Through tireless effort, the Loretto Abbey community was able to raise $14,137.70 to support the Peruvian School Fe y Alegría #58 in their goal of building a new field and play area for their students. After three years of fundraising, the Loretto Sisters were presented with a cheque to contribute to this important initiative and support their mission in Peru.
Founded in 2002, Fe y Alegría #58 was built to help children living in Jicamarca who were unable to attend school due to the remoteness of the area. Thanks to the efforts of people such as Sr. Patricia McLaughlin (IBVM), the school now educates approximately 1,000 students who are learning all kinds of subjects, from geography to music. A field and play area for students is a much-needed addition, but the unstable terrain around the school makes construction of this project quite costly. Sr. Patricia’s advocacy inspired other Loretto Sisters and the Loretto Abbey community to join in supporting this initiative. Thank you to all the students, teachers, and community members whose help and generosity made this contribution possible.
Loretto Abbey has a strong history of supporting the valuable work of the Loretto Sisters around the world. Previous school fundraising initiatives helped fund the building of a playground for children after a monsoon destroyed their school in Thakurpukur; assisted with sustainable income projects for women in El Salvador through cashew agriculture; helped with the costs of housing and a treatment centre for women in Nairobi; helped provide a borehole and solar pump to allow for easier access to clean drinking water in Tanzania; and procured funds for solar cookers and sewing machines for women in remote areas of Peru. Within Canada, the school has also held fundraisers for the Angel Foundation, Becoming Neighbours: Welcoming Strangers, and the Arrabon House. These school-wide fundraising initiatives allowed Loretto Abbey students to see the far-reaching work of the Loretto Sisters, while supporting these worthy causes.
