Helping young people into work

Amantani helps young people from marginalised Quechua families to access education and employment, stimulating development for Peru’s most disadvantaged communities.

They work to defend the rights of indigenous children in the Andes, where severe discrimination is rife. Indigenous Peruvians earn around half as much as non-indigenous; people in Cusco are more likely to be underemployed; and the majority work without a formal contract.  

This project aimed to help young people from indigenous communities into employment through education, building social capital and access to microfinance. To do this, BFSS gave Amantani UK a three-year grant of £16,444, for a project running from 2017 to 2020. Project activities included careers advice, training, scholarship preparation, parent-teacher meetings, individual tutoring and personal development consultations. 

Project impact 

• 60 young people in their final year of school identified their future career path 
• 10 alumni helped others consider career options by giving talks on their own journey 
• 51 young people transitioned from school to further education (85% of participants) 
• 40 completed vocational and further education courses 
• 35 enrolled in higher education institutes
• 4 young people went on to university 

Outcomes  

By January 2020: 

• 15 secured internships and part-time employment  
• 1 graduated and is working as a teacher, full-time, in a local secondary school

“Sandra has been an outstanding intern. She is able to learn quickly and her attitude is excellent. I’m glad there are projects where they encourage young people to be responsible and I hope she continues on this path.” Isabel Luna, designer in Cusco