Our Pathways Programme is back!

Our Pathways Programme has returned after a long, two-year pause. Through this programme, young people from indigenous, rural communities take part in personal development workshops and receive support in communications, mathematics and IT, to help them prepare for further education. On Friday, 22nd July, 30 young people gathered at our campus in Ccorca and began the first phase of the programme.

The first phase of the Pathways Programme, focuses on identity, sexual health and sustainability. Workshops include games, teamwork, active participation and listening. Most days finish with a Circle; a safe space in which the young people can discuss topics important to them. During our Circles, they also learn to identify and better manage their feelings.

A group of young people proudly re-create the story of the origin of Huanoquite, reflecting on their cultural identity.

Young people take part in the first activity of the day, working on teamwork skills.

Currently, the programme is led by Thilo Böck, Amazon Youth Project Director, and Eduardo Espinoza, Psychologist and Youth Worker. “This group of young people is very well prepared,” says Thilo. “They are very excited to be here and love to show their communication skills. Despite coming from two communities, Ccorca and Huanoquite, they are all getting along and many of them have mentioned they are building relationships with their peers based on trust. The Student Council is also doing an excellent job, and this is a great accomplishment, as we are focusing on self-management this year. It’s important for us that they make smart decisions without our approval or supervision.” The Pathways Programme Student Councilw, which was formed by volunteers, joins the team in morning meetings and they go through the day’s upcoming activities. In these meetings, the team receives the council’s feedback and is able to get a better sense of young people’s general feeling and expectations for the day. The Student Council is also in charge of assigning domestic tasks to their peers, as everyone takes part in maintaining the campus during the programme.

Another great accomplishment this year, has been the new alliance with the Ministry of Culture. Rosa, an educator for the Ministry of Culture is running three workshops on identity and indigenous populations. Through these workshops, our young people have been able to further explore their identities, and, in most cases, they now proudly self-identify as part of Peru’s indigenous populations.

Our team is supported by volunteers from our Scholarships Programme who have participated in previous iterations of the Pathways Programme. Their knowledge, experience, fresh insights, and ability to become an emotional support system for the participants, make them a fundamental part of the programme’s success.

Rosa, Educator at the Ministry of Culture, gives a workshop on identity and native populations.

Last but not least, the programme also relies on active parent participation. Aside from being crucial in the participant selection, parents are welcome to visit their sons and daughters on Sundays during the programme. For most of the participants, this is the first time they are away from their parents for such a long period of time, which makes their experience more challenging. At Amantani, family involvement is always essential for the participants’ academic success, so parental presence and participation are required.

Tania, our Cusco Director, welcomes the parents, before taking them on a tour of campus.

Young people listen to Eduardo’s welcoming words before starting the programme.

There’s still one more week to go of the programme’s first phase. In the second phase, which will take place in January and February 2023, we will focus on further developing the young people’s communication, mathematics and IT skills.

We wish the best of luck to this wonderful group of 30 young people over the coming weeks and months. They are proving to be talented, generous, and committed to their education, and we are sure they have bright futures ahead.