As students in the U.S. are returning to school, some of the youngest children in Andahuaylillas, Peru are still unable to return to their earthquake damaged classrooms. On Tuesday, April 30th, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the district of Andahuaylillas, located in the province of Quispicanchi, Cusco, causing significant damage to some of the oldest buildings in the area. Following the earthquake, over 50 subsequent aftershocks continued to impact the localities of Andahuaylillas, Huaro, Lucre and Urcos.
Reports indicated that nearly all of the adobe buildings in the area showed signs of damage. Even the Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas, often referred to as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Americas’, which was built by the Jesuits from 1570 to 1606, was affected.
In the weeks after the earthquake, the INDECI (National Institute of Civil Defense) declared the San Ignacio de Loyola school, part of the regional Fe y Alegría No. 44 network, unsafe for use until essential repairs were completed. Tragically, the preschool classrooms were the most severely damaged. Broken glass covered the floors, and questions remained about structural integrity of the old adobe buildings at the school.
Teachers continue to educate despite challenges.
Since early May, dedicated teachers and staff have been ensuring that learning continues, and that children and families receive the support they need. In addition to the material damage to the community, students and families also struggle to cope with the emotional stress of their situation, especially those families whose houses have been declared uninhabitable. The community has drawn together since early May to support these families and the Fe y Alegría staff and teachers have worked to care for and educate their students despite the damages to the school.
The San Ignacio de Loyola school provides educational services to a total of 848 children and adolescents, 52.8% of whom are girls, of whom 162 are boys and girls attending the 3, 4 and 5 year old kindergarten level. Students have gradually returned to the school, using undamaged buildings when possible as repairs progress, while the remaining continue their education remotely.
However, repairs to the buildings and the grounds of the San Ignacio de Loyola school are still needed before the school can return to its full capacity.
How we are helping.
In the wake of the earthquake, American Jesuits International has been working with Fe y Alegría Peru to apply for emergency grants and secure private donations to help repair the school. For many years the Jesuit Volunteer Corps sent international volunteers to Andahuaylillas and this community of “FJV’s” (Former Jesuit Volunteers) quickly responded to the requests for support. Including the $1,177 that the FJV community helped raise in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, American Jesuits International has secured over $31,000 for San Ignacio de Loyola school. An additional $13,500 emergency response grant has also been submitted to a family foundation which, if approved, would bring the total support to over $44,000.
Earlier this month all available funds were distributed to Fe y Alegría Peru and repairs for the preschool classrooms are being prioritized. The work is projected to take up to three months, but the school already looks forward to getting all the students back to school as soon as their buildings are safe.
Thank you!
On behalf of Fe y Alegría Peru, we want to express our deep gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this response. While it often takes a long time for communities to recover from natural disasters like earthquakes, we are committed to standing in solidarity throughout the process. We look forward to seeing the San Ignacio de Loyola school full of joy and excitement very soon.
