Dr. Chuck and the Wyoming Group is Here
People of Peru Project Sends More Kids to School
The world Ends for 150 Families
Phil Murray
&
Life View Productions
Click this link to watch the movie trailer
A new friend of the organization, Phil Murray, came to visit People of Peru Project a short time ago and he had these kind words to say, but first I will say, "Thank you so much Phil, for having the sensitivity and vision to capture the essence of what strive to accomplish in Iquitos."
"Currently I am working on an upcoming film about the People of Peru Project. In early November I spent a week in Iquitos, Peru — a city of about 500,000 people on the Amazon River, in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest — Paul Opp, the founder of the People of Peru Project, and an incredible group of volunteers are working to make the lives of some of the country’s poorest, better. In just a few days with them, I saw a deep commitment to helping others that I have rarely seen in my life."
Dr. Ashley Vanderloop Returns
October 29, 2012
Dr. Vanderloop, well-known orthopedic doctor, returned to Iquitos once again, and this time on her own honeymoon! Ashley and her new husband Travis are here for three days before they are whisked off to Cusco to celebrate their new marriage. However, before they leave, Dr. Vanderloop will be performing an entire day of surgeries for anyone who needs immediate orthopedic attention. There is no cost for these surgeries and Dr. Vanderloop has a reputation that speaks for itself. She has been in Iquitos before and performed orthopedic work on patients all over Iquitos. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of work she will do this time around.
See Dr. Ashley Vanderloop’s work on our Facebook album “Dr. Ashley Returns.”
Dr. Fillman Begins Dental Clinics
October 22, 2012
Dr. Dianne Fillman, a regular volunteer, has come again. She is here for a total of five weeks and so far has pulled more teeth than most dentists do in a month. She is relieving so many people of their pain and for that they are greatly thankful. She has also been training our nurses, mechanics, and dental students so they are able to help out in the clinic. Dr. Fillman is currently holding daily clinics (Monday through Friday) for anyone to come who needs dental assistance. Our volunteers are normally in the local clinic owned by the organization but they have also traveled down to Lower Belen to work. Dr. Fillman will continue to have the daily clinics up until her departure, which is the 16th of November. After that, the clinic will still be open, just not everyday.
View the progress of the clinics here.
New Directors and Their Family Finally Arrives
October 17, 2012
Our prayers have been answered. The Walker family has finally arrived from the Scotland and has hit the ground running. Michael Walker, the father, will be taking over Paul’s role, working as the overall director. His wife Molly will become the new director of the university girls. She will be in charge of running the new university program, fulfilling all the girls’ needs, tutoring, scheduling, delegating, and so much more!
Their oldest daughter, Ellisha, comes to us with many years of being a practiced dental assistant. She has currently been helping out in our Dental clinic with other volunteers that are here. She will eventually be helping run the clinic along with a couple other nurses. The youngest daughter Zipporah has a love for children and will be helping with the tutoring and disciplinary of our two young kids. Finally, the two sons, Tyrece and Tyrone, will continue their homeschooling here in the office and have already become great companions for our children.
We are so excited for this new family to be here and for the all the new events that are taking place at People of Peru Project. All of these changes are prayers being answered from many years ago. God is moving mountains everyday here in Iquitos!
See our Facebook album, “The New Directors Arrive”
University Girls Move to their New Home!
October 15, 2012
After many months of construction and preparation, our university girls were finally able to move in to the new dorms in the San Juan office. The girls spent all morning packing up all their belongings, which we loaded up into the back of the truck and brought them to their new home. For the first time in at least five years, our girls left their home at Poppys House to begin their new life as young adults.
There are currently four sponsored girls living in our San Juan facility, two of which have kids of their own. Each one of these girls is regularly attending their university classes and also working here at the office. This new dormitory has been a goal of the organizations for many years and it is finally being accomplished. Our older girls are finally able to have more freedom and responsibility, which will aid in the process of them learning how to become successful, responsible, mature adults.
To view photos of the moving process and the new dorms, click here.
The Rescue Continues
October 10, 2012
Our family from the last house in Belen has vanished. The house is still there but it is completely abandoned. There have been a few sightings of the oldest son and daughter working on the streets but we have not been able to locate where the family is currently living. Our workers are constantly searching for them, following different leads from strangers who claim they have seen the son. However, so far, every single sighting has lead to a dead end.
We have the court papers, we have the documentation, but we do not have the girls. As soon as they are found, they will be taken straight to the judge, who is waiting to make a ruling. The search continues to find our little girls from the last house in Belen.
Patch Adams Comes to Belen
Yes, it is the same clown doctor as in the movie Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams. Patch comes to Iquitos every year, along with 100 plus clowns. Their objective is to create social change by interacting with children and families in school, communities and social settings.
Encouraging children to look beyond their current life circumstances and aspiring to finish school, avoid drugs, alcohol and unwanted pregnancies is a theme that you will hear repeated often with Patch and his army of humorists.
Please view our album “Patch Adams Invades Belen” to see their work.
A Rescue in Progress
July 24, 2012
The fight has started. The gloves have come off and the claws are extended. This family started out in our transitional house and all the children were enrolled in school. We never could motivate the parents to even look for work so after almost two years of trying, we had to give someone else a chance in the program. Now, we are going round two in an attempt to provide an education and better life for the kids. The two little girls who are forced to beg on the streets and dig through garbage for their PARENTS support, were scheduled to arrive at our facility yesterday. After two hours of negotiating we left with one girl, 12-year-old Veladia, and her father. The first stop was the office. Nitsy and Leo, showered and shampooed and scrubbed, then dressed her in the first new clothes of her life.
Veladia was well received by the other children at POPPYS house. Most of them can relate all too well and the gentleness and compassion was overwhelming. Veladia spent the first day of her life, playing with children, sitting at a table and eating two full meals (she missed breakfast) and folding her new clothes and putting them in a closet that was all her own. The girls and staff had welcome posters in her room and recent photos of her family hanging on the wall on her side of the room. It was a glad and glorious day until the parents showed up and took her back to the dank dark house surrounded by human waste and rotting garbage.
Adults and children cried, some of us just started preparing for the fight. These kids, God willing, will live with us shortly. We need your prayers and more importantly, these little girls need your prayers.
Please see the album "Last House in Belen" for the rest of the story. (This story is far from over)
We're Surrounded
March 2012
We are surrounded! The flood victims are on one side, the girls in our crisis center on another. Finishing the circle are abused women who have nowhere to go and children that are hungry for an education. Mothers bring babies that are so thin, filled with parasites and weak, which often it is too late. An enemy of poverty and ignorance engulfs us. This gives us the perfect position to be effective.
We are out of ammunition but you are the cavalry. If we die here our usefulness is finished but you can wage war on this enemy by keeping us alive. There is an organization in them middle of the Amazon Jungle that is waiting to see your banner appear on the horizon. People of Peru Project needs your support right now.
To see the flood damage of our facility, click here to view the photos on Facebook.