In many mining areas of Peru, thousands of women known as #pallaqueras work every day manually selecting the rocks that others discard, searching for the last traces of minerals. Their effort sustains many families, but it also reflects a reality marked by inequality, occupational risks, and social invisibility.

💪 At #FIDAMAR, we reaffirm our commitment to the pallaquera women. Since May, we have been promoting the project “Growing Together” in the community of Huanca (Ayacucho) to strengthen their emotional well-being and holistic development.

✨ We invite you to learn more about this transformative experience 👇
🌐 Follow us at: www.fidamar.org

Huanca Celebrates: Two New Classrooms for the Future of Its Children
Last Friday, October 17th, at Cristo Rey School in the town of Huanca, province of Lucanas, Ayacucho region, we celebrated the official delivery of two new classrooms that will make a difference in the lives of more than 150 primary school students.

This project, funded and carried out by #FIDAMAR in coordination with #UGEL Lucanas, was made possible thanks to the joint efforts, the commitment of the teaching staff, and the support of parents and families. 🤝💙

Today, where there was once only a dream, now stand spaces ready for learning, creativity, and hope. Every wall and every window reflects the spirit of a community that believes education is the strongest path toward development. 🌱📚

Huanca already knows what it means to transform through collaboration, with projects such as “Water for Education”, which brought safe water to its classrooms, and “Connected Huanca”, which enabled access to connectivity and innovation. Today, we celebrate another milestone in educational infrastructure.

💪 We keep looking forward, convinced that dignified and safe education for every child is the foundation of a fairer and more sustainable future.

Let’s keep going!

🏫 At Cristo Rey Primary School in the town of Huanca, Lucanas, Ayacucho, we continue building the future. Today Fidamar celebrates reaching 60% progress in the #construction of two classrooms that will soon be ready to meet the growing demand of students in the area, directly benefiting more than 150 children.

📚 These classrooms are not just walls and roofs: they are spaces for learning, games, dreams, and opportunities for every child in this #MiningCommunity. This effort is made possible thanks to the coordination with UGEL Lucanas, as well as the valuable support and commitment of parents who have joined the project with their work and dedication. 🤝 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

✅ In Huanca, we have already brought drinking water with “Water for Education,” connectivity and #innovation with “Connected Huanca,” and improvements in infrastructure and equipment at different educational levels. Today we take another step forward to close gaps and open paths of hope.

💪 Because every classroom we build is a promise kept to our children, we invite you to join our commitment: to keep working together for a dignified, safe, and #transformative education for mining and rural communities. 🌱 💙

We are pleased to share that Fidamar, together with Enseña Perú, held the second ENFOCO workshop in the beautiful city of Arequipa at the end of August. A space for #training and #connection that brought together 9 teachers from the Secocha community, from the educational centers Inicial Secocha and Secundario N° 40194 Ricardo Palma, as well as colleagues from different regions of the country who are also part of Enseña Perú’s ¡Qué Maestro! project. 🏫💡

👩‍🏫 During the meeting, teachers shared the progress of their educational projects and renewed their commitment to continue working with passion and creativity for the #learning and #development of their students. 📚

🚀 At Fidamar, we reaffirm our conviction and social commitment: to support our teachers in challenging contexts, thus multiplying the opportunities for thousands of children in our country. Together, we can make it happen! 🙌

Are you ready to join us in supporting #RuralEducation, our teachers, and a future with more #equity?

As part of our project “Allin Kausay Ispacas” (Good Living in Ispacas), we carried out a screening campaign for anemia and malnutrition among more than 50 children under the age of 5, between August 18 and 20.

This activity was made possible thanks to the joint work of FIDAMAR, our strategic partner NGO CEPDE, the Ispacas Health Post, and the local and educational authorities. The campaign took place mainly at the Divino Niño Jesús Early Education School in Ispacas. 🏫🏥

✅ With these actions, we aim to identify and promptly address health risks in childhood, helping to reduce malnutrition and anemia in the community.

📊 In addition, this campaign will provide us with a baseline to measure the impacts and benefits of the program, as well as support health authorities in the implementation of control and treatment measures.

👵👴 And we keep moving forward: on August 28, older adults —including the project’s beneficiaries— will also undergo screening to safeguard their overall well-being.

💪 All of this reflects the strength of collective commitment and the collaboration of different actors who share the same goal: a healthier Ispacas with a better quality of life for everyone.

Project Completed in Huanca! A Firm Step Toward Safe and Dignified Education 🌄

In response to a critical reality — 60% of public schools in Ayacucho face deficient conditions, including risks of structural collapse — on July 18, 2025, we officially handed over the comprehensive improvement works of the Jorge Meier Secondary School to UGEL Lucanas. The school is located in the populated center of Huanca, Santa Lucía district, Lucanas province (Ayacucho).

This milestone represents concrete progress in closing the infrastructure gap in rural areas linked to artisanal mining.

The ceremony was deeply meaningful, with the participation of Rosario Portal Sihuin, director of UGEL Lucanas, the school’s leadership team, the Parents’ Association, teachers, students, and the FIDAMAR team. 🤝👩‍🏫👨‍🎓

Main project deliverables:
🔹 Construction of a perimeter fence of nearly 200 linear meters, with foundations that reinforce the school’s terrain 🛡️
🔹 Structures for elevated water tanks, essential for sanitary services 💧
🔹 Demolition of deteriorated structures that posed risks to the school community ⚠️
🔹 Roofing of bleachers and improvement of more than 400 m² of schoolyards 🏟️
🔹 Complete renewal of the electrical system, including emergency lighting 💡
🔹 Comprehensive improvements in classrooms and restrooms to ensure healthier and safer conditions 🏫
🔹 Implementation of furniture and technological equipment: laptops, projectors, smart boards, screens, and a multifunction printer 💻🖥️🧠

This project adds to our previous interventions in Huanca, such as “Water for Education” and “Connected Huanca,” and aligns with the objectives of the National Educational Infrastructure Plan.

Thanks to everyone and every institution who made this possible and continue to believe in transforming lives through education! 🙌🌱

🌐 Visit us at www.fidamar.org to learn more about what we do for our communities.

🌱 We continue moving forward towards better living in Ispacas, thanks to the power of joint effort!

In the rural community of Ispacas, Arequipa region, mining and agriculture go hand in hand. Our project “Allin Kausay Ispacas” (“Good Living in Ispacas”) continues to achieve significant progress thanks to a multi-stakeholder model that coordinates the efforts of the private sector, public institutions, and civil society. This model includes the active participation of local government authorities, the health sector, and the rural community, under the technical leadership of our strategic partner, the NGO CEPDE.

Here are some of the results we have achieved so far:

✅ More than 1,100 laying hens 🐔 delivered to family production modules.
✅ 105 guinea pigs of the Peru breed 🐹 distributed to strengthen food security with high bioavailable protein.
✅ 71 beneficiaries with planted bio-gardens 🌿, improving access to nutritious food.
✅ 16 high school students 📚 from Andrés Avelino Cáceres School participated in workshops on bio-gardens and small animal breeding, with the implementation of a laying hen farm.

With these actions, we work to reduce malnutrition and anemia, especially in children and older adults, promoting healthier and more accessible food in the community 🍽️❤️.

All of this is possible thanks to the collective commitment and coordinated work among all stakeholders, who share the same goal: to build an Ispacas with better opportunities and quality of life for its families 💪.

Thank you to every person and institution who continues to support us on this path! 🙌

Chala welcomed us with open arms once again! 🩵

On May 24th and 25th, we returned to this beloved land to carry out a new medical campaign, and the results fill us with pride: over 3,000 free medical services provided to people in vulnerable situations! 🩺✨

This was our third health campaign in Chala, an experience that reaffirms our commitment to the well-being of artisanal mining communities. The event took place at Hortencia Pardo Mancebo School and was made possible thanks to the joint work with our strategic partner, Clínica San Juan de Dios Arequipa, along with the valuable support of the Municipal Government of Chala, UGEL Caravelí, and the Chala Health Center.

Nearly 40 healthcare professionals and support staff offered services in various specialties, including free medication distribution, carefully looking after the health of those who need it most. ❤️‍🩹

Every campaign we carry out reminds us that access to healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. 💪 Thanks to everyone who made this new edition possible. Let’s keep going! 🙌

📶✨ Secocha is now more connected than ever!

✨ We’re kicking off a new edition of “¡Qué Maestro!” in partnership with Enseña Perú ✨

We are thrilled to share that, for the second consecutive year, we have launched the “¡Qué Maestro!” program, an initiative that supports the training of teachers in rural areas within artisanal mining communities. 🏫⛏️

In this 2025 edition, nine teachers from the town of Secocha (Arequipa) and one educational specialist from UGEL Camaná traveled to Lima to participate in the ENFOCO workshop (Training and Connection Meeting), where they shared experiences and learnings with nearly 200 colleagues from all over Peru, creating a space of inspiration and community that marks the beginning of a transformative experience. 🚀

Over the course of nearly nine months, we will work closely with the teachers to strengthen their pedagogical and socio-emotional skills, developing educational innovation projects that will positively impact their students. 🌱📚

At Fidamar and Enseña Perú, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the teachers who are leading change in challenging contexts, with the hope of building a fairer educational future full of opportunities. 💙

We thank everyone who believes in the power of education to transform lives. Let’s continue to invest together in our teachers and children! ✨

📶✨ Secocha is now more connected than ever!

In the rural areas of Arequipa, internet access remains a major barrier to learning. While some important steps have been taken, many schools still face daily challenges: poor infrastructure, limited connectivity, lack of proper devices, and insufficient teacher training.

📊 According to the 2024 National Household Survey, only 35% of rural households in Arequipa have internet access. This statistic is a clear reminder that the digital divide remains deep in our region.

💡 To help change this reality, FIDAMAR has launched the “Connected Secocha” project, bringing virtual libraries, digital tools, and technology training to more than 1,100 students and teachers at School No. 40194 Ricardo Palma, located in the town of Secocha (Mariano Nicolás Valcárcel, Camaná).

This initiative builds on the successful experience of “Connected Huanca”, a project we developed in Ayacucho in 2024 that benefited over 330 students and teachers 🙌.

🌐 What does “Connected Secocha” include?

✅ Communication equipment, servers, and computers
✅ Hands-on training for teachers
✅ Continuous monitoring with key performance indicators (KPIs) 📈
✅ Guaranteed sustainability through an agreement with #UGELCamaná

🤝 We extend special thanks to our strategic partner Uayki – Todos Conectados for making this technological implementation possible. Together, we are connecting futures!

🚀 At FIDAMAR, we remain committed to innovation as a way to close educational gaps and create real opportunities in our country’s artisanal mining communities.