Self-Sustaining Orphanages - Serving 40+ Children

Self Sustaining Homes:
Self-sustaining homes are long term refuges for children. Our homes not only provide shelter, food, and education, but our aim is having our children adapt successfully into society having acquired the tools and experiences to communicate and decide their own development. For information and the opportunity to sponsor self-sustaining homes, please go to: Sponsor-A-Child

The Sunflower Home
Huayllabamba, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru

Sitting on an Incan terrace, this 5000 sm property in the Sacred Valley has a stunning view and a thriving spirit. What started as a simple piece of land, with each additional dorm and/or building added, will over the years, become home to hundreds, possibly thousands of street and homeless children. Our self-sustaining model is well underway with our first two dorms nearing capacity. Our final dorm should be completed by the spring of 2008. In addition, we're constructing accommodations to house intern and medical volunteers, an administration wing & Cultural Center with a computer lab, laundry facility, and a library with public restrooms. A trout farm, the dairy and fields of alfalfa are on their way to becoming prosperous.

Features of our Sunflower Home include:
- 3 dormitories of 80 beds, baths, and showers
- Water purification system
- Two greenhouses with drip system
- Llamas
- Dairy for cows, coops for chickens, cuy, and rabbits
- Kitchen and cafeteria
- Library (Deyhle Foundation)
- Computer lab (Microsoft Corporation)
- Six apartments for interns with bathrooms
- Office and reception, Cultural Center with Pre-Incan artifacts
- Eight classrooms for private school (will be off site)
- Store for artisans (Women of Chincheros org)
- Dental office & Infirmary (Wings World Wide, Members of LDS Academy of Dentists)
- General Construction: 220v wiring, septic tank - leech system, adobe, concrete. (Union Pacific Railroad, Wacovia Securities, Anonymous)

Plans are currently on the table to create a dual immersion Sunflower school. The objective is to have our children become self-sustaining themselves, and in Peru, one sure means is by having a High School degree and speaking English. This capacity alone will help place our children in jobs in the tourism sector and throughout the Sacred Valley and Cusco, that other people will simply not be able to obtain. Expertise in the educational fields, and a desire to help create our school, is needed, appreciated and welcomed.

We are approximately $50,000 away from completion of our pilot home and $100,000 from opening our Sunflower School. With your help we will have our model ready to replicate by the end of 2008, and a school start date by March 1st of 2009.


How We Began: Colibri Home - Lucre, Cusco, Peru

Cusco, Peru has a population of approximately 350,000 with an estimated 3000 children working in the streets. These children sell postcards, candy, and cigarettes, shine shoes, wash cars, etc. Of these, between 250-300 boys (under 15) are abandoned and live in the streets.

About 10 years ago, a police officer arrested a couple of small boys for stealing. At the police station, they were in a quandry as to responsibility since the boys were living in the street and had been abandoned. The officer asked a superior what they should do about this growing problem and was told to present a solution.  From this, "Colibrí," a shelter for homeless children, was formed. Van Evans, founder of Southern Cross, and Leo Guavancho, Peruvian Director, provided help in the home until governmental red tape became a frustration and they decided to open their own home, thus the genesis of The Sunflower Home.  Although Colibri in Lucre is now closed, there is now a SXHU sponsored Resbaloza Drop-In-Center in Cusco about 4 blocks above the main Plaza de Armas, where homeless children can get 1-2 meals per day, get free schooling, play games and the police provide interns to provide various skills.


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