Peru Projects: Child Leaders Project
	Over 60% of the population of the small city of Reque is aged between 13 and 30. The father is not present in one-third of families, either because of working elsewhere or through abandonment.  Many people are unemployed. The children in the Child Leaders project, run by the Parish of San Martin de Thours, are often from broken or violent homes. Some are child labourers. Most lack self-esteem and are searching for stability and hope.
	The aim of the project is to encourage the young people not only to uncover their skills and interests but also to believe in themselves and their future potential. This is done through a Saturday morning program for two concurrent groups. There are games and handicrafts for the youngest children aged 5–7, while the leadership group aged 8-14 years have a wider range of training covering values, language and literacy and different types of art, dance and handicrafts. They go on trips to places of cultural interest to gain a better understanding of their community. The young leaders’ sense of responsibility is fostered through planning and implementing activities for a large group of about 80 younger children on Saturday afternoons.
	As part of the handicraft workshops the young leaders have been making jewellery as an income-generating initiative. Although school attendance is free in northern Peru, books and uniforms are not, so to earn income from the sale of their products is quite important. Through this activity the leaders are learning economics too. They must keep track of the costs involved in making the jewellery so they can calculate a selling price that will yield a profit. In 2007 a rural component was added to the Child Leaders project. There are some 15 children aged 8 – 14 in Calera II sector, a new rural settlement located 20 km. from Reque, who are engaged in similar activities to those of their counterparts in the city.  Both sets of children have benefited from interacting with each other from time to time. The total number of children in the urban program in Reque is 48.
	Home | About Us | What We Do | What You Can Do | Events | Links | Contact Us