Peru

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Sister Mafe, a paediatrician, treats a baby

Our history in Peru

MMS and Associates in Peru live mainly in Callao and Lima, the capital of Peru, with one Associate partly living in the northern city of Chimbote. Our areas of involvement include the whole of the Lima/Callao area as well as other parts of Peru and Latin America.

Our mission is based on and inspired by Liberation Theology in the consciousness that only by networking and collaborating with like-minded people and groups will our mission will have impact.

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MMS Poster in Peru

Focus of our mission in Peru

Delivering healthcare

Engaging in education and training

Ecology in its diverse aspects which includes wisdom of indigenous people

Advocacy

Accompaniment

Delivering healthcare

In Peru, we are engage in:

  • Raising awareness within society of the needs and rights persons with disabilities or living HIV/AIDS;
  • Supporting families of children with disabilities - in particular, helping them to access the community-based rehabilitation and services they need and accompanying them in times of crisis;
  • Equipping persons with disabilities with opportunities for small scale income-generation - e.g., through workshops in pastry making and handicrafts;
  • Creating a welcoming space where people living with HIV/AIDS can meet, reflect and offer support to each other; and
  • Accompanying and training leaders in the world of HIV/AIDS.
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One of the children with a disability whom we work
One of the children with a disability whom we work
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A child with a cochlear implant
A child with a cochlear implant
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Remembering people with HIV/AIDS
Remembering people with HIV/AIDS
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Peruvian father reads a brochure about Down syndrome

Engaging in education and training

In Peru, we;

  • Teach in a national school and are responsible for the team of “Participation and Communication” in the district office of the Department of Education;
  • Deliver ongoing education and training in democracy, leadership, citizenship, human growth, gender equality and formation of young people and those who accompany them;
  • Work and collaborate with other religious in exploring and assessing what the religious life means in today's in secularised world; and
  • Hold classes and workshops in the Conference of Religious Peru (CRP), Institute of Religious Science (ISET), Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and Jesuit University Antonio Ruiz de Montoya and teach and conduct research in the Papal Catholic University of Peru.
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Women bake cakes to generate income - after our teaching
Women bake cakes to generate income
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MMS facilitate a conference
Sister Gisela facilitates a conference
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A Peruvian child and country scene

Ecology which includes wisdom of indigenous people

Ecology in its diverse aspects includes:

  • Involvement with indigenous people;
  • In particular, developing an intercultural bi-lingual education and interreligious dialogue with the indigenous people Awajun and Wampis, equipping them to care for planet Earth and engage in justice issues; and
  • Promoting and educating about ecological relationships which  respect and integrate values of the cosmovision of indigenous people and interculturality as part of all educational training and shared reflection done by all MMS and Associates in Peru.
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Learning from the wisdom of indigenous people
Sister Birgit learning from the wisdom of indigenous people
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An Associate visits the villages in the Amazon region during recent elections
An Associate visits the villages in the Amazon region during recent elections

Advocacy

We are:

  • Participating in a wide range of networking and advocacy for justice, peace and the preservation of life on our planet.
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Campaigning in Peru
Sisters Gisela and Christianne join a climate change protest in Peru

Accompaniment

This includes:

  • Collaboration and consultancy with Vicariate of Jaén on inculturation of Christian faith and mission in intercultural relationships and close collaboration with the indigenous peoples Awajún and Wampìs in the defence of their territory as part of the whole Amazon region and the rainforest, putting into practice the commitments agreed in the Amazon Synod;
  • Offering psycho-spiritual accompaniment for those searching for meaning and/or the integration of life experiences and faith; and
  • Collaboration and consultancy with REPAM (Red Eclesial Panamazónica; Catholic Network for the Panamazonic Region) and CELAM (Conference of Latin American Bishops).
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Accompanying indigenous Awajun and Wampis who are struggling to defend their land
Sister Birgit accompanying indigenous Awajun and Wampis who are struggling to defend their land
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An indigenous community assembles