Project 091* - Survival Packs – Peru

Children are left impoverished, and they learn that their father will never come back to them.

Coming alongside suffering families brings smiles to people like Yanet and her children.

10 lbs of rice, 2 lbs of beans, 2 lbs of lentils, 2 lbs of oats, 2 lbs of milk powder, 2 tins of fish, 1 quart of cooking oil, 3 lbs of noodles

Coming Alongside

In spite of having a country of spectacular beauty and rich heritage, the people of Peru remain poor. Social and economic problems result in the majority of Peruvians living in poverty. With such pressures, family breakdown also occurs.

It may begin with families moving in the hope of finding better prospects or husbands who seek employment elsewhere. As Marlies Lange of Childcare Worldwide (CCW) explains. ‘For a while, the men of the families looked for work but when they could not find employment, they were not willing to deal with the situation any longer. So they left their families and started a new life somewhere else.

‘It is always a shock for the women to realise that they have been abandoned and a sad experience for the children to learn that their father will never come back to them. The mothers do what they can to put food on the table, mostly by cleaning other people’s houses or by washing their clothes. However, they earn so little that they have trouble feeding their growing children.’

Peruvian mothers and children endure great economic distress…

Before marrying, Yanet Diaz Valero looked forward to a good life with her husband. She knew they would probably always be poor, but as long as they had enough food and the most necessary things in life, she would be content. They were glad when their children were born. But when the fourth one arrived, they began to wonder how they would be able to care for all of them. Her husband took the easy way out and one day abandoned the family.

Left alone to care for their four children, Yanet was desperate. She had to deal with the trauma of being rejected and how to provide for her family. Because of her small children, she couldn’t look for work. And so she had no choice other than depending on what other people gave her. Her difficult situation meant she often suffered from depression.

Coming alongside

Explaining what Survival Packs mean to this family, Marlies Lange notes, ‘Before Yanet felt alone in her daily struggle, but now someone has come alongside her and her poor children. What comfort this is!’

Richard Norton
Director-Siloam UK