As a former resident and House Manager of the Cosmopolitan Club, I have helped multiple times in every Thanksgiving Dinner organized by the Club while living in the house. Needless to say, I have immensely enjoyed being part of every dinner. During that period I was a graduate student at the University of Illinois and didn’t have much time (I have less time now though!) to propose and/or organize a Thanksgiving project. But the idea of helping my homeland some day stayed in my mind. In particular, helping those of us that came to this world in an underprivileged environment.
This year the Cosmopolitan Club is donating all the proceeds of the Thanksgiving Benefit Dinner to help buy educational tools for Institución Educativa Inicial N°523, a public kindergarten located in a shantytown called José Carlos Mariategui in the city of Villa María del Triunfo, a marginal suburb of Lima , Peru .
Peru is a multicultural society, both ethnically and linguistically. Unfortunately, this diversity, far from being a source of enrichment, is the cause of exclusion and discrimination. More than half the population of Peru live below the poverty line, that is, they subsist on 1 dollar a day. Of the 3.8 million people (about 14% of the total population) living in extreme poverty, 2.1 million are children. Public education in general is poor and limited by the lack of funds from the government. This situation is even worse for kindergartens that are situated in shantytowns. These public schools typically do not have sufficient books or teaching aids to provide a good education for the children. The children that attend these schools come from families with very poor socioeconomic conditions. For many of these children the school is their only place for enjoyment.
During my last visit to Peru my sister and I spent several days visiting public kindergartens in Lima in order to identify one that we could help. We spent a lot of time talking with the children and the teachers of each kindergarten we visited. Although all of the public kindergartens in Lima are in great need, we chose Institución Educativa Inicial N°523 for three reasons: 1) it serves approximately 320 children in two shifts during the day, 2) the educational tools were minimal, and 3) the admirable dedication and hard work of the teachers. Mrs. Cabrera, the principal of this kindergarten, explained to us that the teachers not only spend time with the children but also have to spend time with their parents in order to convince them of the importance of education at this early age.
Teaching aids and books are expensive in Peru . All the money collected with the Cosmo Thanksgiving Dinner will be carefully and wisely spent on books and educational tools for this kindergarten. Since Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and a holiday to share with others, this will be an excellent opportunity to help those who do not have the abundant resources we often take for granted. This year our Thanksgiving project will enable us to send a wonderful Christmas present to a group of children who are striving to learn and become future contributors to their community, country, and world.
We thank all of you who have already donated money for the project and food for the December 5 dinner, and also those who bought tickets for the dinner. Your contributions are going to a worthy cause in Peru .
