Philanthropic Club - “Knitting Hope” towards a prosperous future
The Philanthropic Club organised a casual event at “El Destino” on Wednesday 26th of September to raise funds to help an NGO called Mision Huascaran. It managed to raise a total of 700 Euros which have been given to a sub project called “Knitting Hope”.
Peru, did you think about a lush green rain forest when you read that word? Or did you picture the beautiful Andean mountains, with the challenging Inca trail and a world wonder? Or was it the pacific coast that you imagined? The beauty of Peru comes from its diversity, not only in its landscapes but also in its culture. However, with this diversity also comes inequality. Peru is home to 31 million individuals, some who live lavishly and others who live in extreme poverty. The socioeconomic inequality existing in Peru is dreadful. Close to the Andes mountains one finds city´s where individuals lack even the most basic of needs.
The individuals in the Andes do not know what else is out there, as their knowledge is limited to that of their own reality. The life of many who live near the Andes revolves around working the lands surrounding their houses and then selling it to large companies. Many of the children are forced to work in these fields every morning before walking an average of two hours to reach their schools. Their education is very constrained, and their opportunities close to null. Many initiatives have strived to decrease this existing gap in equality amongst socio-economic sectors in Peru, and many have succeeded in changing the lifestyle of these individuals in need.
A small group of altruistic individuals alongside a Catholic congregation, Avanzada Católica, decided to provide aid to the people in these areas. Misión Huascaran is an NGO that was formed in 2015 to help raise awareness about the living conditions of these individuals. One of the sub projects it has is called “Tejiendo Esperanza” (Knitting Hope), this project focuses on empowering women to try and fight back against the chauvinistic stereotype that is predominant in these lands.
“Tejiendo Esperanza” (“Knitting Hope”) gives the women located in the Andes the tools necessary to make hats, which are, wool, knitting sticks, pompoms and patches. They then carry out seminars where they instruct them as to how to knit more effective and efficiently. Once they have knitted the hats, the NGO takes them back to Lima where they are in charge of selling them. The money is then given to these women. The inspiring mission that this NGO has is to empower these women by improving their already existing knitting skills and using them to help them get their own income. This income gives them economic independence whilst at the same time showing them that they are capable of doing more than what tradition dictates.
On Wednesday night, people from first to fifth year arrived with an enthusiastic and lively attitude to have a drink and share some time with their peers at Destino within “la calle de los bares”. Most of them were not completely aware as of where their money was going, but gladly enough they were not shy to ask. “I’m glad the university provides such a platform to be able to raise funds towards much needed causes such as this one” said Gilles de Trazegnies, a first year Peruvian BBA student.
In one night, the Philanthropic Club managed to change the lives of approximately 20 women. We gave them economic independence, providing the tools so they can build themselves a better future.
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