A project that looked into the complex world of education as international aid. We worked directly with various Non-profits supporting marginalized communities in different environments in Peru; rural, urban and jungle, and looked at the positive and negative effects of a variety of educational frameworks on cultures, socioeconomics and community.

 

Reel 1: The Girls

 

Reel 2: The Educators

Clips from interviews discussing the meaning of education


Introduction to Centro Yanapanakusun

Education is at the forefront of the battle against poverty, subjugation and abuse. By giving women and children the tools they need to become self-reliant members of their societies they will lead the path to a world of equality and hope. With education they not only gain the power of knowledge but the ability to provide for themselves thereby freeing them up from the hands of oppression. It is only by empowerment that we will attain change. But what is Education?

Education itself posses many challenges and if applied erroneously can create more damage than benefits for a village and culture. Part of our mission, through this documentary is to get to the heart of what education is and what it means: What have been the most successful applications and the worst failures, what methods work where, and what does education encompass. We know that education helps level the playing field for the oppressed, it gives opportunities and delivers one of the most important commodities: Dreams. These people live in circumstances where hope and dreams are scarce and not given a chance to bloom: without dreams we won’t get far.

Regardless of the challenges of intervention and the difficulties of delivering the right education we believe that it is our best mechanism for change. It is only through education that people stop being victims and are able to take their own fate into their hands. Educate one person and change a household. Educate a dozen and change a community, educate a nation and we change the world.

THE FACTS:


We are working with two charities in Peru who place education at the forefront of their missions to help children under two very different circumstances. Each believes that through education, inspiring confidence and by giving children a voice, they empower them to change their own destinies. Child labor currently reaches 31% of the population under 15 in Peru, one of the highest rates in Latin America. By giving children the tools they need to be active members in today's society, CEDEC and Centro Yanapanaksun ensure that these children will follow their own choices in life, not those dictated by a situation of exploitation.

“Children work because their survival and that of their families depend on it, and in some cases, because unscrupulous adults take advantage of their vulnerability. Child labour is also due to weaknesses in education systems and is deeply rooted in cultural and social attitudes and traditions. The problem is further compounded by the fact that child labour remains hidden from public view, making the problem seem less of a priority.” (International Labour Organisation (ILO) Caribbean Website 2006).