The Ark of Love
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All the Facts

Sponsoring institution:	Hariharananda Mission West and SOS-PERU (a branch of SOS Kinderdorf International)
Name:	Ventanilla Social Center
Type:	Social center for abandoned children
Location:	Ventanilla, Callao province, near Lima
Ark of Love Coordinators:	Mr. Rafael Quevedo Berastain and Mrs. Liliana Galván
Ark's date of creation:	March 2005
No. of children attending:	52
Age group:	5-12 years old
Activities:	Chanting, hatha yoga, meditation, art, storytelling, theater.
Schedule:	Saturdays and Sundays, 9 to 11 am

Download the latest illustrated report (PDF format)
Go to the photo gallery (click on "Street children")

How it all started
(as told by our coordinator Rafael Quevedo Berastain)

See also the SOS Peru-Callao Social Center Director's Report

"We offer spiritual classes and activities to young orphans, abandoned children, and families in distress through SOS PERU. This non-governmental organization is a chapter of the Austria-based SOS Kinderdorf International, and it operates two types of centers in Peru: 'Aldeas Infantiles' and 'Social Centers'.

Aldeas Infantiles provide foster mothers to orphans in a family environment within a house located in a small villa. They serve 983 kids organized in 92 families within 8 villas ('Aldeas Infantiles'). Each Aldea Infantil is supervised by a director who lives with his own family in the same village, and who plays the role of a 'father'.

In addition, their Social Centers and Community Homes serve around 1477 boys and girls. In this case they don't provide a mother for these children, focusing more in 'Child Abandonment Prevention' and working with children, mothers (85% of them are single mothers), and families.

SOS-Peru's Vision is encapsulated in this statement: 'Every child belongs to a family in order to grow with love, respect and security.'
Their Mission: 'To create families for children in need. To support these children in creating their own future and participating in their community development.'

When life starts with a hug and a song…

During a recent visit in their Ventanilla center, I went to different classrooms during class hours. When I reached the 3-to-4-years-old group, the teacher asked them to sing a song for their visitor... and they started to sing a 'Daddy’s Song'. I had a big lump in my throat because I had been told earlier that many of these children do not have a father. After that I introduced myself and we sang together another song. I will never forget their faces and hearts so open to love.

Thank you Swamiji for allowing us to collaborate with your divine mission."

Another exciting possibility being explored is for the ARK OF LOVE to work with a shanty town community theater group ("La Gran Marcha de los Muñecones") in developing spiritual narratives to be performed by this highly talented group, using giant puppets and street theater…

"La Gran Marcha de los Muñecones" with our ARK OF LOVE volunteers