"Silvia comes from a small community on the Inca Trail leading to Machu Picchu. Her community is in a beautiful natural area, but unfortunately suffers from challenges like alcoholism, domestic violence and poverty. There is also no option to access secondary education in near her home, so in order to attend secondary school she was chosen to participate in the Sacred Valley Project in the town of Ollantaytambo. Sacred Valley Project provides housing and leadership programming to girls like Silvia. Silvia dreams of one day owning her own restaurant and opening a shelter for abandoned children from in and around her community. To accomplish these dreams she applied and was accepted to Mosqoy. She just began her studies in Hotel and Business Administration and continues to build her leadership skills. We are excited to see Silvia develop into a leader for positive change in her community. “Si te caes, levántate y seguir viendo tu futuro.” “If you fall down, get up and continue to look towards the future.”

Fabiana is from Patakancha, a rural community above Ollantaytambo, Peru, where she is currently a youth leader in her community church. Fabiana graduated high-school a couple of years ago and has been trying to save up to continue her studies, but until Mosqoy’s scholarship opportunity came along, she didn’t have the means to continue her education. Fabiana will be pursuing her dream of becoming a leader in her community - a new, grassroots community-based tourism hub in the Sacred Valley - by studying Hotel Administration at a post-secondary trade institute in Cusco. She will also study English as a second language, be part of a holistic community leadership curriculum at Casa Mosqoy, and will continue to learn about her beautiful Quechua textile tradition that is a mainstay of her hometown.

Ana Lisbeth is from the community of Parcco near Calca, in the Sacred Valley of Peru. She is able to continue her studies to honour her late brother and fulfull her dreams with Mosqoy's support. Ana Lisbeth will be studying Business Administration at a post-secondary trade institute in Cusco and hopes to one day open her own business, where she can support future Mosqoy students and youth in her community. Ana Lisbeth finds great strength in her brother’s words, who wanted more than anything for her to continue her studies and follow her dreams despite challenges that came her way.

Agustin is from Cancha Cancha, a rural community that is home to only about 25 families, sitting at 4000 metres above sea level. To complete high-school, Agustin would walk three hours one way from his community, every day, climbing up and down a mountain, completing his homework en route. He is one of eight siblings in a Quechua-speaking one-bedroom household. Because of Mosqoy’s support and Agustin’s top-of-class status, he will be studying Tourism at CENFOTUR in Cusco - the most prestigious tourism institute in Cusco, accredited across the nation! Agustin wishes to set an example for his siblings and the other youth in his community, and to prove to himself that - despite the adversity that comes your way, and the few back steps you may have to do, “Yes, you can.”

Elim is from the community of Llanchu, above Calca, in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Elim hopes to study Hotel Administration at a post-secondary institute in Cusco, and to one day become a role-model in her community and employ graduates from the Mosqoy Youth Program. She also wishes to use the knowledge and tools she gains to support her mother, who makes beautiful textiles. Elim is currently working hard to pass the entrance exams, as she is facing a lot of competition from her fellow peers, as well as classmates who had better access to high-school education. We are supporting her at every step of the way and providing her with preparatory academies and tutors.