Chicuchas Wasi

Chicuchas Wasi Alternative School for indigenous girls in Cusco, Peru aims to prepare and educate poor girls, who would otherwise not go to school, to become future leaders for social change, to end gender inequality, female abuse and child abandonment. CW is more than a free primary grade school, we are confronting the deep-seated belief that girls are inferior to boys and destined to suffer from human rights violations of hunger, poverty, rape, beatings, and inability to provide for their children if single, because they are women, and need a man to provide for them. Women believe that they have no power to make decisions to change the inequality that keeps them impoverished and silenced. To change these beliefs is difficult, but the CW Peruvian teachers have created an enriching, successful CW school curriculum for our special students, including parent classes, all moving in the direction of social change. CW staff is trained to notice child abuse and and report to the director so it will be addressed. We have 100 students enrolled and we are making change slowly.