San Martín de Porres & Santa Rosa de Lima Provinces
Area: Education
Implemented by: Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata
Local context:
In many rural and semi-urban communities across Latin America, poverty and geographical, social and economic inequalities continue to limit access to education and make it difficult for students to stay in school.
Financial hardship, insecure employment and unequal access to opportunities mean that, for many children and young people, continuing their education is not guaranteed.
Child poverty remains one of the main factors limiting educational opportunities. UNICEF points out that poverty is not only a lack of income, but also about deprivation in essential areas such as education, healthcare, housing, nutrition and access to basic services. In its State of the World’s Children 2025 report, UNICEF warns that more than 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries experience multidimensional poverty, facing deprivations that directly affect their development and learning.
Guatemala: Poverty continues to have a particularly severe impact on Indigenous children. UNICEF has reported that around eight out of ten Indigenous children and adolescents live in poverty, and school enrolment rates remain lower than among the non-Indigenous population.
These inequalities are especially evident in rural communities, where economic hardship and distance from school and other educational services can make it difficult for children to continue their education. In areas such as Santa Cruz del Quiché and Cahabón, home to significant Indigenous and rural populations, helping students stay in school is essential to expanding opportunities for future generations.
El Salvador: Although the country has made progress in several social areas, many children and adolescents still face circumstances that can make it difficult for them to continue their education. UNICEF identifies poverty, school dropout, inadequate living conditions and limited access to essential services among the main factors affecting their well-being and educational opportunities. In this context, supporting low-income families çis particularly important to help insure that financial hardship does not force children and young people to leave school
Mexico: Child poverty has declined in recent years, but significant disparities remain. According to UNICEF, in 2024, 38.7% of children and adolescents lived in poverty and 7.5% in extreme poverty. These disparities are even greater among Indigenous populations and in rural areas. Educational challenges also persist: only 56 out of every 100 children who begin primary school complete upper secondary education without repeating a grade or dropping out. In Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, educational support helps children from families with limited resources access and remain in school.
Peru: Geographical inequalities remain particularly significant in rural and Amazonian areas. The latest data from UNICEF and INEI show that in 2024, extreme child poverty in rural areas reached 19.7%, almost four times the rate recorded in urban areas. In Amazonian regions such as Ucayali, where Pucallpa is located, significant social and economic disparities persist, affecting children and adolescents. The region is also home to considerable cultural and linguistic diversity, including numerous Indigenous peoples. Supporting students facing difficult circumstances so that they can stay in school helps reduce these inequalities and expand their opportunities for the future.
Across all these contexts, education plays an essential role in breaking cycles of poverty and exclusion. A sustained educational pathway not only supports the personal and social development of children and young people, but also increases their opportunitites to pursue higher education and access stable, better-paid emploryment in the future.
The project
For many decades, the Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata, faithful to the mission of Saint Francisco Coll, have expressed their commitment to education through their work in schools and educational centres within these communities.
This year, the School Scholarships in Latin America project will support 140 students across five communities, helping them access education and stay in school. Depending on the needs of each community, the scholarships will fully or partially cover the costs associated with their education.
Decades of experience have shown that sustained access to education can gradually create new opportunities for families and communities. For many of these students, completing their education can open the door to higher education and to formal, better-paid employment, broadening their prospects beyond informal work and the limited employment opportunities available in their communities.
A scholarship is therefore much more than one-off financial assistance: it is an investment in each student’s abilities, independence and future, and throughout them, in the development of their communities.
Objective
To ensure access to education and help 140 children and young people facing vulnerable circumstances across five communities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru stay in school, through school scholarships and the ongoing accompaniment of the Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata.
Beneficiaries:
140 students from the following communities:
- Guatemala: Santa Cruz del Quiché and Cahabón.
- El Salvador: Santa Tecla.
- Mexico: Izúcar de Matamoros.
- Perú: Pucallpa.
Presupuesto:
- Santa María Cahabón, Guatemala – €5,120.13
- Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala – €18,728.16
- Santa Tecla, El Salvador – 23.361,77 €
- Izúcar de Matamoros, Mexico – €5,263.65
- Pucallpa, Peru – €17,634.33
Total requested: €70,108.04
Would you like to support this project? You can make a donation through anunciatasolidaria.org/en/donation/ and help ensure that this initiative can continue supporting those who need it most.