Dear Columban Friends,
Anyone who owns their own home is familiar with the ongoing demands of maintaining it, as well as the necessity of renovating it every decade or so in response to changing circumstances within their family, or simply to rectify the wear and tear wrought by time.
During these past twenty-eight years, the Children’s Home in Lima, Peru, has undergone annual maintenance, as well as a few major renovations, to become more suitable and responsive to the needs of the children in the surrounding, poor community. Now as the Home begins to actively prepare for its 30th anniversary, it is preparing for another extensive renovation which is estimated to cost $ 54,000 (U.S. dollars).
The large and colorful Children’s Home today looks nothing like the shabby building on a rocky hillside that Columban Fr. Tony Coney bought in 1996. “Over the years, it has changed and developed in ways that I could never have imagined,” Fr. Tony reminisces. “It started out as a response to the urgent need of local children to have a safe place to play, and to get help with their homework. Then, as the number of children grew and grew, the house was extended again. The size of the current building is at least ten times that of the original! And as the number of children coming here daily grew from about 40 to around 400, so did the range of activities that were made available to them, from crafts to computers, from dance to drama. Our most recent addition has been a gymnasium with all sorts of equipment for physical exercise, which the teenagers really enjoy.”
However, as the size of the building, the number of children, and the variety of activities multiplied, so also did the number of staff required to ensure a safe, caring and supportive environment. At present, 25 workers - including specialists in areas such as child psychology, safeguarding, and speech development - are employed, at a total annual cost of $180,000. “While our benefactors in other parts of the world are faithful in helping us cover a large part of these annual expenses, the local people are also very supportive,” Fr. Tony emphasizes.
“In July of each year we hold a large, outdoor festival with traditional music and dances, a raffle, children's games, pony rides, food stalls, and so much else. It is both a fun day for families and a major fundraising event. Many of the people who attend it are parents who recall the enjoyment they experienced at the Children's Home 15 or 25 years ago, and who now want to help form similar, happy memories for their own children. They understand, therefore, just how important it is to support the Children’s Home.”
While Fr. Tony relies on many faithful supporters – both locally and internationally – to cover the annual expenses associated with running the Children’s Home, he is now faced with the challenge of overseeing major renovation work - and securing the necessary funds to cover it.
“The sole purpose of the renovations will be to ensure that the children who come here daily can participate in various activities in a safe, comfortable and nurturing environment.”
Any assistance you might be able to offer Fr. Tony and the poor children of Peru will be greatly appreciated. Please know that you are remembered gratefully in our Masses and prayers.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
Fr. Al Utzig | Director, U.S. Region
The Missionary Society of St. Columban is entrusted by the Holy Father with part of the Church’s mission to spread the Faith and saving work of Christ.” (Vat.II) The Society works under the guidance of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and under the leadership of the bishops. We are listed in the U.S. Official Catholic Directory published annually by P.J. Kennedy and Sons. As such, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service recognizes us as a religious not-for-profit corporation, therefore contributions to our work are tax deductible. We employ no outside professional fund-raisers and pay no commissions.
