A Prayer for Latin America
Heavenly Father, bless all children and families in Latin America as they struggle with the emotional, physical, and economic impacts of COVID-19. Keep them safe from harm and give us the wisdom to help, through our prayers and support, to build and strengthen families in this difficult time. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen
The Radiance of Peruvian cuisine: Papa rellena
Our regions are radiant in their cuisine. Latin America is known for its abundance and richness of its products. Peru has rich biodiversity for its varied geography, having the Amazons and the high altitude Andes mountains.
Have you ever wondered where potatoes come from? Potatoes are originally from Peru and there are over 4000 potato varieties, in all different colors and shapes.
Popular and rich in nutrients, potatoes are almost always a part of every Peruvian dish. Chalice ensures children have balanced and nutrient-rich diets by implementing school feeding programs through the support of the Chalice Nutrition Program.
We would like to share with you a delicious Peruvian recipe called "Papa Rellena" or stuffed potatoes. This dish is prepared with white potatoes. It is an extraordinary dish to share with your family and friends
Stories of Inspiration
At our CMAVIL site in Paraguay, mothers of sponsored children volunteer at the Open Centre each day, a community center for children. They cook and serve healthy, free meals, help with schoolwork, brush hair, and everything else the 70 or so children need to be happy, healthy, and ready for school. This mom is helping the little ones clean off their plates!
The Challenge in Latin America
A high risk of school dropout, with children as young as eight needing to work to help support their families, high unemployment, domestic violence and lack of access to services such as water, electricity, and transportation, are some of the challenges facing families in Latin America.
The pandemic has amplified the plight of the needy and toppled families who were barely scraping by. Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, 22 million people have joined the ranks of the poor, unable to meet their basic needs. The region has been hard-hit due to the intensity of the pandemic and the steepness of its recession, the worst in 200 years. The economy has contracted 7% since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Change in Latin America
The love of our supporters and the dedicated staff at our sponsor sites has improved the quality of life for families in our sites. First and foremost, our family funding sponsorship model puts funds directly into families' bank accounts every quarter. Having a steady source of funding allows families to budget and plan necesssary purchases, while enrolment in a Chalice family circle provides a base of support, education, and encouragement for anything from basic financial literacy to family problems or how to start a small business.
Many sponsor sites also offer after-school programs that help children with their homework and give them a safe haven in which to spend their after-school hours. Daily lunch programs and soup kitchens provide nutrient-rich meals for children, families, and the elderly. Other programs include workshops on health and hygiene, nutrition and livelihood training to help parents learn skills that enable them to find meaningful employment to better care for their families.
So far, Chalice's COVID-19 Disaster Fund has made two allocations to our Latin American sites to help families cope with the hardships they are currently facing because of the pandemic. The first allocation was made in June of 2020 in the amount of $190,565.23; the second was made in January 2021 in the amount of $99,526.55.
Countries
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Paraguay since 2012 in four sites in primarily urban communities. There are very few international NGOs working in Paraguay. Our family circle-based sponsorship program is highly distinctive in this country.
Learn more about our work in Paraguay
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Bolivia since 2004 in seven sites, both in rural and urban communities. Our local partners tell us that Chalice is unique in the regions we serve because we dedicate more resources to supporting families at every level.
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Peru since 2004 in three sites in primarily urban communities. Our Peruvian sites are exceptional in their ability to support and learn from each other, constantly sharing best practices and creating cohesive programming.
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Chile since 1996 in two sites in urban communities. Chalice is a somewhat unique non-profit in Chile because we have been able to retain our Catholic identity through our partnerships with local religious organizations.
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Guatemala since 2001 in the small town of Champerico. Children in Guatemala are vulnerable to high dropout rates in favor of finding work. Malnutrition is common because the most affordable meals are filling but nutrient-poor carbohydrates.