History: El Refugio de Esperanza (The Refuge of Hope) in Pucallpa Peru was started by Pastor Izquiedor in 1987.  El Refugio is a place where handicapped children will have the opportunity to become educated, self-sustaining individuals.  Pastor Victor and six other founders (all handicapped by polio) sought out disabled children to attend their school.

Even with minimal resources and supplies, El Refugio has grown to accommodate nearly 400 children every year, including more than 50 boarders.  Each year, Pastor Victor continues to pursue his goal of showing handicapped children their worth by mobilizing and motivating them to live independent lives.

Goals: Approximately 60% of the students have some form of disability.  Integrating these children with their non-handicapped peers teaches them to find their social role and grow in the knowledge that they have a place in a normal society.  The school runs from April to November and the curriculum is designed to give children a well-balanced education empowering them to achieve beyond their expectations.  The goal of El Refugio is to motivate and train each student to care and support themselves in today's society.

Program: A significant part of the educational program at El Refugio is vocational training.  Each student is taught a trade such as metalworking, sewing, shoe repair, prosthetics and physical therapy.  By learning a functional occupation from an early age, the students prepare themselves to re-enter society with a means of supporting themselves. 

Greatest Needs for the Home:

El Refugio de Esperanza needs improvements to the school building, numerous school supplies and a new bus to transport children to and from school.

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for Pastor Victor and his family as they continue leading the school

• Pray for the neighbors of El Refugio as they observe their ministry

• Pray for the students as they work hard to overcome their disabilities

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