Peace brings life.
Through November and December, we will be sharing stories of lives changed: survivors restored, children given a future, communities growing safer because local Paz y Esperanza teams refuse to accept violence as inevitable.
Nataly Huayhua Alanya is a young woman from Uripa, Chincheros, in the Apurímac region of the southern Peruvian Andes. She had big ambitions, but her life changed suddenly when, at age 17, she became a mother. “Taking on motherhood at such an early age meant reorganizing my priorities and postponing my personal dreams,” Nataly recalls. “I began to believe many of my dreams could never come true.”
During this period, Nataly focused on taking care of her baby and household chores, having to put her own aspirations aside. Her situation reflects the reality of many young mothers in the rural contexts and the human settlements surrounding cities of Latin America. Hope dwindled.
The turning point came in 2024 when she heard a radio spot for the Uripa CETPRO vocational training. Nataly attended one of four Technical-Productive Education Centers that Paz y Esperanza has equipped to address root causes of internal migration and vulnerability to violence. These centers were designed to provide equitable educational opportunities for prospective students for job readiness that fit their context and community. Through more flexible admission processes, educational support, counseling, and childcare services, students are given an opportunity to get an education that usually may not have been possible for them.
“What caught my attention most was the offer of a childcare space,” she informed us. “I could be in class calmly, knowing my daughter was safe. That gave me the strength not to give up.”
Within a short time, Nataly was elected president of her specialty and served as secretary of the CETPRO Student Committee. She has completed her technical training, and now dreams of studying Systems Engineering at a University. Nataly was just one of 164 mothers who successfully graduated from their respective training processes.
“I learned that I could lead, that my opinion is valued, and that I could represent my peers,” she says with pride. “A mistake or a difficult tragedy does not define us; on the contrary, it makes us stronger.”
We are telling these short stories for a reason. Every life changed this year is proof of what is possible, and it prepares us to serve many more people in 2027. The need is far greater than what any one team can meet alone. If you don’t currently receive our communications, subscribe today to stay in touch!
Join us
The work belongs to local peacebuilders in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, El Salvador and beyond. But they cannot do it alone, and they should not have to. You are needed.
Your church, your giving, your prayers, and your voice help local teams stay stable, equipped, and connected. When you join us, you become a partner in the work of peace and justice, standing beside leaders who already know the way forward.
Because peace brings life, we invite you to be part of it. Over the coming weeks we will be sharing more with you what that looks like and how you can be a part of what God is doing.
