Renovating Casa Hogar, a children’s refuge centre in Peru
Peru’s cultural heritage and exceptional nature make the country a paradise on earth for globetrotters. In some Peruvian cities, however, street crime and assaults go unnoticed by tourists. The fact that 86% of the population claims to feel unsafe speaks volumes, though. In the capital Lima, Casa Hogar Caritas Felices offers shelter to girls between the ages of 6 and 18 who have fallen victim to abuse. As the refuge centre’s infrastructure was in very poor condition, Etex company Cerámica San Lorenzo decided to support the cause in its own way, with a modest contribution.
“Around Christmas, we usually send out presents to our network of distributors and retailers, spending 100 US dollar on each gift”, explains Commercial Manager Javier Martinelli. “This year, we decided to spend the money on the best gift ever: the smile on a child’s face. Besides supporting the much-needed renovation of the refuge centre, we organised a heart-warming Christmas party.”
“We helped Casa Hogar in its most dire needs. To smarten up its bathrooms, we donated 30 m² of ceramic floor tiles and 55 m² of wall tiles, and installed a sewage digester. To help make the kitchen a more hygienic place, we installed 12 m² of ceramic counter tiles. And, finally, we donated tiles for a brand-new floor in the girls’ study!”
“A smile makes it all worthwhile! And thanks to the renovation, Casa Hogar now meets the necessary housing standards, so it does not have to be closed down.”
“We also bought lots of games and presents, on behalf of our distributors and retailers.”
“Casa Hogar did not have a Christmas celebration planned. So we decided to surprise the children by hosting a fun Christmas breakfast party!”
“We sent photos to all our partner companies, along with a special ‘thank you’ note from the children. That way, the project became a gift for everyone: our business partners are happy to know that their Christmas present helped improve the living conditions of all the children at Casa Hogar.”