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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "I look at myself as having the potential to be as strong and caring as the amazing women I met in Kenya." Kate Cummings (Tufts University) volunteered in 2009 as a Peace Fellow for Vital Voices in Africa. For more 2009 feedback click here.

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Supporting Kids in Peru

Supporting Kids in Peru (SKIP) is nonprofit organization, registered in the United Kingdom and the United States, that helps disadvantaged children to realize their right to an education. The program is located on the north coast of Peru in the impoverished community of El Porvenir, outside the city of Trujillo. The project team is comprised of international volunteers as well as Peruvian volunteers from the community and local universities in Trujillo.

SKIP believes in helping families to help themselves to improve their economic and social situation and send their children to school. Within its holistic program approach, SKIP provides psychological support, social services, small business and microcredit services to foster stable home environments for the children.

• SKIP helps disadvantaged children enroll in school and achieve academic success by covering some of their school expenses, monitoring their progress, teaching extra classes, and providing tutoring assistance.

• SKIP runs an Economic Development program that helps families start businesses and access microcredit in order to fund their children's education.

• Families are also included in the education process through weekly meetings where they can ask questions and learn about topics such as health and hygiene, the importance of education, and domestic violence. (Social Work)

• A group of SKIP mothers work on various tejidos, or weaving projects such as bags, scarves, and plantholders.  Twice a week, there is an opportunity for the mothers to serve as the teachers for a group of seven to nine women meeting to learn new techniques and projects.  SKIP’s economic development team gives loans to groups of two or three women to buy supplies and fulfill requests from local shops and community members.

• Press Releases

SKIP publishes news stories on the News section of their website.

• Blogs

Volunteers working with SKIP blog on the Meet SKIP's Volunteers website.

• Blogs
  
  In 2008, AP sent Peace Fellow Jennifer Tucker to work with SKIP.  Read Jennifer's blog. 
  
  In 2007, AP sent Peace Fellows Jessica Boccardo and Sara Zampierin to work with SKIP.  Read Jessica and Sara's blogs.

Watch a news report highlighting SKIP and their program.




Outreach Partners

• Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego (UPAO)
• Universidad Nacional de Trujillo (UNT)
• Instituto Superior Pedagógico Santo Tomas
• Universidad Cesar Vallejo (UCV)
• San Lucas
• Cuerpo de Paz Peru
• Banco de Crédito del Peru (BCP)
• SIS – Ministerio de Salud
• Techo Propio
• Window to the World
• Ecological Brigade Esperanza Verde
• Santo Toribio
• Colegio IndoAmericano

For more information about networking with SKIP, please email them.

• Website

SKIP’s trilingual website has been the primary channel for spreading the mission of SKIP, attracting volunteers and donors, and posting news bulletins.  With the help of AP Fellows, SKIP hopes to increase postings and traffic to its blog, as well as spread the message of SKIP throughout volunteer, NGO, and education-related websites.

• Connectivity

SKIP sends out newsletters to donors and other interested subscribers through email.  The AP Fellows working with SKIP will soon implement a new system of managing contacts and sending emails as they seek to capture a larger community of interested people.

• Education for children: Children from El Porvenir who previously couldn’t afford to go to school or who were not interested in attending are given the opportunity to attend school in Trujillo.

• Empowerment of mothers: Through the psychological, financial, health, and social services offered, families are given the opportunity to maintain a stable household for the children. They are provided the freedom and resources to pursue small businesses and teach each other skills and strategies

• In 2007, SKIP won a $25,000 award in the JP Morgan Good Venture competition. The grant money will be used to increase enrollment in SKIP's programs from 20 children to 400 in 2009.

• In 2007, SKIP plans to add 50 new families to the program, bringing the total to about 230 children from about 180 families.

• In October of 2006, SKIP opened a new Educational Complex, which was constructed with help from families, the community, and other volunteers. The new complex includes five fully equipped classrooms, gardens, a full-sized bathroom, an athletic court, and a recreation and games area.

Contact:

In the UK 14a, Belmont Ave. Baildon, Shipley West Yorkshire BD17 5AJ, UK Tel: 07802 269021 Email SKIP

In Peru Mayta Capac 1301 Rio Seco, El Porvenir Trujillo, Peru Tel: 044 296 116 Email SKIP

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