Evergreen Rotarian Holly Brekke and Evergreen High School Interact Intern Lily Mott, have now spent two weeks in and around beautiful Cusco, Peru. This year, Lily launched “Lily’s Laptops” in support of the work of Peruvian Hearts and the education of marginalized Peruvian girls. The trip to Peru was an opportunity for Lily to deliver laptops, film a documentary, learn about Peruvian culture, and meet the girls of Peruvian Hearts. Lily’s Laptops garnered enough funding to purchase thirty laptops for the scholars.  Our International Service Committee aided in this effort. 

 

     Lily (center) with Peruvian Hearts girls

Lily plans to fund an additional eight laptops, so that every scholar has the ability to compete with their more fortunate college classmates, and to successfully access educational opportunities. Furthermore, Lily plans to build an educational/cultural exchange program for EHS students and the Peruvian Hearts girls.  She is also filming the documentary on “The Day in the Life” of a Peruvian scholar. Lily and Holly have had many inspiring and meaningful experiences. Lily is just amazing with the Peruvian Hearts girls and they love her! Filming is going really well, and Lily will be able to produce an incredibly powerful documentary. She will continue her work for another week.
 
The incredible Peruvian Hearts Scholars come from lives that would normally prohibit the opportunity to finish secondary school and attend university. Peruvian Hearts steps in to empower and bring hope through leadership and personal development classes, tutoring, mentoring, English language classes, psycho/social support, and monetary support. The program currently works with thirty-eight girls who are studying for degrees in everything from Engineering to International Law to Pre-School Education. The Peruvian Hearts girls are incredible individuals. Each of their stories reflect perseverance, resiliency, gratitude, passion for learning and a strength that is truly unimaginable.
 
During their visit, Lily and Holly experienced the magic of Peru: walking the gorgeous Plaza de Armas, witnessing religious processions, indigenous dances and competitions, visiting museums of Incan and Spanish colonial history and art, exploring Incan ruins, and hiking in the high Andes. But, the most deeply satisfying experiences were those with the girls of Peruvian Hearts: dancing, singing, talking, eating, learning, hugging and laughing.   
 
How in the world does a girl whose mother has had four heart attacks, whose alcoholic, abusive father and brother-in-law have deserted the family, and who lives in a home built on a garbage dump with no back wall, just a dirt cliff, determine that she will be a Systems Engineer and then earn the highest marks in her school? With the loving, positive, comprehensive, authoritative, visionary support of an organization like Peruvian Hearts. 

Thank you, Lily, for your determination to make this world a better place. We are proud of your “Service Above Self.”
 
Lily and Holly hiking in the high Andes to Rainbow Mountain
Lily filming at PH girl Carlota’s Quechua pueblo market
Carlota’s traditional Quechua pueblo, Huilloc