In June 2009 a group of 30 Sixth Form students and staff from St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form Centre went out to work for two weeks in one of the shanty towns of Lima, capital of Peru.
The money raised for Project Peru 2009 was used to completely rebuild and equip a food kitchen which serves over 100 adults and children living in extreme poverty in an area called Raucana.
The group also took part in a programme of activities aimed at sharing the respective talents of St John's students and those of Aichi Nagoya school in the heart of the shanty town. This involved activities such as dance, gymnastics, football, volleyball (at which we were soundly beaten!), pan pipe lessons (for 2 hours! - better than a work out at the gym!) and mural paintings on 7 walls within the school. Through these activities greater awareness and understanding of our respective countries and cultures was developed.
Following the success of this year's trip, there has been huge demand from students to build on this work. The group's task in 'Project Peru 2010' will be to construct a multi-function building in a place called 'Chorillos', a deprived district in the shanty town. This building will provide a meeting/activities space for the young people in the community, a school room, a kitchen and a place for reflection and worship.
All those involved in Project Peru 2009 wish to express their huge gratitude to the many people who supported this project. Without their extraordinary generosity it would not have been possible to have achieved so much. We hope to be able to count on their continued support for 'Project Peru 2010'.