How is it already May?! This year feels like it is flying past at breakneck speed. We did, however, want to give you an update on our work.

We are in full swing with Phase II of the Center of Excellence training and research project with child welfare programs in Perú. In collaboration with our partners – the Peruvian NGO Paths of Hope and Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, USA), and Universidad Catolica Santa Maria (Arequipa, Perú) – we have expanded our project to include a new pilot testing site for the Center of Excellence curriculum. We are also refining the tools we developed under Phase I of the study in the two Casa Girasoles homes.

What is the Center of Excellence project? Great question. The CoE is a 5-years research and training project to understand better how to train staff and service providers in Perú working with children living outside of parental care. That includes children living in orphanages, state-run homes, foster care, and institutional care settings. Rather than re-developing a training curriculum or re-formulating an evidence-based practice, the CoE seeks to help programs create “cultures of excellence” to support staff and child development and empowerment. The CoE is a model for making lasting connections and awareness – among the providers working in child welfare and the youth receiving services. The data from our Phase I research is under review – but so far shows some powerful connections between provider awareness and mindfulness and the creation of “cultures of excellence. We feel confident the Center of Excellence model will become the standard for supporting child welfare care systems and children living outside of parental care throughout Latin America.

We’re also excited to share the progress made by the Newborn Resuscitation Training Program (NRTP) team in Perú. Under the direction of Dr. Bob Gehringer, HBI Medical Director, the NRTP team is advancing training for healthcare professionals nationwide.Dr. Bob and Dra. Mary Boyer has been working closely with our partners, the Peruvian College of Midwives and the Peruvian College of Nurses, to establish training teams and implement the program. Over the course of 3-weeks, Dr. Bob and Dra. Mary visited  5 cities, 12 organizations, provided the equivalent of 32 workshops for 496 participants including 36 new nurse trainers.  They are making tentative plans for returning to conduct trainings for a few days in Cajamarca where the regional College of Midwives wants a training for 10-12 new trainers, one for each provincia.  They will also train more nurse trainers in Lima at the College of Nurses, followed by 10-12 days of separate visits to several new regional colleges of nursing programs of the National College of Nursings choosing.

Through their efforts, Peru’s healthcare professionals receive the training they need to provide life-saving care to newborns.We’re proud to support the NRTP and the vital work to improve healthcare outcomes for mothers and infants in Perú. With continued effort and dedication, we’re confident that the program will continue to make a significant impact in the years to come.

Thew new clinic – our Center of Excellence in Community Healthcare – has finally opened in Alto Cayma. Father Alex Busuttil and the Missionary Society of St. Paul have worked tirelessly over the past 18-months to build a state-of-the-art community health center. Check out this video for an update: https://youtu.be/Rh6ysVxOMpk

We resigned our historic Memorandum of Agreement with Catholic University (Universidad Catolica Santa Maria) in Arequipa. Our agreements are a first of there kind, in that the MOA includes collaboration with all faculty at the university and offers a platform for research, cultural and professional exchange, and inter-professional development. We are super proud of of our partnership with UCSM and look forward to doing a lot of really wonderful things together over the coming years.

Our final update is on the boys and staff of the Casa Girasoles homes. The past three years have been rough is a terrible understatement. With COVID and the social and political unrest, Perú has been through a lot. This “double pandemic” impacted the boys and staff of our homes. However, things are finally moving back to normal. Thanks to the generous and ongoing support of BicycleAttorney.com and the team – we have a fleet of new bikes for the boys. They love the freedom and connection of getting out and about on their new bikes. We have some new staff, and they are all integrating wonderfully. Dr. Roberto Tarazona has been promoted to the role of the Director of the Comunidad Girasoles program and is now responsible for helping to ensure all aspects of our work with the boys are at the highest level. The Communidad Girasoles includes the work of our mentorship and youth development program. Under the leadership of Lic. Mg. Billy Greenman from Paths of Hope and Lic. Jocabeth Oscátegui Pérez, HBI, now has a scholarship and technical training program for young men who have aged out of the Casa Girasoles. The program includes helping connect young men with screened and vetted mentors and supporting former Girasoles as they transition to independent living. This is a considerable addition to our work and is already making a difference in the lives of many of the Girasol.

Needless to say, we’ve been busy. Please feel free to send us a message or call – we love hearing from you – the HBI family of supporters. Thank you for all your ongoing dedication to HBI and the people of Perú.