After a very busy but rewarding December at Westfalia orphanage giving the kids a Christmas to remember, it is time to move on to our next project. We had been talking about renovating the now 24 year old buildings that house the 100 children for a while now but after recent government inspections we have had to speed up that plan. The 100 orphans are lodged in 6 houses which accommodate up to 15 children per house. At the moment each house has 2 bathrooms, one for the boys, and one for the girls. Within each bathroom is one toilet, one shower, and one sink. So you can imagine the difficulties of 15 children plus 2 carers trying to get ready for school in two small bathrooms. Besides being 24 years old and in need of repair/renovation, new government laws make it necessary to double that capacity thereby providing 2 toilets, 2 showers and 2 sinks per bathroom.
The government regulations apply to various parts of the buildings so we need to do the bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms, lounge/dining area, and the large laundry area where the children wash their clothes by hand. This includes tiling the entire floor area where there was bare concrete before.
The children from Casa (House) 2 had been moved to the other houses to allow for renovations thereby making the other 5 houses very overcrowded. Renovations had just started when Defense Civil (the previously mentioned government department) told the orphanage that they had to install concrete security zones (round concrete pads) in front of every building, as a gathering place in the event of an emergency such as an earthquake. They also included a list of other required changes which they deemed prerequisites for the continuation of the orphanage. This required the immediate halt of Casa 2 renovations and the money diverted for the security zones. You can see a photo of one of the many costly concrete security zones below.
As if that wasn’t a big enough problem, yet another government department inspected the orphanage and indicated that, in spite of the fact that they have no disabled residents, have never had any disabled residents, and never plan to have any, they must install wheelchair ramps on every building (that would be about 10 buildings) and that they must include a bathroom stall suitable for wheelchair use, in each building, complete with grab bars etc. So the little money available to at least start the renovations has well and truly dried up leaving Casa 2 barely started and 15 children squashed in with the other 5 houses.
So there is a real urgency to get Casa 2 repaired and renovated to allow the 15 children to move back in. There is also an urgency because if the work isn’t done quickly, and the government agencies aren’t satisfied that the orphanage meets the health & safety, as well as security requirements, then the permit for the orphanage is at risk of being revoked or their permitted capacity downgraded. We do not want to see any of these children transferred to another orphanage because of a shortage of space due to inability to meet the deadline for completing these required renovations and satisfying the government ministries. Most of the 100 children have been at this orphanage all their lives. This is their home. Their family.
If you can help out please send us an urgent donation. We really need to get this finished asap. And please, share the link of this post on your FB and help spread the news! Thanks!
Usual Christmas?…no presents, very little food, thinking about what ‘normal’ kids have. This Christmas? …280 presents, turkey lunch for everyone, singing, dancing, games, nibblies, cakes, muffins, and cookies, drinks, water balloons, lots of fun…and knowing that just because you don’t have a traditional family, doesn’t mean you don’t have love. Thanks for all those that made it possible to show orphans without family that they really do have a family!
On Saturday 22nd December, Sonrisasenperu hosted our 3rd annual Westfalia Orphanage Christmas Party. With the help of so many people, it was even bigger and better than last year. There was lots of fun, singing, dancing, games and prizes, a traditional turkey lunch, soft drink and sweets. It was such a special day for the 100 orphans that have lived at the remote orphanage in Cieneguilla on the outskirts of Lima most of their lives.
A huge thank you to those that helped make this day possible, particularly George, Alex, Brenda and Patricio, Miguel, Clare and her students, Sean & family, Randy, Yuko and the boys, and even my mum Mary who was visiting from Australia and probably wrapped over 100 presents herself! It was a huge task to organize and coordinate all the gifts, food, drinks, games, and activities so thanks everyone for helping make the day perfect!
Each child received two gifts each and it was so rewarding to see the looks on their faces as they came up and collected them. These aren’t kids who have bikes, playstations, electronics of any kind, or toys we took for granted growing up so their faces showed how exciting it really was for them.
A big thanks to those who came out and supported us as well and helped out with the games (Clare and her amazing students!), food, giving out the gifts and helping out with the Christmas spirit! Check out the kids dancing Gangnam Style with Clare and her students http://youtu.be/C1PeoDGcwBE
And seeing the kids opening their presents was an amazing sight.
So again, a big thank you to those who have helped us make this event so special. And thank you to all those who have donated funds, food, clothes, and their time to these kids. For over 3 years now I have personally seen amazing changes in these children. They all come from terrible situations whether it be physical or sexual abuse, abandonment, from the streets, or simply that their families cannot afford to care for them. They come from all parts of Peru and join this big family. And they continually grow in character from shy and reserved children into loving, confident, caring, empathetic teenagers. And this doesn’t occur just from dropping off food or clothes but from constant contact and letting them know that people do care about them, and that they are worthwhile. And the children are well aware of the global help they receive and constantly ask me about the people and countries that contribute. So thank you for making a difference in the lives of others.
Sonrisasenperu has new projects for 2013 including the urgent need to upgrade the childrens’ rundown, 23 year old accommodation, continuing classes for Westfalia Orphanage (English, dance, and swimming) as well as continuing to provide food and clothing for the 100 orphans at Westfalia as well as other rural children in need. If you can help out please send a donation or help spread the word by copying this post onto your facebook or twitter. Thanks!
On December 22 we’re hosting our annual Sonrisasenperu Christmas party for 100+ kids of Westfalia Orphanage. These kids all come from broken, abusive homes, abandonment or their families had to give them up as they simply didn’t have the money to care for them. These kids don’t have phones, playstations, or televisions. They don’t go to the cinema on a Saturday night or a weekend away at the beach with family. They live in an orphanage compound in the mountains of Cieneguilla on the far edge of Lima and we want to brighten up their Christmas which is traditionally a sad time for them as they don’t have the family time we all have.
We are organising presents for 140 children. This includes the 100 children of the orphanage, some past orphans who have ventured into work or study, as well as some of the childrens’ family members who will coming to the party. We’ll also be providing nibblies, drinks, a traditional turkey lunch, lollies and desserts. We’re going to have lots of games, competitions, prizes and face painting. We’re hiring a group to provide a live show for the kids which includes singing and dancing. Oh yeah, and we’ll be providing lots of fun! … BUT we really need your help!
I know we’ve asked a lot this year…with your help we’ve provided clean drinking water so the kids aren’t drinking dirty river water and getting sick. You’ve helped fund a new industrial stove to replace the gas-leaking, 22 year old stove as well as a load of new pots and pans. You’ve helped replace 72 broken windows and provide literally tonnes of food and essential supplies to the orphanage. But we need you to dig deep one more time this year. If you can help out please send us a donation, and remember every dollar counts! We need to make sure 140 children get a present, a memorable turkey lunch, lollies, drinks, games, prizes, etc. If you’ve never donated and been a bit hesitant…now is your chance 
If you’re here in Lima Peru and want to donate a gift, please send us an email. You can also see the 2011 Sonrisasenperu Christmas party here!
I wanted to dedicate a post to all the wonderful people who have donated and helped realise the sonrisasenperu dream of helping those in poverty. I received an email from Elissa, an Australian living in San Diego, who donated money and requested I use the money for the almost 100 children of Westfalia Orphanage. Upon sending her photos of the kids with the food that her money paid for, I learned that part of the donation was on behalf of her sister, Leanne (Geelong, Australia), who had requested that instead of a birthday present she wanted money donated to a charity. Amazing!
So thank you to Elissa and Leanne and all those who have donated to help those less fortunate then ourselves. One of our main projects is Westfalia Orphanage due to the incredible difficulties this non-government orphanage faces. It provides housing, education, and psychological assistance to almost 100 orphans, victims of family violence and abuse, abandoned, or homeless children. Being a non-government orphanage, the only assistance it receives from the Peruvian government is a monthly quota of rice, and it is nowhere near enough to provide for the kids. So every week I try to take up fruit or basic foods such as rice, beans, wheat, pasta and meat when funds allow.
We also receive wonderful donations in the form of clothes, shoes, appliances, books, pens, pencils, paper and food. So a big thank you to those that have helped out. We have even received items from overseas; people bringing things with them when coming to Peru. Great effort! Some have even sent care packages! We use these items to help out the 100 kids at Westfalia Orphanage as well as poor families unable to keep up with the needs of their families.
If you would like to help the cause, send a donation. $20 buys a crate of most fruits here in Peru. A 50kg bag of rice is about $45. Also feel free to post on your facebook to help spread the word! Thank you for your support and helping to make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves.
After a long break from dance classes due to difficulties in obtaining a dance teacher, and one willing to travel the 90 minutes each way to the orphanage, we have finally started dance classes again! We got a lucky break meeting the amazing Clare, an English girl now living in Peru who volunteered to teach various kinds of dance including modern, hip-hop, salsa, and freestyle.
Of all the classes we’ve provided to the kids of Westfalia Orpahange, dance has always been their favourite and it’s great to see how involved they get. We are rehearsing for a dance performance at our annual Sonrisasenperu Christmas Party on December 22, so watch out for the photos and video!
Check out more of the projects we are doing, including at Westfalia Orphange, in our newsroom.
If you are able to help us continue with these important projects, especially coming up to Christmas, please send us a donation. Remember, it isn’t that hard to help make a difference in the lives of people so much worse off than ourselves … maybe one less takeaway/take-out this week. Every dollar counts!
We received an amazing donation of 4 Computers, 3 monitors, 2 printers, modems, keyboards, mouse, printer cartridges, and what seems like 5km of cables! A huge thank you to Astar Air Cargo LLC USA for getting them to Peru from The United States!
We want to donate them to poor, regional schools that do not have computers but we need some help! The computers’ hard-drives were wiped to delete any sensitive information so we need to get all the equipment serviced, install operating systems, and install Windows and Microsoft Office before the kids can use them. One of the printers isn’t working and needs to be repaired as well.
I am working on an approximate estimate of US$400 to get it all done, depending on what is exactly wrong with the printer. If you are able to help us get these computers working please make a donation. This might even be one for all the I.T. workers out there. If everyone working behind a computer donated $5 we’d have the funds in no time. Thanks! And keep watching for photos of the computers and where they end up!
One of my favourite projects to do is to help families in extreme poverty and try to make their lives a little easier. With the financial support from Bec, from Brisbane Australia, we went on the search for a family that needed immediate help. The director of a very poor school in Agustino, on the edge of Lima, Peru introduced us to Alejandra, who was from my one of the poorest families at the school. Alejandra is a 7 year old girl who lives with her mother, aunty and 77 year old grandmother. Her mother is uneducated and unemployed although occasionally works at the local markets making fresh orange juice or washing clothes. Her aunty has kidney renal failure, and needs dialysis three times a week to drain the body of fluids, toxins, and balance electrolytes, which usually your kidneys would do. She has had this condition for over 20 years and needs a kidney transplant. Alejandra’s father left when she was 3 months old and has had no contact with her since and provides no money.
The area where they live is dangerous, very poor, dirt roads, no parks, and poor water cleanliness (there is a need to boil all consumable water). Their living conditions are poor, they don’t have a bathroom, shower or running water. They share a communal bathroom/shower behind their apartment with 4 other dwellings. Their apartment has windows but no glass attached and only covered by loose material and is cold at night. They have concrete flooring, a small stove which runs off a portable gas bottle, no fridge and the beds are in terrible condition (one was an old fold-out spring bed which must have been at least 30 years old). Their rent is 200 Peruvian soles per month (US$ 75). Due to the unemployment of Alejandra’s mother and the medical problems of Alejandra’s aunty and the age of the grandmother, they struggle week-to-week and it was very evident in their living conditions and lack of food.
Alejandra has few books, and they are mostly toddlers’ jigsaw books with missing pieces. When asked what she would like most she said food after hearing her mother say the same, but when pressed she teared up a little and mentioned toys because she only has the soft fluffy toys she has had since being a baby. She mostly wore the same old clothes on various different meetings and there wasn’t a lot of food in the house. The director of the school told me Alejandra is a keen student, extremely well behaved but behind the level of the other kids, particularly in mathematics (probably due to her mother being unable to help her with homework due to her own poor education level). Personally I was struck by the sweet nature of Alejandra and how happy she seems to be regardless of their financial situation.
Our initial concern for Alejandra and her family was their lack of food. On Sunday 29 July we delivered various foods, rice, beans, sugar, washing powder, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cereal, cooking oil, etc. In August we also delivered some gifts for Alejandra…much needed clothes, books, some educational games and toys and a set of dolls. We set up weekly tutoring for Alejandra to help improve her level. We also want to help her mother to be more self-sufficient and be able to provide for her family. We are discussing the possibility of providing a small portable cooker for her to sell hamburgers and snacks in front of the school or in the markets.
Sadly Alejandra’s case is not unusual in Peru. For so many families it is a daily struggle to survive. We really need to be thankful for having clean water, for having food and receiving a good education. A big thank you to Bec and her friends in Australia for wanting to make a difference to a poor family here and donating money to make this possible. We’ll keep you posted on Alejandra’s tutoring and school results! We want to help out as many families as possibly, particularly coming up to Christmas. If you are able to help us continue with these incredibly important projects please send us a donation, and remember every dollar counts! You can also specify exactly what you would like to do with your donation. Sometimes people want to buy food for Westfalia Orphanage, clothes or shoes for the poor, etc.
Thanks for keeping track of what we’re up to! As always, feel free to share this on Facebook or email your friend to try and spread the word. Thanks!
Can you spot the difference below?
Well in case you can’t, the stove on the left was 20 years old, 4 of the 6 burners didn’t function and had to be disconnected due to gas leaks and was just an all-round dangerous appliance to have around the almost 100 children of the orphanage. With the help of donations we were able to replace it with a new stove and a whole set of pots and pans to replace the old blackened ones that were bent out of shape, broken or had handles missing thereby making them extremely dangerous.
As you can see from the photos above, there was a lot of interest in the installation of the new stove. This new stove means the kitchen can now operate with all 6 burners. The old stove only had 2 functioning burners making it very difficult to provide meals for the almost 100 children of Westfalia Orphanage. It also means a level of safety the old stove with its leaks couldn’t provide.
The pictures above are some of the new pots and pans that were purchased to replace the old, broken or dangerous ones. As always, a big thank you to those that donated. Like this new stove project, or the clean water project which provided clean, bacteria-free water for the first time in the 22 years of Westfalia Orphanage’s existence, the repairing of the dozens of broken windows at the orphanage, ongoing English classes, new dance classes, or the regular food and supplies provided to the rural poor like the kids of Westfalia, we have many projects waiting to happen and just need the financial support to make them happen. If you are able to help, please send a donation. And remember, 100% of donations go toward the projects. Nobody receives any kind of salary. This was my goal is creating sonrisas, to provide a fair, easy way to get help from you to the people that need it the most, like the kids of the Huerta Village school in rural Peru shown in the photo below which was the very first project for sonrisasenperu . No salaries, no company cars, no hotels and conferences. Just feet on the ground. So rest assured your money is working hard.
If you aren’t financially able to help please spread the word and tell your friends and family about www.sonrisasenperu.org. Share this post on your social media or forward the email. Thank you for your support and helping to make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves. Scott Jeppesen
Westfalia Orphanage is a non-government rural orphanage on the outskirts of Lima, Peru and home to around 100 children from a few months old to 18 years old. Receiving only a monthly quota of rice from the government the orphanage struggles to care for these children from all kinds of backgrounds, physical, sexual abuse, abandonment, street kids or simply where their families cannot afford to feed and take care of them. With your support we recently helped provide a clean drinking water system for the kids. Previously they were using the contaminated local river water for drinking, bathing and washing with. Now they need our help once again.
The kitchen stove pictured above has served the orphanage since it began 20 years and is now well overdue for a replacement. The stove initially had 6 burners, of which only 2 presently work. The other 4 have malfunctioned, including gas leaks, to the point where they had to be removed. This industrial stove is the only means of cooking for the 100 children and over 20 carers and uses huge pots that hold around 200 litres (50 gallons). Cooking in a regular home for a family would be difficult with only 2 functioning cookers, so cooking for well over 100 people with only 2 is almost impossible. Not to mention the safety concern with such an old stove with a history of gas leaks.
The quote for a replacement stove (the same commercial brand as the existing stove) is US $1,150 (or S/3000 Peruvian Soles). There is also a need to replace the small pots used to carry food to the individual seven houses. The current pots are often missing handles, have leaks and are in a terrible condition. So we are hoping to raise a total of US $1,500.
If you would like to help, please send a donation. If you aren’t financially able to help, you could help spread the word and tell your friends and family about www.sonrisasenperu.org. Share this post on your social media or forward the email. Thank you for your support and helping to make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves.
English classes have started again at Westfalia Orphanage! A huge thanks to Alex and Business Links institute in Lima for donating all the English texts for the children. A big thanks also goes out to the teachers at Business Links who donate their Saturdays to go all the way to Cieneguilla to teach the children (over 90 minutes each way by public transport!).
Two classes run concurrently and we have different teachers come each week to give the kids a better learning experience and to allow them to hear different accents (sadly we only have one Australian representative to teach them the real way to speak!).
The kids love the classes and it’s also a great way to teach them a skill and give them an edge when it comes time to look for work amongst the almost 9 million people in Lima, Peru.
