July is one of the coolest and driest months in the Sacred Valley of Peru, and that means one thing: potatoes and lots of them! Peru is the home of the potato, and its fertile soil yields hundreds of unique species.

Student Gian Marco helps his father store some of their crop in large bags so it will keep for several months, while they sell the rest for income.

“Most parents these days want their kids to have the opportunity to go to university,” says Geraldine Coll, PLB’s country manager in Peru. “Farming is a hard life, and parents want something better for their kids. They want them to explore their talents and skills and earn better pay.”

In our last newsletter we profiled the brothers of Gian Marco, who is pictured above. As you may recall, his brother Antoni is getting his degree in gastronomy to pursue a career in the culinary arts, and his brother Luis is studying to be an electrical technician. We are excited to hear what career path Gian Marco decides to follow in the years to come!

Class of 2021: Meet Andrea!

Andrea in the colorful courtyard of Hogar Semillas de Jesus, where she has been a student since she was nine.

Every student at Hogar Semillas de Jesus has unique gifts to bring to the world, and it has been a beautiful experience to witness Andrea, who is graduating this December, grow into a young woman with a strong desire to give back to her community by pursuing higher education in social work.

Andrea, in center, enjoys time with younger students Mariela (on left) and Reyna.

Andrea and her brother Emerson (who was profiled in the last newsletter and who is studying to be a nurse), hail from the breathtakingly beautiful and remote region of Huchuy Qosqo, which has an elevation of almost 12,000 feet. There are no roads to Andrea’s house so getting there involves hours of trekking on foot or horseback. Thus, being able to live at Hogar Semillas de Jesus during most of her studies has been essential for Andrea to receive a solid education and to interact with other students.

The Huchuy Qosqo region contains Incan archeological ruins along with family farms such as the one where Andrea and Emerson grew up.

We are excited for Andrea and wish her so many blessings for her future in social work!