The social-economic situation of the respective families is poor and at risk with urgent character due to
- Unemployment or a lack of employment
- Insufficient Education
- Malnutrition & AlcoholismLack of Hygiene and
- Environmental contamination
Sembrando Semillas con Yoga (SSCY) addresses the regional problems and issues that result from factors of economy, health, education and ecology.
1. Economy
UNEMPLOYMENT and poverty are very important topics in this Andean country. According to the census of population 1993, of approximately 22 million people more than 12 million live in conditions of poverty. More than 6 million Peruvians live in extreme poverty, that means their needs of nourishment are not satisfied (INEI, 1994b). Essentially, family revenues do not cover the basic expenses of food. According to CUANTO, 1996, of every five persons in the country, one suffers hunger. The poorest are located in the rural areas (rural communities and native communities).
Our students and their parents find themselves in difficult economic situations. Most of the fathers do not have a secure and steady work placement, but live by occasional work or are not able to find work at all. Many dedicate themselves to agriculture offering them low incomes and long work hours. Regarding the mothers, they mostly are sellers of sweets, beverages or meals, or dedicate themselves exclusively to the household. This situation does not permit them paying for an adequate education as high level educational institutions are private and expensive. What is left as an opportunity are the public state schools, which offer only limited education, and because of insufficiently trained teachers, this education often turns out destructive (referring to physical maltreatment, verbal insults etc.) making the child a traumatized, insecure person with low self esteem.
SSCY supports children of parents in those difficult conditions providing them a wider range of possibilities through our creative educational model based on non-violent principles.
2. Health
Peruvians start consuming ALCOHOL on average at 10 years old, two years less than in 2002 when the beginning age of consumption of alcohol was 12 years, according to the "IIIrd National survey of the Consumption of Drugs in General Population" developed by the National Commission for the Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA).
Besides the diseases that excess consumption of alcohol causes, drinking is also responsible for the destruction of many homes. In the year 2007 more than 20 thousand cases of family violence caused directly by persons in drunken conditions were registered. In Lima alone 5,800 cases of aggression happened inside home. According to statistics of the national police of Peru most of the victims are mothers. (MINSA, 2010)
In Peru one of the problems that affects health in childhood is the prevalence of MALNUTRITION. According to ENDES 2000, in Peru the rate of chronic malnutrition is 25.4 %. This is equivalent to a fourth part of the population of five-year-old children. Certain factors which contribute to the chronic malnutrition are infectious diseases, low levels of education and illiteracy among mothers. These factors are stronger in the rural areas. According to ENDES 2000, the departments most affected with major percentages of chronic malnutrition are Cajamarca, Huánuco, Cusco and Huancavelica, where more than 40 % of children suffer from chronic malnutrition. This is four times more than Metropolitan Lima, Tacna and Moquegua. (MINSA, 2010)
SSCY supports the children of parents in the respective communities who are alcohol addicts and unable to deal with their children's concerns both emotionally and physically.
As well as children who suffer from an incomplete alimentation, due to the lack of vitamins and proteins from an unbalanced diet, affecting the child's concentration, memory and intellectual capacity. The lack of hygiene in the children's homes is one of the principal causes for parasites and infectious diseases as well as stomach illness. SSCY helps children taking care of their hygienic needs, preventing illness through example and education.
3. Education
In the year 2003, 3 per cent of young men from 15 to 24 years, 6 per cent of adults from 25 to 39 years and 22 per cent of people 40 years or more were ILLITERATE. The major proportion of illiterate young men in extremely poor rural areas in the year 2003, with relation to the country in its entirety, seems to explain the considerable lack of access to the primary education for children from 6 to 11 years old. (escale.minedu.gob.pe, 2010)
As mentioned above, even if children have the chance to attend a primary school, still education seems to be insufficient. As public schools are charging for their services and school materials, it is an outstanding effort to pay to send all your children to a public school, especially in Peru, where most families have many children. SSCY offers its service to the poorest children of the respective communities and of course all service is for free.
4. Ecology
Environmental pollution is reaching such limits in the world and in Peru that human beings seem to be destined to destroy the environment wherever they live, in suicidal ways; whereas in other countries very serious measures are taken to anticipate and to control the pollution, in Peru there are only isolated actions.
A dangerous UNCONSCIOUSNESS exists with respect to the pollution of the water, the air, the soil and the food, due to the utilization of, for example: pesticides, carbon monoxides, oxides of nitrogen, lead, noise, etc. (http://www.peruecologico.com.pe, 2010)
Due to the lack of education and missing guidance of the parents the children and the people seem to have totally lost connection and respect for the environment, polluting and contaminating wherever they go on, throwing away wastes in the fields, the forests and the waters of the communities. Through classes in ECOLOGIC CONSCIOUSNESS and Gardening SSCY wants to give back the joy of taking care of the planet to the children, at a young age.
Direction:Cruz Verde Quehuapay, Cusco- PERU
e-mail: info@sembrandosemillasconyoga.org
web: www.sembrandosemillasconyoga.org
Phone: +51 984 018474