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ACAP Donates Medicine and First Aid to Children
By Tanilee Eichelberger, ACAP Donations Committee

This month, ACAP will donate over $300 to provide medicine and first aid supplies for children who would otherwise not receive such basic care. Children who suffer from common flu symptoms, such as fever, sore throats, earaches, as well as children with asthma and bronchitis, will receive medication and first aid supplies as a result of ACAP's support.

Although many children face this challenge everyday in Peru, these children rely solely on outside contributions because their mothers are fulfilling sentences at the women's prison in Chorrillos. Some are Peruvian but several are foreigners including Americans and Canadians. Unable to provide for their children, these women receive meager handouts from their respective countries. The United States, for example, provides all American citizens in prison with vitamins to ensure proper nourishment. Aside from national assistance, women in the Chorillos prison and their children become heavily dependent on outside organizations.

The United States Embassy and the Women's Association of United Nations have each donated funds to support services for women and their children in Chorrillos through Lucia Rossario Bossio Roman Defallaque, commonly known as Lucha. Lucha works with La Cadena de Amor, a volunteer organization of the Angelic Church of Peru. Lucha has dedicated 23 years of her life to improving the lives of women and their children incarcerated in the prison in Chorrillos through La Cadena de Amor.

Her services include educational training workshops to women in the prison. The goal of vocational workshops is to train women with the skills needed to sustain themselves legally after serving their sentence, reducing their chances of returning to prison. After one year the participants receive a certificate verifying completion of the program and ability to complete those skill sets successfully. Her program includes labor skills such as knitting, sewing, woodwork, painting and working with aluminum. Many of these skills are directly used to produce items that Lucha markets to a variety of local and international communities.

In addition to direct monetary support from other organizations, La Cadena de Amor also sells the goods produced by the women in Chorrillos at various events. If you are interested in supporting the work of these women, you may purchase their products at the following community events held this month: November 4th at the US Embassy, November 4th-6th at the IV International Bazar of The Women's Association of United Nations, and at the Church of Good Shepard Christmas Bazaar. Please contact the ACAP office for details.

ACAP's donation is your donation. Without your support as an ACAP member, we would not be able to provide these children with the medical and first aid supplies to ease their pain. Thank you, ACAP members, for making this possible.

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