In Quechua, chapi means "here" and in Spanish casa means "home." All too often small children in Peru have no home. Quechua Benefit aims to change this reality.
For twelve years Quechua Benefit has observed and identified the need: hunger, lack of shelter and available education, affordable medical and dental services, clothing—a never-ending flood of need. The charity has been looking for a successful model, a way to create hope, a permanent solution. The search led us to Jean Bouquet and his wife, Swiss educator Silvia Fischer, who operate a children's home called Allin Kawasi.
Allin Kawasi is unique. The residents are half boys and half girls. There are greenhouses to grow vegetables, and sheds full of chickens, rabbits, cuy, and pigs. A trout hatchery generates cash flow. the Allin Kawasi community feeds itself and earns needed funds from selling produce and trout at the local market. They are immersed in cultural values that emphasize mutual respect, self sufficiency, self esteem, and education. Each child is encouraged to embrace continuing education beyond high school and to learn a trade or profession. The home is owned by a foundation that oversees the development of the children when they live in the home but also after they leave. Students that go to Arequipa for higher education are given a total of $1,500 in small amounts over time. This money helps them and creates an easier transition into world outside the home.
The staff at Allin Kawasi is much larger than similar facilities and trained to instill values that encourage each child to live out those values in a culturally appropriate manner. Jean and Silvia also train teachers at the schools their children attend, as well as passing on their methods to parents and other students and teachers from the broader Coaza community. Every Tuesday night the children are encouraged to talk about and deal with their problems in a group therapy environment. Quechua Benefit plans to implement a similar program at Casa Chapi. In recent years, their ministry to prevent family violence has spread across other highland communities. Their success is evident in the lives of the children who have lived and graduated from Allin Kawasi. Many have gone to Arequipa or Juliaca for higher education, and many have broken the cycle of family violence and poverty to become stable, productive parents and valuable members of their communities. The facility has been thriving for more than ten years.
The model in Kawasy can be replicated for our new project, Casa Chapi, as well as other future Quechua Benefit projects. The investment is not prohibitive and the dividends can compound through future generations. The key to success is leadership. Jean and Silvia have agreed to help train staff, consult on the operation of Casa Chapi, and assist with the creation of appropriate child development programs at the facility. With twelve years on the ground and with the continued support and open hearts of alpaca breeders, Quechua Benefit can build Casa Chapi and permanently change young lives for the better.
