In Peru, Adventist University Launches Literacy Initiative

With the ultimate goal of encouraging the habit of good reading, Peruvian Union University (UPeU) recently launched its 2022 literacy initiative at a school in Carapongo, Peru, in the Lurigancho district, east of the capital city of Lima. 

The project, titled, “Literacy and Education Moving Forward,” seeks to help low-income women in the area learn how to read or improve their reading skills, leaders behind the initiative said. Classes are taught by senior students majoring in education at UPeU, in a joint effort with the nearby Chosica municipal government, organizers explained.

Around 50 women participated in the first session, where leaders introduced the project and explained their teaching methods. The women also took part in ice-breaker and socialization group activities, organized by the UPeU team in charge of the initiative.

Abel Bacilio Grijalva, principal of José Faustino Sánchez Carrión school, the venue where the literacy initiative is taking place, said that the project is an excellent opportunity for parents of students attending the school, and the community in general, to join a program that will benefit them. “I will also use it to promote the habit of reading among the students at this school,” he said.

Organizers of the initiative explained that facilitators are planning to offer reading workshops throughout the year, with sessions held twice a month. UPeU student facilitators will teach participating women to read and write based on the theme of the eight natural health remedies. The eight natural remedies boost overall human health, which Seventh-day Adventists have traditionally emphasized as a way of reaching higher levels of wellness. The remedies include nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, clean air, rest, and trust in God.

“This is another way in which Peruvian Adventist University will continue with service activities that have a positive impact on the education of families across our communities,” UPeU leaders said. 

About Peruvian Union University

Peruvian Union University is a Seventh-day Adventist school near Lima, Peru, the second-largest of the Adventist universities in South America and part of the worldwide Adventist system of education.

It was founded in 1919 as part of the Industrial College in Miraflores, Lima. Presently, its main campus is located in Ñaña, with other campuses in the cities of Tarapoto and Juliaca.

Besides degrees in the School of Human Sciences and Education, UPeU offers dozens of other majors, including business administration, medicine, architecture, and theology. 

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.