Nuestro Niños

We have some of the most awesome and hilarious kids here at El Bichito and we wanted to tell you a little more about some of them! We love these kids so much and hope you can see why.  

This is Junior. I wish I could explain Junior and how hilarious he is but there are really no words to do him justice. He is 7 years old, smiles big and likes to be in charge. He loves to be the center of attention and as soon as a camera is pulled out, he is front and center. He is a math flashcard wiz and can be pretty competitive. Junior makes me laugh every day and how can you not smile when you see how excited he is about life?

These happy kids are all siblings; Aurora, Gwilso and Hector. They are all a little small for their age but they hold their own here at El Bichito. Gwilso is the youngest and doesn't talk much, but loves to be tickled (hence the smile in this photo). Aurora likes to play games with the interns and Hector likes to sneak under the table and surprise you. Because their father and older siblings work all day, Aurora and Hector are left at home a lot, sometimes in charge of Gwilso. Despite a tough life, these kids are eager to have fun. 

 This is Aurora again (on the left) with some of her friends, Flor Margarita and Flor's younger sister Estela. Flor is a little introverted at first but when I asked if she wanted to learn some English, she smiled very big and nodded. She is very motivated to learn and picks up on things quickly.

Milagros means "miracle" and this is my Milagros We have had the unique opportunity to visit Milagros and her family in their home. She has so little but she is still so happy all the time and generous with what she has. This girl has the sweetest smile and the most hilarious laugh. She loves to give hugs and kisses and she brightens my day when she walks in the room. 

One of the things I love about El Bichito is all the families that come, brothers and sisters who watch out for each other. This is Lazaro and he is the man! He comes with his 2 older sisters, older brother and 2 younger sisters. This family is one of those that really needs the help offered here at El Bichito. Lazaro has a bright smile and loves to do things with his brother Israel. 

And these are his two adorable little sisters; Magali and Madai. They can be pretty shy but if you engage them in an activity they are happy to play. We had a field day this past week and played a hopping tag game. One of my new favorite memories is seeing Madai, wearing all pink, trying so hard to hop up and down. She is now "my little pink jumping bean". 

And here we have Rodrigo. Sometimes a trouble maker, but always a happy kid. He enjoys math flashcards (probably because he always wins) and likes to tease us interns.  

And this is the new love of my life, Alesandro. As you can see in one of the pictures, this kid is crazy. He has seemingly endless supplies of energy and is a total goofball some days. He likes to act like a monkey and jump from table to table or swing on your legs. He makes up his own language (as if Spanish wasn't hard enough) and makes silly faces all day. Alesandro also has a very gentle and sweet side. Some days all he wants to do is curl up in your lap and read a book, and how can you say no to a face like that?                                                              

These children have become so important to both of us. They teach us so much about friendship, family, sacrifice and love. All of the children here at El Bichito come here because their families struggle economically and this is a place for them to eat a good meal once a day. These kids benefit greatly from both the food and the opportunity to work one on one with interns who take an interest in their academic and emotional life.


We wanted to let you know of an opportunity that you could help some of our kids. We work for an organization called Southern Cross/ Eagle Condor and they set up the funds that keep this center running. These funds come from one time donations and child sponsorships. These donations can be made for a specific child or center and 100% of the money will go to supporting that child. These donations, no matter how small, are so important to the success of our center here and other locations in Peru and South America. If you would like more information about a one time donation or setting up a child sponsorship please click here, comment, or email us with your questions. Thank you so much for your support thus far and we are excited to keep sharing our adventures!