CRS Work in Peru

Designed to transform unjust economic, political and social structures so that all Peruvians can live in dignity, Catholic Relief Services' programs focus on peacebuilding, microfinance, emergency preparedness and response, and children and youth at risk.

Peacebuilding

Sustained economic growth in Peru over the last several years has made little impact on the country's pervasive poverty. Nearly half of Peru's 28 million people still live on less than $2 per day and unemployment is rampant. Rural areas lack even basic public services, such as drinking water, electricity and public sewage. Foreign mining and other corporations profit from the country's mineral wealth, without adequate regard for the consequences to the Peruvian people. Dissatisfied Peruvians continue to migrate to the United States, or within Peru from rural to urban areas where job opportunities are still scarce and basic services lacking. In an environment of political division and economic strife, social conflicts and civil unrest are widespread.

In Peru, anything from court decisions to corruption in municipal governments to disputes over land can cause conflict. However, disputes related to extracting by mining companies and drilling for crude oil and natural gas are the most frequent cause of conflicts in communities. Unrest ignites when the gas, oil and mining industries use community lands and drain valuable water sources, yet fail to distribute a significant share of the wealth that is generated.

CRS' peacebuilding program strengthens the ability of grass-roots and community organizations to articulate their demands and promote communication between community and industry. This not only resolves mining and other conflicts before they escalate into violence, but also provides opportunities for communities to develop. Relying on a network of trained human rights and civil society advocates, CRS helps organizations participate in the public arena by encouraging dialogue among different groups, including local government and the private sector, and by promoting advocacy for policies and programs that find viable solutions to complex problems.

Microfinance 

CRS Peru spearheads an effort to strengthen the ability of microfinance institutions to serve people who would otherwise be excluded by the formal banking system. With commercial banks and other for-profit financial institutions increasingly vying for a piece of the microfinance market, traditional microfinance institutions are under pressure to watch their bottom line, grow their portfolios and function more efficiently. CRS is working to preserve the original philosophy behind the microfinance movement—to improve the lives of the world's poorest and most excluded people.

Financed in part by the Ford Foundation, the CRS-led Internal Management of Social Performance in Microfinance Organizations project is working with 10 nonprofit microfinance institutions in Peru and Nicaragua. We hope to reach more than 30 institutions in eight Latin American countries in 2009. The project helps microfinance institutions translate their social goals into practice, whether by increasing the number of poor clients or including more women. To measure the societal impact of these institutions, a series of indicators analyzes everything from staff satisfaction to the financial services they provide. In the process, CRS trains and certifies partners in each of the countries to conduct future evaluations.

Emergency Preparedness and Response  

During 2007, CRS Peru responded to flooding in the Amazon basin, extreme cold in the center and southern highlands regions, and a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the country in August of that year.

Working in partnership with Caritas Peru and the Social Action Commission of the Bishop's Conference, CRS provided emergency assistance, including food and temporary shelter, to 10,000 people in the hardest-hit areas. Peruvian parishes, schools and companies responded with generosity, ultimately allowing Caritas Peru to provide support for 55,000 of the 85,000 families left homeless in the months following the earthquake.

Today, with the more than $2.5 million from U.S. Catholics hoping to ease the suffering of the Peruvian people, CRS continues to focus on long-term necessities such as housing, community and economic rebuilding. In Ica, Pisco and Chincha, the three provinces closest to the quake's epicenter, CRS has worked with Caritas to build  temporary shelters of corrugated roofs and wooden walls. In the rural, less populated but severely impoverished highland provinces of Castrovirreyna and Yauyos, CRS is addressing economic and housing needs simultaneously by constructing earthquake-resistant houses, repairing agricultural irrigation canals, and offering basic technical and marketing skills to farming communities.

CRS and the Social Action Commission are helping the region protect against devastation from future natural disasters by working with local parishes and communities to develop emergency contingency and reconstruction plans. In addition to responding to emergencies, CRS Peru continues to invest in training for disaster mitigation techniques and in ways to strengthen communities' ability to respond effectively to emergencies.

Children and Youth at Risk

CRS' program for children and adolescents seeks to promote the dignity and rights of youth by providing resources and opportunities that foster all aspects of their development. To promote the importance of education, the program provides tutoring to working and street children, ensuring that they are able to remain in school. To improve the health of young Peruvians, CRS provides nutritional supplements and training in basic health practices. The program also features a business training component and encourages participation in a "life project," helping young people to discover their talents, and plan for the future.

Our work also focuses on advocacy for children and adolescents.  In conjunction with regional and local authorities, school and health officials, and others responsible for protecting children and adolescents, CRS supports policies that ensure respect for their rights and programs that attend to their needs.