News from Bruce Peru, NEWS OF PERU, hope for homeless children
January 2003

Three Kings Day
We celebrated Christmas all over again with more children and better presents on the 6th of January, which is also the traditional day of celebration in Spain and the Orthodox Church.

Our reason for celebrating twice is that in December we only had symbolic gifts. And then cameourfriendsfrom the charity INTERVIDA and gave footballs enough for all the boysand vollyballs enough for all the girls. So we did it all over again, and with the direction of our Drama teachers, Carlos and Gabby, the staff performed an interactive one act play with the children - which seemed entertain them even better than the professional group who camefor the first party. Thank you INTERVIDA

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  street kids computer learning center became fully operational in January Thanks to the computers made available by Buenaventura Mining Co., Phil Young, by our founder; and the help of dedicated IT volunteers . All day every weekday there is now a steady flow of street kids into the center. They receive individual tuition from professional IT volunteers, and progress according to their own lights.
 

We were attacked three times by bandits (they killed our beloved dog)
.Opening the newer larger computer training center also opened the door of temptation for burglers. They climbed our roofs, poisoned our guard dog and demolished the locks on our main security door, but our live in guards and alarm system frightenrd them off before they could get to the computers. The orphans fortunately slept though the worst, only waking when the alarm went off. They have lost their favorite dog.

 

Sixteen fit US high school students and some of their parents broke ground for the Delicias Shelter.
They came as volunteers and left exhausted. Four teams of four students competed to see which could move the most rocky soil in one day of hard work. The team including a schoolgirl, a mother and two varsity boys won. When complete the shelter will house an animal shelter and children's centre. After diging the students turned their energy to molding adobe bricks.

And here is the local crew who will carry on building day by day; they include an engineer and three men.

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  Sandra's English academy has really taken off. Free tuitioned street kids and paying students of all ages keep Sandra Smith on her feet teaching English from nine in the morning to nine at night; and they are learning.
 

School is out, it is now mid summer here in the southern hemisphere, our campus is filled with the laughter of children. We offer them sport, games, basic instruction, music, art, dance, English, Computer courses, clothes, hygene, medical, dental and free meals.
The British childrens author Les Bowie came in january to offer a football clinic for the children (that's "socker" in America).

 

Barbers came to cut the children's and mother's hair.

 

 

Giovana Vasquez gives folk dance lessons to some of the children.

 

Mothers, our volunteers and regular students learn modern dance in the summer course of Eusabio Rabines' VISION DE LA DANZA ballet academy.

  At our fish farm in Paijan the Tillapias are growing steadily, and in March or April will be ready to serve to the children and mothers.
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Transitions
This month we received the generous help of several new volunteers, as well as our faithful regulars:Dr. Edwin, Psychologist;Dr.Maria, U.S.A. Agent; Les, (recognized British author)Sports Coach; Dra. Laura, Family Law.

Orlando, to save him from a violent home, entered our shelter.

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