Welcome!

The Peruvian Education Initiative (PEI) is a student-run non-profit organization founded by Amherst College students in 2007. PEI sponsors the education of economically disadvantaged students from the Manchay district in Lima, Peru. We partner with Peru's existing educational establishment to create a network of both state and private institutions that guide promising students from the slum on a path to university. The community of Manchay lacks adequate financial, medical, and educational resources. PEI works to solve these chronic issues by sponsoring the secondary education of select scholars from the shantytown. Our project provides a full five-year secondary school enrollment including tutoring, transportation school supplies, and a full-tuition scholarship.

PEI believes that this sponsorship will translate into socio-economic improvement in Manchay. This stems from our conviction that these youths will craft the best solutions to the issues in their own community. The three current scholars, Aldo, Mercedes, and Seyner, express resolve to promote change in Manchay, Lima, and greater Peru. This education empowers our scholars to avoid involvement in gang, drug, and other problematic activities. Their experiences will enable them to pursue necessary resources on the path to eliminating systematic poverty in Manchay.

Pictures from our 2008 trip to Peru