Lunch, Lessons, Care at Los Martincitos

With both of her palms stretched out slightly off her body, Zoyla Zevallos Leyva,67, begins to sing a song in Quechua, a Native American language spoken primarily in the Andes of South America. She sways back and forth in a blank stare singing in a beautiful high-pitched, but raspy voice. This is how she forgets her worries and problems she faces back home near Cusco when she comes to Los Martincitos ( Little Martins).

Zevallos is one of the more than 100 senior citizens or abuelitos that take part in the Los Martincitos program at Oscar Romero Center located in Villa El Salvador, one of the most impoverish areas outside of Lima. According to ruralpovertyportal.org, more than half a million people in Peru are poor. The program is designed to help some of the most vulnerable people living in Villa by providing them with meals three times a week, physical activities, and medical care.

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News & Politics

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• Columbia
• Chronicle
• College
• chicago
• peru
• martincitos
• cusco
• south
• america
• quechua

[LydBee]

Thanks for posting this.

[LydBee]

Wow I am overjoyed to see this video!! I volunteered there in 2005, so happy to see so many familiar faces :))



[CCMexirican]

WOW...pretty cool. This was from when u did that trip to Peru right?! ;-)

@CCMexirican (Carolina C.)