational goals and be at least 18 years of age.
The need for this project became evident as we watched young women age out of the Aldea orphanage. There is a high level of poverty in this area of Peru, especially in the small, rural villages. Young women who want to continue studies after secondary school, but have no support system, are critically disadvantaged. Many become young parents who then struggle to support their own children. Without access to job and educational opportunities, the cycle of poverty continues.
In the Spring of 2022, a house for the Hogar Hermelinda home was secured and, thanks to donations, extensive changes were completed to prepare for the first program participants.
Four of the participants of Hogar Hermelinda, LLeninfer, Denise, Denixa and Greycith, have already started their second cycle of nursing classes. We expect our two new participants, Roxana and Aleyda to begin their first cycle of classes March 6, 2023.
The participants for the Hogar Hermelinda Program come from rural areas of the San Martin Department of the Amazon. They are recommended by church, school and community leaders for this unique opportunity. The young women are encouraged to develop leadership skills and to participate in sharing their skills with others in the community.
Roxana Acho Huahuachi" My dream is to finish my studies and become a professional nurse. I am proud to be in the Hogar Hermelinda Program." (Roxana is from the native Quechua community of Santa Sofia)
Lleninfer Tapillimo Panaifo "When we returned to Hogar Hermelinda we started to help take care of the children at the Aldea. We help in the kitchen. We learned how to make bread and cakes. We took classes in first aide, computers and sewing. Soon our classes will start again. I feel very good about everything we are learning. I am thankful and appreciate the support the=at the Peruvian Outreach Project provides to us!"
This is Lleninfer and her mother at home in Papa Playa during Christmas break. She is now back at her studies in the second cycle of the nursing program.
