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 LOCATION
Lima,
the capital city of Peru, is located on the Pacific Coast. Peru,
nearly twice the size of Texas, is a country of contrasts. The rich
and the poor, the beautiful and the ugly, the historic and the modern,
the mountains and jungle all add to the mystique of this Latin nation.
Located in the coastal desert
region, Lima receives less than one inch of rainfall per year. Moving
thirty to fifty miles inland, one encounters the majestic Andes Mountains
and highlands, which separate the coast from the vast Amazon jungle.
These three distinct geographical regions each have their own culture
and people groups, making Peru a fascinating place to visit and live.
HISTORY
The Home was founded by Larry and Betty Bartels in 1993 in a rented
facility in the suburbs of Lima with ten boys who were released from
a government home that was closing. The number grew to sixteen children
in July of 1994 when the site of just over half an acre was purchased.
In 1999 an additional parcel of land was purchased about a mile from
the first parcel. Mike and Diane Fietje became directors of the home
near the beginning of 2000 when the Bartels returned to the United
States.
The Lima Home has experienced God's blessing time and time again in
its relatively short history. We are thankful to Him for each physical
blessing as well as each of the children to whom we have been able
to minister.
CULTURE
Peru has a population of
almost 30 million people of which at least 90% are Roman Catholic.
Nearly a third of the population lives in Lima. Unfortunately, the
majority of the population is very poor as there is a huge unemployment
rate and many white-collar workers are leaving the country. The Kids
Alive Home was begun in an attempt to respond to the tremendous number
of needy children caused by this poverty, as well as terrorism and
immorality. Fortunately, terrorism has been under control since about
1993, but the need for the Home and others like it continues.
FACILITIES
The present facilities on the main property, besides the essentials
(i.e. - bedrooms for kids and staff) include a playroom, an activity
room containing a library, homework and craft area, and missionary
apartments. Also on the property are a basketball/soccer court, a huge
multi-level "Jungle Gym", a sandbox and a swimming pool that
can be used nearly year around. Extensive remodeling and construction,
including the addition of a second floor on the main house, has improved
the property. Much of the work has been done by Service Teams.
There is one main building on the new property. The older boys live
at this location along with their house parents. They enjoy the use
of a weight room, trampoline and ping-pong table. There is also a "halfway
house" for the older boys that have graduated from High School
and are not yet ready to live on their own.
Transportation is taken care of by three vans and a small car. Public
transportation is readily available and inexpensive.
 PROGRAM
Christian and Dalila Albujar are the
houseparents for our older boys who are generally in high school or
getting ready to go out on their own. Like any parents they give the
boys love and discipline, teach them important skills like how to cook,
clean and respect others.
They seek to give the boys a spiritual base and an emotional support to
confront the tough issues which any teen faces but which often are
compounded in children at risk.
Currently the Albujars and their own 2 biological sons live with our 8
oldest boys in a rented facility 10 minutes from our main site.
FUTURE
Future plans include getting a new large piece of land in order to
build apartments for each family group (house parents with their kids).
This will enable us to house more children in a more family-type atmosphere
while having space to make workshops so that the kids can leave with
the knowledge of different trades such as carpentry, welding and auto
mechanics.
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