Background
Arequipa, called the pride of Peru and rich in Spanish colonial history, is located on the western slopes of the Andes at an altitude of 7,200 feet. Like many major third-world cities, Arequipa has an influx of migratory masses trudging in from the countryside in search of a better way of life. In Peru’s unique political context, they also sought to escape the fear of death at the hands of Shining Path terrorists from the 1980’s through to the mid 1990’s.
What the migrants saw from afar as a place of hope has turned into a place of great hardship for many. Arequipa is collapsing under its ever-increasing population and poor economy. While the economy is improving due to the mining industry, families are still struggling to survive, and family units are still in danger. The emotional strains of parents dealing with heavy burdens are overwhelming. Those who suffer most are thousands of Peru’s children who are morally, spiritually and physically abandoned and/or exploited. Girls are the most vulnerable when left exposed to the negative elements of their societies.
An authority working on behalf of children-at-risk in Arequipa asked Rick Daviscourt, of Restoring Hope International, and Pastor Dario Quintana, a local pastor, to focus on the needs of young girls in the Arequipa region. Our facility is under construction and will house up to 50 girls.
The Bible refers to God as a Strong Tower. The Strong Tower (Torre Fuerte) Home is giving shelter to girls coming from the family and juvenile court institutions, and sometimes even left by parents and grandparents who are unable to care for their girls.
These children need each of us to stand in the gap for them. The economic troubles of Peru make it practically impossible for either its government or its citizens to adequately offset the costs of running a children’s home. You can help secure the future of these girls by investing in their lives through your prayers, personal support, networking and financial gifts. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be involved in restoring these young lives.
Project Profile
Our goals are 1) to show the girls in the Strong Tower Home the love of Christ 2) give them the opportunity to be transformed spiritually, physically and emotionally in a safe setting and 3) if possible, to help reunite them with their families.
The healing process will incorporate several methods:
- Spiritual care and development that teaches them their personal value to God
- Counseling
- Teaching them love, respect, and honor toward one another and their fellow man
- Discipline that excludes corporal punishment, humiliation, or anything else that may be construed as abusive
- Education
Torre Fuerte is a large project that opened its doors in May of 2004. We are giving round-the-clock care to nearly 50 girls ranging from 3-20 years of age. It requires a collective effort in order to feed, clothe, and house our girls along with the ongoing building and maintaining of a quality facility. The financial and human costs to provide a program of healing and care for each girl through completion of her studies and independence are substantial. The restoration of young lives will be the hope for Peru's future and will yield treasures for eternity.
