PERU | Since 2008, AKP has helped support Children of the Rainbow in its belief that “every child has the right to be loved, to dream, to play, to hope, to be part of a family, to learn and to be.” For indigent children of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, this was an unattainable goal until Helena van Engelen and her team opened Children of the Rainbow, where the most impoverished, at-risk children receive meals, medical and dental care and education.

AKP is extremely proud to deepen our engagement with the school and support new initiatives. Last year, a brand-new library named “The Castle of Books” was built with A&K guest support. Reading comprehension is, obviously, a necessity when it comes to a good education and now the children are able to escape into the library’s first-floor nooks or find a secluded spot in the loft area to engage in various titles. In August, the school held a joyous opening celebration with the school’s founder, Helena Van Engelen.

Peru is one of the lowest ranked countries in reading comprehension in the world. Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) worldwide rankings place Peru at 64th out of 70 countries. Together with the library construction the school also started a reading comprehension plan for the students, their families and the community in general. The library is now stocked with 2,000 books for various reading levels.