Flooding has been plaguing Peru since December causing massive destruction. We have officially launched a response program to focus on cleaning out affected schools, constructing temporary learning centers, mobilizing local volunteers, and mucking out homes. Over 1,000 children have been displaced from their learning spaces and our volunteers will work to clean out those schools and construct temporary learning centers so children can gain back some normalcy.
In the town of Huarmey, 300 km North of Lima, 1-2 meters of mud fill the ground floors of most buildings, including schools. This leaves 600 children with no safe place to go during the daytime while their parents struggle to mitigate losses from the crisis. All Hands has been informed by town officials that, including outlying areas where entire schools have collapsed underneath mud, a total of 1,100 children in the vicinity have been affected.
This project will fund three different Temporary Learning Centers or "TLCs" to protect children who are extremely vulnerable in the chaos after disasters. The centers also offer a sense of routine and normalcy which keeps children learning and playing, reducing the effects of the trauma. With children looked after, overwhelmed parents are afforded precious hours to focus on digging out their homes or returning to work when possible.
By solving the immediate issues plaguing the area we are able to provide the foundation that this community can build upon to begin to recover once the flooding subsides. All Hands provides volunteers from all over with the skills and ability to make a difference without putting a strain on the community. We will continue to monitor and address the needs of the community as the situation changes, and assess how All Hands can contribute to the recovery efforts in the future.
