The Sacred Valley Project
Who are we?
The Sacred Valley Project began in order to provide a dormitory and education center that nurtures and supports indigenous girls in their endeavor to access school, and adapt to the culture of an urban area, Spanish speaking schools, and academic struggles as the result of poor primary education.
What do we do?
The mission of the Sacred Valley Project is to provide boarding and supplementary education for young women from low income families in remote areas of the Andes so that they can continue and complete their secondary education.
The Sacred Valley Project addresses the need for better access to secondary school for Quechua girls from rural Andean communities by removing the barrier of a long and unsafe journey. On top of this, the dormitory is intended to be more than just a living space. It is a place of community and growth, in which the girls learn to set goals and achieve them in a warm and positive environment. The direct beneficiaries of our program are the girls in the program, however SVP strives to equip the girls with skills that will ultimately affect their families, communities, and future children, a stronger voice in family negotiations and the ability to advocate for herself and her children.
We serve young women of indigenous background, and their families, who have minimal, if any, income and are geographically, educationally and financially marginalized. SVP accepts young women entering their first year of high school and supports them throughout their secondary education. All of the girls invited to live in the dormitory demonstrate a strong desire to complete high school and the potential to pursue a technical or university degree.
How will funds raised be used?
With this project, we aim to expand our reach outside of the Sacred Valley to provide access to education for deserving girls from approximately 30 new communities. Located in Marcapata, Peru, I would like to build a new dormitory and education center that will provide a nurturing home, safe place to study, after school tutoring, language transition for Quechua speaking girls, and leadership workshops for more girls in Peru who have the drive and the perseverance to succeed academically but lack the access to do so.
This new education center will house 20 girls and provide additional tutoring space to accept 10-15 after school students. The girls will access the local secondary school, and return to the dormitory in the evenings for academic support and mentorship. Some may live close enough to walk home on Fridays to spend the weekend at home, and others will be welcome to stay over the weekends and return on home longer school holidays depending on the distance to their communities from Marcapata.
This new project will include the following amenities on the property:
- 5 shared bedrooms for students placed in the interior of the house to be entered from the inside rather than opening to the garden to allow for a safe and private area
- Two bedrooms for the house mothers
- Two dorm style bathrooms
- Large living space divided into three parts (living, study and dining spaces).
- The land is also large enough to provide ample space for a vegetable garden to supplement food costs, a space for games and outdoor activities as well as a laundry washing area.
-SVP plans to use adobe style building in order to utilize the most sustainable and resource friendly building method possible for this area of Peru.
Girls housed at our new site will be able to further their education thanks to help trough the Global Awareness Program (GAP) provided by our partner, She’s the First. Through online forums, workshops, writing assignments, readings and community projects, this program shows girls that they are not alone. The GAP program creates awareness that there is a whole world out there of girls who know they deserve this chance and are working hard to achieve their dreams.
How can you help?
Your contribution to this camp will help not only girls access school, mentorship and academic support, but also the global community of girls who are fighting for their chance at an education. We understand that not all are in the position to donate, but we would be grateful if you could share our mission with your friends, family, and communities. Thank you!
This project is supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance.
Your donation to benefit this campaign/project will be allocated to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund (“GOA Fund”), a project of GoFundMe.org (a U.S. public charity). The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund may grant a refund in limited circumstances at its sole and absolute discretion, however, donations are not refundable after the GoFundMe payment platform has transferred your donation to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund. Transfers from GoFundMe to Girls Opportunity Alliance fund typically occur once monthly. All donations are subject to the variance power of GoFundMe.org, as stated in the applicable GoFundMe.org policies. Subject to applicable law, donations may be tax-deductible.
The GOA Fund is restricted to supporting girls' education and your donation is made for the support of the above described project. Notwithstanding that the campaign description may name a specific organization that is anticipated to engage in the projects, GoFundMe.org retains variance power, that is, discretion and control over how funds are disbursed within the purposes of the GOA Fund generally, and within the purpose of the project specifically. For example, if the project does not reach its minimum fundraising goal, GoFundMe.org may re-assign money raised to another campaign within the GOA Fund.
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