We are slowly but surely making progress on our very first Wawa Wasi daycare center in Lima, Peru, thanks to the help of MEDLIFE chapters and supporters around the world! So far, the project is about 30% complete, but the environmental hazards of the area make this project a complicated one.

Working together, community members have dug 7 meters deep at the project site in order to reach solid ground and give the Wawa Wasi a safe foundation. They’ve also installed an iron framework in order to keep the ground from sliding and bringing down nearby houses with it. Rainy conditions this time of year can mean delays in construction, when it’s not safe to traverse the muddy hills.

As planned in previous meetings between MEDLIFE and community leaders, local residents are doing their part by providing manual labor free of charge. Because they work during the week, these men and women take time each weekend to organize work days devoted to building the Wawa Wasi for their children. A portion of the funds raised for the Wawa Wasi will go to safety gear like helmets, glasses and gloves, so that they can continue to work without fear of injury.

The Wawa Wasi will be fully equipped to serve about 30 preschool-age children, with sanitary bathrooms, a classroom, and a nap area. It will provide a safe place for parents to leave their children while they work during the day, and create jobs for local women. Once construction is complete, the Wawa Wasi will operate in accordance with a program created by UNICEF and the Peruvian government, with a curriculum that includes important basic hygiene and nutrition education for both children and their families.

Your donations to the MEDLIFE Project Fund will help us obtain the materials we need to finish the Wawa Wasi! Stay tuned for updates about both the Wawa Wasi and MEDLIFE’s potable water project happening now in Unión Santa Fé.