By Jenny Byrne | Fundraising Team
Last month, we returned to Monterrico de Angoteros (or simply, “Angoteros”), to offer our Pathways workshops and start sharing information about the government’s post-secondary scholarship programme, “Beca 18”.
Closer to the borders with Ecuador and Colombia than it is to Iquitos, Angoteros is the epitome of a remote Amazonian settlement. It’s a 2- to 3- day boat journey from Iquitos (the nearest city) and is so isolated that even the local teenagers still think in and speak Kiwcha (a native language) first.
This language gap is a major problem: Peru's entire education system, including examsand application platforms,is in Spanish. It’s the biggest obstacle between these students and their future.
Young people in Angoteros often leave secondary education before completing. In fact, only 54% of the students registered in the school’s 4th and 5th grades were present during our visit. Staying in school just doesn’t make sense for many young people, when their families have pressing needs that can be covered by work. They don’t know anyone who’s life has been changed by more school, but they see that those who go off to work in Lima or Ecuador, come back with money in their pockets.
Our workshops focused on exploring opportunities and planning for life after school. Working more slowly, with smaller groups and alongside local actors – including the community leaders, the Vicariate and the PAIS Programme –helps our work mean more to the young people.
During September, our Beca 18 Support Programme has started across Cusco and Loreto. Our academic reinforcement sessions are going ahead in the four schools we work with(including Angoteros), to help students prepare for the selection exam. Once the 2026-27 Beca 18 cycle is formally announced, our team will support eligible students togather documentation and apply through the online system.
We're committed to supporting communities like Angoteros, even though working in the Amazon means accepting that our work will need constant evaluation and adaptation. But these are exactly the kind of places where showing upagain and again, makes the difference.
Thank you so much for all you do to make this work possible!
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