From teaching adult literacy programs to training entrepreneurs, see how CHOICE Humanitarian Peru changed lives and eradicated poverty over the last year.

In the Pampa de los Silvas community of Peru, CHOICE found that 39% of the adult population was illiterate—and among this group, 93% were female. There was a clear disparity in who was learning to read, and who was able to experience the empowerment that literacy brings. Women in the community were missing opportunities to participate in economic endeavors and community leadership because they couldn’t read or write. 

Humanitarian projects are not just about building structures and investing in the physical needs of a village; they are about investing in people. CHOICE developed a women’s literacy program and began to implement it in Pampa de los Silvas. Within just one year of beginning the program, women in the area experienced a 73% decrease in illiteracy, gaining the ability to read and write basic phrases and empowering them to have a greater say and influence in their communities. Even more exciting, 90% of the women in the community developed leadership capabilities and a sense of empowerment within that year. 

One touching example of the impact of the CHOICE women’s literacy program is Filomena Yarleuq, a 72 year old housewife who learned to read for the first time. Filomena, like many women,  was denied the opportunity to study as a child. Now she is a student of the women’s literacy program, and is elated to know how to read and write her name. 

Filomena says, “Thanks to the literacy project of CHOICE Humanitarian, today for the first time I managed to write my name, read small texts, and know what my identification document is. This makes me very excited and happy, because I never thought of achieving this, let alone at this old age. I thank CHOICE for caring so much for my community and giving us the opportunity to continue growing as people.” 

In addition to the program in Pampa de los Silvas, CHOICE Peru leads, manages, and motivates women’s groups to integrate literacy and promote unity between municipalities, the government, and CHOICE themselves. Education and empowerment of women is essential to sustainable poverty solutions, and must be an integral part of any plan to bring success and gender equity to a community.

On behalf of the staff, Board of Trustees, and the tens of thousands of villagers whose lives you have helped improve thank you for being a part of the CHOICE Humanitarian family. Together, we reached new heights in 2017, and we owe this success to you for two reasons. First, you believe that extreme poverty can and should end in our lifetime. And second, you trust that CHOICE Humanitarian is the organization best suited to achieve this goal. Quite simply, you are the reason CHOICE continues to flourish and, on behalf of the entire CHOICE team, we can't thank you enough! 2017 Impact Report 

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

How often do you take time to consider where your food comes from? Think about it -- the eggs you ate for breakfast were laid by a chicken on a farm. The salmon you’re grilling for dinner is a fish that used to swim in a body of water on the other side of the country. The chocolate milk you’re dipping your favorite cookie in was milked from a cow living somewhere in Montana. Due to an extensive supply chain, you can get all sorts of animal products from your local grocery store in the blink of an eye! Unfortunately, this is not the case for those living in rural villages around the world.

The key to ending extreme poverty is collaboration. That’s why CHOICE Peru joined forces with representatives of the Piura Regional Government and the La Arena District Municipality to create an economic self-sufficiency program to benefit the families of four villages in the district of La Arena.

Consider a life-changing moment you experienced. Who was there? What was it like? How was the course you were traveling altered? On my most recent expedition to the small community of Pampa de los Silva, Peru, I met a cohort of women whose lives were changed by a small group of ducks. 

One day isn’t enough. National Chocolate Day is only one day a year. Luckily every day you can enjoy premium chocolate from farmers in partnership with CHOICE. And when you purchase this chocolate, a portion of the profit provides these farmers access an agricultural specialist.  

On behalf of the staff, Board of Trustees, and the tens of thousands of villagers whose lives you have helped improve thank you for being a part of the CHOICE Humanitarian family. Together, we reached new heights in 2016, and we owe this success to you for two reasons. First, you believe that extreme poverty can and should end in our lifetime. And second, you trust that CHOICE Humanitarian is the organization best suited to achieve this goal. Quite simply, you are the reason CHOICE continues to flourish and, on behalf of the entire CHOICE team, we can't thank you enough. Impact highlights. 

Shipping Charity International in partnership with XPO Logistics Global Forwarding has donated a shipping container to be sent to Peru. We’d love your help filling the container!  

While the flooding in Peru has stopped, relief efforts in the region are far from finished. The CHOICE Peru team has been working with local partners to help drive, fund, and implement relief and reconstruction efforts. The CHOICE Peru team reports that the damage in the Piura is severe, with more than 800,000 people displaced and 100,000 homes destroyed. The relief efforts on the ground are struggling to provide basic relief supplies to the displaced, which are living in massive tent cities while homes are rebuilt. In these cities there is never enough shelter or food; many tents host 3 or more families, and most of the displaced people are only receiving one meal a day. 

In the past three months, heavy rain has caused severe flooding across South America. This flooding has caused extraordinary damage to towns and villages in Peru, where they have received over 60 inches of rain, overflowing rivers and destroying vital water, waste, and transportation infrastructure.  CHOICE Peru was established in 2010 working with 12 families. That number has now grown to well over 300 families.