Mato Grosso has revolutionised the lives of both the younger children and also the older ones who still live in the Puericultorio and who at weekends now take part in youth club activities and community life.
The dream of the volunteers of Mato Grosso is to be able to take over the entire Puericultorio and replace the state school within it. To achieve this, a lot of resources are needed, particularly economic and human.
Before the volunteers from Mato Grosso arrived, days inside the Puericultorio were all the same. The children got tired easily because they were not used to walking and the only form of play they knew was tainted with aggression and violence. Things have now changed.
“It is so satisfying to see that with just a little, you can change the lives of these children so much. Some of their problems and traumas will unfortunately accompany them throughout their lives. But from a situation where they were leading an institutionalised existence in the various “wings” of the building, with just one assistant looking after 15 children on an 8 hour work shift, with no fixed or clear rules, to then be living in a well-kept house, where 5 volunteer assistants live 24 hours a day with 15 children, this is life-changing!”
Building the Mato Grosso school
Change is already underway: for more than a year now, Mato Grosso has been working on building a special school that will be open all day long and which can offer a rounded education – not only school lessons but a school of life – for 150 of the 200 minors living in the Puericultorio.
So far Mato Grosso has renovated the old building by putting in new bathrooms and kitchens plus other modifications so that it is now suitable for accommodating the students.
They have also done up part of one of the abandoned wings to house the teachers.
The teachers are young men and women who also come from poor areas of Peru and who have studied and trained to become teachers in the Mato Grosso schools.
So now you have a virtuous circle made up of young men and women who, thanks to Mato Grosso, have understood the importance of education and in turn have decided to dedicate their lives to transmitting knowledge, culture and love.
These experiences highlight how important it is to follow the children step by step during their individual and intellectual growth: standing by their side and educating them with empathy.