Hope for Perú

Despite its vast kaleidoscope of geographic, historic, and cultural richness, Peru still remains one of the poorest countries in the world with 44.5% of the population below the poverty line and 13.7% living in extreme poverty, in which Peruvians survive on less than $35.50 per month, based on a report by the National Statistics Institute in 2007.

The education system in Peru is another troubling disparity; public schools are truly inadequate, having been ranked second worst in Latin America (above only Haiti) by the United Nations Development Program.

I recently returned from a 3-week-long trip to Lima, Perú to visit family and find non-profit organizations to document for my own personal experience and to do what I can to help out some of the many people in need.

Before arriving, I made a very important connection with a woman who works for the U.S. Embassy in Lima.  She provided me with the names and contact numbers of some incredible non-profit organizations that I was then later granted access to report on.

Here's a first rough edit of my documentary on Hogar de la Esperanza (House of Hope), a shelter for battered women and their children located in Chorrillos.

My aim with this video and the ones I filmed on two other organizations, soon to be completed as well, is to create awareness for noble causes in Lima that have little or no exposure.

These shelters are meagerly self-sustained and lack basic services, such as running water and drainage systems.  

You can help make a difference with just the smallest amount.

$5 can feed an entire family for a week, help pay wages to teachers, or aid in the construction of the new daycare center.

Donations may be made through PayPal with the button below:

All donations of $10 or more receive a free 4x6 print of one of my artistic photographs from Peru (such as the one below). Your choice or mine, just specify in the comments and please include your address.

Thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of these families.  You'll be able to see the results of your contributions as I return to record their progress in the upcoming months.

I leave you with a slideshow of the images from the shelter:

Peace and blessings.