IQUITOS -- Gateway to the Amazon. This city of nearly 600,000 people in the vast Loreto region of Perú, is a mix of both ancient and modern. Isolated and mysterious, there are no roads that lead to Iquitos. One can only arrive by plane or by ferryboat. This is the city in which Help One Now has recently launched a partnership with Kairos Ministries to educate vulnerable children and break cycles of extreme poverty in South America. Iquitos is a growing city, teeming with life, culture and opportunity for some. Yet it is also home to more than it’s share of extreme poverty.

 Nearly 30% of its population lives in a township called Belén, which lies in the Amazon riverbed, where the land gives way to water more than half the year. Houses are either built on stilts or built to float with the rising river. The land is free because it’s not really land; hence, Belén is home to those on the fringes both economically and socially. Some live there because they have no choice, and some choose to live there to skirt the laws and norms of civil society. Many of these one-room houses are home to large extended families, or even multiple families. Most parents are forced to work long hours to make ends meet, leaving small children at home. All of this mixed with alcohol and isolation is a recipe for abuse, sexual exploitation, and disease. 

Over 20 years ago, the Malpartida family launched Kairos Ministries, which now consists of a church, two schools, and a new rescue village. Since that time, they have been tirelessly building bridges in their community by providing quality education and care for vulnerable children, and counseling and support for struggling families. Many of the children who attend Kairos schools live in Belén. These children and their families are receiving education—often the first step toward breaking cycles of poverty—and support that would otherwise be out of reach. The two campuses of Colegio Kairos serve nearly 500 students in grades K-12, and they even offer advanced classes such as Accounting, Trigonometry, Chemistry and more. The school is proud to serve “problem kids” with nowhere else to go. And many alumni of Kairos are now bringing their children to the school. The Malpartidas have given their lives to see transformation in their country. 

We will visit the schools and church in Iquitos. We have now partnered with Kairos school for several years, and our sponsorship program has allowed the two campuses to grow and thrive. Sponsorship has allowed the schools to improve their facilities, services and staff, and aid in the development of a trade school for those transitioning into the next phase of life. We have also begun construction on Kairos Village, a place of rescue and restoration for trafficked or abused women and children in Iquitos. Mercedes has a big vision for the future, and we believe that those dreams can be accomplished if we stand together with her!

Thank you for your participation in a Help One Now Learning Journey! The Help One Now ethos is to remain invisible in our communities and focus our efforts on resourcing key leaders instead. Help One Now leads a limited number of trips for committed, long-term supporters (Church Partners, Child Sponsors, Foundation members, and Love Hope Partners) each year. On these journies, emphasis will be placed on connecting with a community, building deep relationships with the local leaders, and brainstorming how you can unlock your human capital to partner together and support their work back home.

On this trip, we are excited for you to: