Sacred Valley Youth Fund

The children of Ollantaytambo and the Patakancha Valley (in the Sacred Valley region of Peru) have limited means of turning their future dreams into reality after they graduate from high school. On average, only two or three students out of the 70 that graduate each year from Colegio Estatal Mixto Ollantay will continue their studies at a technical institute or university. Colegio Ollantay is the only high school in the town, and the only one available to children from the poor communities of the Patakancha Valley. The rest will follow their family jobs either working in the markets or on the farms, uneducated and without an income to support a family of their own. Every generation of children becomes poorer, and the number of professionals in the community is decreasing rapidly, representing only 5% of the district’s population.

Objective

The objective of the Sacred Valley Youth Fund (SVYF) is to provide educational opportunities for the children of the Patakancha Valley who cannot afford to continue their studies after high school. Our hope is to create more leaders in the community and establish a chain of reciprocity for families to sustain themselves.

The Project

Mosqoy's Sacred Valley Youth Fund hopes to assist 10-20 students each year by paying for their studies at a technical institute in Cusco in the career of their dreams (usually a diploma program of three years). In exchange for this opportunity, once the students’ careers are established, they are encouraged to provide a substantial reimbursement to the SVYF to help future students. They are also expected to aid both their families and community through financial support, time, or skills - the idea being that the SVYF fund will not only assist these particular students, but each year will grow, and aid future generations.

Who will benefit?

The selected students have demonstrated the following:

1. A strong desire to pursue their education after high school and obtain a professional career
2. A lack of economic resources to continue their studies
3. Willingness to assist their families, the Sacred Valley Youth Fund, and the community of Ollantaytambo
4. Good grades and leadership qualities, as recognized by the directors of Colegio Ollantay

In addition to these students, their families will benefit as it is desired of the students to give back a portion of their future income to assist SVYF, their communities, and by extension, their families. With the help of these students, every year the project will grow and benefit generations to come.

Our hope for the future

Our hope is that the Sacred Valley Youth Fund will continue to grow each year, giving the gift of education to an increasing number of students in the years following. One of the project's goals is for the SVYF students to become role models for the youth in the community of Ollantaytambo. These students will set an example to dream towards brighter futures, and will establish a larger base of professionals in the district with the aim of fostering sustainable and improved living standards amongst impoverished families in to the future.