Daughters of Ayacucho Educational Fund NFP

The Daughters of Ayacucho Educational Fund (DAEF) provides impoverished girls the opportunity to receive an education, in order to give them hope for a brighter future. Last summer, I volunteered for three weeks in Ayacucho, Peru. Ayacucho is a town high in the Andes Mountains where the majority of the population is impoverished. I spent my time at Puericulturio, a girls? orphanage. Over 300 girls lived at this particular orphanage, and there are several other orphanages in Ayacucho. The reason why there are so many orphans is not because there are many children with deceased parents. Instead, many are orphans because their families are too poor to take care of them. Parents often drop their children off at orphanages when their children are very young, and only return to pick up their children when they are old enough to earn money for the family. Orphans in Peru are especially discriminated against because many associated orphans with a lack of education, potential, ability, and belonging. Orphan girls are especially discriminated against, and usually can only obtain jobs in childcare or housework.Despite unfortunate circumstances in their lives, many young girls I met were full of life and excitement. At the orphanage, I met many girls with amazing life stories, including one seventeen-year-old, Pilar Torres. In between games of basketball, Pilar talked to me about her future. Pilar had ambitions to study medicine in college; however, she didn?t even have enough money to take the college entrance examination. When Pilar turned eighteen in December, the orphanage could no longer support her, and Pilar would have to get a low-paying job and live on her own.There are very few career opportunities for women in Ayacucho. The majority of women sit on the street in the sun all day selling fruit and small crafts. The average salary of an Ayacucho woman is only $120 a month. Pilar would have to work for years just to be able to afford to take the college entrance examination. For the majority in Ayacucho, the price of the entrance exam is a huge barrier towards pursuing higher education. As I started my junior year of high school, I began taking college-level courses, studying for the ACT and SAT (college entrance exams), and talking to my teachers and peers about what colleges I wanted to go to. I was constantly reminded of my collegiate future. I feel so fortunate that my family can afford to send me to school. The opportunity for me was a given and Pilar?s tremendous uncertainty inspired me to do something. After months of research and consideration, I feel I must help Pilar and other girls in the Ayacucho orphanage. I am in the process of finalizing the operational details for my charity, Daughters of Ayacucho. Daughters of Ayacucho Educational Fund, NFP, is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in accord with Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1896. More specifically, the Corporation is organized to fund the post high school educational expenses of girls from the Puericulturio Orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru. The scholarship shall include expenses for the college entrance course and exam, room and board expenses, and books and supplies at a Peruvian university. It is my hope that when Pilar and other orphans receive an education, they will be able to financially support themselves and their families, and will be able to give back to the community more than they would have previously been able to do. Many studies have shown that an educated woman will earn a higher salary, have fewer children to support, and are better able to manage their own health needs.