Peru is a South American country that borders Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile, and has an extensive coast along the Pacific Ocean.

In recent years, it has seen a dramatic rise in asylum applications in (upwards of 20,000 in 2017), many fleeing the economic crisis in Venezuela. This influx of people has increased risks for violence, trafficking, and exploitation, as well as caused economic strain as families seek to make a living.

RET first began working in Peru in 2018, and over the past year, we have implemented a project through Education Cannot Wait (ECW), focused on increasing the educational inclusion of refugee children, those in flight and exile, and adolescents in Tumbes through a project called Compartimos+.

The program (completed in 2023) targeted upwards of a thousand girls and boys, as well as their teachers, principals, and schools, and seeks to improve the access to- and quality of education.

In the metropolitan Lima and Callao, RET is working to reach more than 3,000 Venezuelan people in flight and exile and refugees to improve their quality of life. In coordination with the Ministry of Health, this program is fostering coordination between host communities and families of refugees and people in flight and exile.

In 2024, RET launched a multiyear resilience program, Aprender Sin Barreras, with funding from ECW, along with a consortium of organizations including Plan International, Association of Venezuelans in Trujillo (ASOVENTRU) – a local Venezuelan refugee women-led organization – and UNESCO. The investment will be delivered in coordination with the Peruvian Ministry of Education.

The project focuses on improved access, retention and completion of learning trajectories for both host community, refugee and migrant children. It will position educational institutions as safe spaces to promote social and emotional skills and wellbeing. In delivering localization, resilience and sustainability, the program will work to ensure all communities are empowered to meaningfully engage in the design and development of the program.