The cafeterias offer a balanced diet to the children in the districts of Andahuaylillas, Huaro, Urcos and Ocongate. These communities are at high-risk communities due to the high levels of domestic violence, single parent households, poverty, among other factors.

Additionally, children are taught hygiene habits such as washing hands before meals and brushing teeth after meals. In many homes families don’t practice hygiene habits vital to their health. These hygiene habits protect children from infections especially those pertaining to their stomachs and contribute to their nutritional development.

Children after eating their meal at the lunch center continue their afternoon in the library where the receive homework help. The objective is that all of the participantes children complete their educational tasks in an opportune manner.

In the majority of cases children don’t receive help with their school tasks at home. Some parents don’t have many studies, therefore, they don’t have the necessary tools to assist their children as much as they would like. The library’s are an appropriate space to meet this educational gap, our team of educators are their to support children in their education.

To strengthen reading comprehension, a skill many children lack, a reading room has been implemented. In this reading space educators utilize techniques and strategies different from those used at school. Educators also carry out activities appealing to the children such as storytelling, the book hospital, the book nursery, warriors of peace, the booklenders, the guardians of silence, and work in free spaces are a few examples

The computer lab has been implemented to compliment homework help. Children have access to the computer lab after they have gone to the library where they first research information in books and encyclopedias. In the computer lab children have access to internet to consult additional information pertaining to their homework.

An additional objective of the computer lab is to offer children an educational tool according to technological developments. In this manner they are not left behind from their contemporaries.

Educators offer explanation and accompany children in their good use of these resources.

Once children finish their homework they continue to the educational play center, place for play and relaxation. The space allows them to freely develop their fine and motor skills.

Our work mainly consists of play activities, allowing us to work on children’s self esteem as well as develop their social and personal skills. Many of the children we work with come from disfunctional families with a high degree of violence.

Spaces within our center such as the doll house space allows us to identify the type of violence the children are exposed to (e.g. physical, psychological and/or sexual). Our indicators que us to intervene immediately through the parish’s legal defense center.

Children in the construction space are able to develop their creativity and strengthen values such as patience, perseverance and in many situations team work. It is important to note that parents continue to believe that play is a waste of time and forbid their children to participate in these spaces, stagnating their development.

In the educational play center children are also exposed to crafts, theater, music, activities focused on care for the environment. These activities allow children to develop their social abilities and strengthen their self-esteem.

A group of women in the district of Andahuaylillas began their training in March 2016. Until mid-2017 the group was comprised of women from the Artisan Association of the Virgin of the Nativity of Andahuaylillas. In the last half of 2017 the group expanded, and welcomed all women who were interested in learning to knit.

Currently, we at the Andean Baroque Route have approximately 50 women who either weave fabrics by hand, or on large knitting looms.

Our knitted products, considered fair trade, garner international interest thus allowing us to export to Australia and the USA. This exportation then benefits the women who are able to receive just compensation for their work. Additionally, our knitted products are sold locally in our Andean Baroque Route gift shops.

Current knitted products for sale are baby clothes such as blankets, dresses, onesies, and sweaters, hats and bears made from alpaca and cotton, accessories, and loom-woven products. In training the women, we emphasize the quality of our products and the importance of the finishing
details while taking into consideration consumer demands. We are constantly searching more markets in order to provide more income for the women in the program.

The Symphony for Peru’s educational workshop in Cusco was made possible through the joint efforts of Symphony for Peru, Backus Foundation and the Parish of Saint John the Baptist of Huaro and Saint Peter the Apostle in Andahuaylillas. Beginning in 2013 the Huaro parish complex opened its doors to the young people of Huaro and Urcos of the Quispicanchi, Cusco province willing to learn the art of creating musical instruments.

The workshop is named after Marcela Temple de Pérez de Cuellar, who through her work as director of the World Monument Fund (WMF0 supported this initiative favoring and enriching culturally and work wise of the young people in Quispicanchi.

Symphony for Peru is convinced of the power of music in life-values formation such as discipline and excellence paired with a místical and joyful environment ensure high level of motivation. The development of values and techniques for the construction and restoration of musical instruments will be a source of pride for families and colleagues of the participants, generating a multiplying effect in the community.

The educational workshop is open to young people between the ages of 14 and 21. At the workshop participants learn to manufacture string instruments such as guitars and violins made from woods such as pine, baltic, mahogany, rosewood and chonta.

The instruments once finished belong to the participant that made them. The objective is that one day they will participate in the programs of Symphony for Peru and learn to play them.