Givology - give to learn, learn to give

SKIP is a charity registered in Peru, the US and the UK, working towards a Peru where each child realizes his or her full potential through quality education, economically stable families and healthy home environments. As part of our education programs, each year we provide school uniforms and shoes to 125 of the children involved in SKIP, which equates to about half. The families are encouraged to look after the uniforms for two years, to encourage responsible ownership and not breed dependency on SKIP. If a child grows out of their uniform in the intervening year, the family is encouraged to swap with another family who may have an older child getting a new uniform that year.

It is claimed that education is free in Peru but there are hidden costs, such as the purchase of compulsory school uniforms, that are prohibitive for families living in poverty. Through covering these costs, we empower families to prioritise education for their children without incurring financial consequences that they are unable to afford or that may lead to children needing to work. From our experience we know there are multiple additional reasons why school uniforms are important for the families we work with:

1) School uniforms can be "kept for best" where families don't have enough money to keep a set of clothes for this purpose.

2) School uniforms allow children to be equals with their peers, free from judgment based on the clothes that they are wearing.

3) School uniforms help children to identify with and take pride in their school.

A school uniform and pair of shoes for a child in SKIP costs 77 soles ($24). This is a large sum of money for the families that we work with, 80% of whom live on an average income of $1.23 per day, per person in the family. For families living in this level of poverty, any expense that they can be spared frees up some of their limited resources, meaning parents don't have to choose between fulfilling their children's right to adequate food and health and their right to education. 125 school uniforms and pairs of shoes equates to $2,967 and as a small charity working on a tight budget, this is a substantial sum of money, which is why we choose to fundraise for these items separately, here on Givology. Your donations will allow us to use the rest of our funds to concentrate on our core work in the SKIP classroom.

The systems of poverty confronting families in El Porvenir inhibit children's early academic growth and cognitive stimulation. Our education program was created to complement the regular school system and help to combat any disadvantage that could be compounded by the education children receive in the under-resourced and overcrowded public schools of El Porvenir.

Our program directly supports the children at school with help to finance their school education, including fees, uniforms and materials for school. We also offer a safe place to come every day after school to complete homework or read in the library. In addition to this, we provide additional lessons in English, Math, and Communication and a number of extra-curricular activities such as Art and Sport to supplement the classes at school.

Our vision: Every child in El Porvenir develops sufficient abilities, attitudes and values to break the cycle of poverty, and to realise a healthy and productive, and satisfying life.

Providing school uniforms and shoes for each one of the children in SKIP has a direct impact on the family's finances as the cost of a uniform is the equivalent of almost a whole month's worth of food budget for one child. By giving a child the gift of a uniform and a pair of shoes, you will help the family to have sufficient money to spend on food, basic hygiene, and making sure that their children are healthy and able to get the most out of their time at, school, at SKIP, and in the rest of their lives.

The level of poverty that the children live in means this expenditure could be the difference between adequate amounts of food and malnutrition.

SKIP has a team of 11 staff, 10 of whom are Peruvian. They are ably supported by approximately 140 volunteers per year. In 2015 we welcomed 19 Peruvian volunteers and 113 International volunteers from all over the world. In addition to this, some of our service users volunteer their time as classroom assistants.