📶✨ 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.

🌟 Transforming Education in Huanca: Toward Safe and Dignified Environments 🌟

In Ayacucho, more than 60% of educational institutions face inadequate and unsafe learning conditions, according to various official reports. This reality drives us to act urgently.

At FIDAMAR, as part of our commitment to artisanal mining communities, we are implementing the project “Safe Education at Jorge Meier High School”, located in the town of Huanca, Santa Lucía District, Lucanas Province. Our goal is clear: to create a safe, functional, and dignified environment for the more than 130 students who attend this school.

This project builds upon our previous interventions in the community, such as “Water for Education”, which ensured access to drinking water through innovative technology, and “Connected Huanca”, which brought satellite internet and virtual libraries to students. These initiatives aim to bridge critical gaps in infrastructure and access to educational resources.

To date, we have achieved 23% physical progress, and we expect to complete the work by the end of May this year. Key improvements include:

✅ Construction of a perimeter fence to ensure student safety
✅ Demolition of deteriorated structures that posed a risk
✅ Roofing of bleachers for safer and more appropriate use
✅ Replacement of the school’s entire electrical system
✅ Upgrades to classrooms and restrooms for a healthier environment
✅ Installation of educational furniture and technological/multimedia equipment, including projectors and laptops

This effort is made possible thanks to the active collaboration of #UGEL Lucanas and the #APAFA of the school. It also aligns with the goals of the National Educational Infrastructure Plan.

💡 We continue moving forward with commitment to transform education in our artisanal mining communities! 📚✨

🌱 “Allin Kausay Ispacas”: Toward a Community with Food Security and Well-Being

Since March 2025, in the rural community of Ispacas, district of Yanaquihua (Condesuyos, Arequipa), FIDAMAR has been implementing the “Allin Kausay Ispacas” project, which in Quechua means “Good Living in Ispacas.” This initiative, initially planned for one year, is being carried out in partnership with the NGO CEPDE and aims to improve food security and nutrition for vulnerable families, with a focus on households with children under the age of five.

📌 What does the project propose?

• Strengthen skills in vegetable production using eco-friendly techniques and in raising small animals (chickens and guinea pigs) for self-consumption.
• Promote healthy environments with an educational, health, and community approach.
• Actively engage local schools, the health center, and local authorities in a sustainable model.

📍 Ispacas is a rural community with significant needs, where most people rely on agriculture and artisanal mining. Only 17% of the population raises small animals, an activity mainly carried out by women, including pallaqueras (manual mineral gatherers).

✅ Just over a month since its launch, the project has already achieved:

• Signing of an Interinstitutional Commitment Act with community, education, and health representatives.
• Direct coordination with the Health Post to identify the families in greatest need.
• Enrollment of over 90 beneficiary families, surpassing the initial target.
• Active participation of local schools in productive activities.

“Allin Kausay Ispacas” aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and represents a concrete commitment to helping more families in high-Andean areas connected to artisanal mining achieve a dignified life and access to healthy, sustainable, homegrown food.

Let’s work together for a better life in Ispacas!

🩺💚 A day filled with hope in Río Grande!

On April 5th and 6th, we reaffirmed our commitment to the communities of the Río Grande district in Condesuyos Province (Arequipa) by carrying out a major free medical campaign as part of our program to promote quality healthcare.

📍At Miguel Grau School in Iquipí, and thanks to our partnership with the San Juan de Dios Clinic of Arequipa and their “Health Messengers Mission” program, more than 2,500 free medical consultations were provided to vulnerable individuals from Alto Molino, Iquipí, and other towns in the district.

Nearly 30 healthcare professionals offered specialized services in:

• General Medicine
• Orthopedics and Traumatology
• Dentistry
• Gynecology
• Ultrasound
• Pediatrics
• Psychology
• Laboratory and Pharmacy

This effort shows that when we unite our willpower, we multiply our impact. 🙌🏽

Our deepest thanks to the Río Grande District Municipality, UGEL Condesuyos, the Iquipí Health Center, and the Minas Ocoña Rural Police Station for their commitment and determined support in reaching those who need us most.

At FIDAMAR, we believe that caring for health is the first step in building stronger, more humane communities with greater opportunities.

💙 We invite you to learn more about what we’re doing for a more just, healthy, and compassionate Peru! Find us at www.fidamar.org

🎓✨ The 2025 edition of the FIDAMAR Scholarship is already underway! ✨🎓

On April 8th, we took another step forward in our commitment to providing quality education for young people from artisanal mining communities. After a rigorous evaluation process, we are pleased to introduce three talented young students who make up the second class of FIDAMAR scholarship recipients:

🔹 Rocely Antachoque, from Ispacas | Business Administration
🔹 Heydy Quispe, from Secocha | Marketing and Commercial Management
🔹 Benjamín Lopinta, from Chala | Automotive Mechatronics

Each of them represents a story of effort, perseverance, and a strong desire to grow and succeed 💪🏽✨

Thanks to our partnership with #SENATI Arequipa and the support of the UGELs of #Camaná, #Caravelí, and #Condesuyos, this program will offer them a comprehensive three-year technical education, including tablets, uniforms, and continuous guidance throughout the entire process.

At the scholarship award ceremony, we were also joined by our first cohort of scholars, Sarai Qquenta and Ana Gabriela Uscamayta, who shared their experiences and offered heartfelt words that moved everyone present 💬💙

We know the journey ahead will bring challenges, but we fully believe in the potential of our scholars. At FIDAMAR, we’ll be by their side every step of the way on this new path.

Thank you to all the individuals and institutions who make this initiative possible. With each scholarship, we open doors and plant real opportunities for the future of these communities.

Rocely, Heydy, and Benjamín: keep moving forward with your heads held high and hearts full of dreams. The future is yours. 🚀