Hogar San Andres
St. Andrews Home

Is the creation of Brian & Betty Attwell

A Home in Chosica - near Lima - Peru for 32-35 disadvantaged children - no more, because more would be an Institution not a Home.

The children come mainly from the "cardboard" dwellings that make up the shanty townships of Lima; officially there are 10,000 children fending for themselves but Revd. Brian - missionary extraordinaire - reckons there are double this number. In a country with many single-parent families and no social security, poverty-stricken parents can barely feed themselves, let alone growing offspring. In despair, they often abandon children - particularly the handicapped - in hospitals, on the streets or in the rubbish dumps.

The Children of Hogar San Andres

All the money raised - and we mean every penny (no admin charges) - goes to the Home and to those children.

If you would like to help more children like this then contact:

In 1994, $35,000 was raised to purchase the "House Next Door". This was a rather dilapidated Building with about 24 rooms and an area of land which enlarged the joint holding to allow for Brian and Betty (who are both trained nurses) to expand the Mission and include the hardship needs of the local Chosica community. 
This Project has now resulted in a DayCare Centre.

The DayCare Centre has proved extremely popular with the local single mothers. Brian & Betty are most concerned about their health - the mothers are suffering from TB, anaemia and internal problems , which have been neglected - the children are undernourished and underweight and are subject to every virus and infection that is going around.

A Doctor - who gives his services free of charge - visits the Home several times a week to treat the sick ones. Brian & Betty pay towards the cost of prescriptions, hospital visits, x-rays, tests & examinations - as well as the costs of surgery if necessary. Medical treatment is very expensive by Peruvian standards and beyond the means of these mothers. Betty ensures that children attend the DayCare Centre get good wholesome meals.

NEWS LETTER
We expect to publish a regular update of news on
Hogar San Andres . . . latest letter dated Spring 2003

CHOSICA, LIMA, PERU

Dear Friends
Warmest Christian greetings. I do hope you are keeping well. May I begin this newsletter by expressing our most grateful thanks for your generous gifts of money and your prayers for the disabled, orphaned and abandoned children in our care. Thank you very much indeed. 

I give below some latest news from the Home:

NEW CHILDREN 
We have recently taken in 3 new children. One is a little girl aged 2 years. Her mother has died and her father cannot be traced. We have also welcomed 2 small boys, brothers, aged 5 and 3 years. The mother is extremely poor and the father has deserted them.

"LADY DIANA" 
This really is the name of a little girl admitted to the Home last year. She is 2 years old and was born in prison where her mother is serving a 7 year sentence for drug trafficking. Her parents come from Portugal and the mother is suffering from severe depression and wants nothing to do with little "Lady Diana".

Following months of enquiries with the Portuguese Consul, the little girl's aunt and uncle arrived in Lima. city from Portugal, and have taken "Lady Diana" home with them. A happy ending to a sad story.

PARENTS IN PRISON
We have taken in two brothers, Ruben aged 9 years and Amaru, aged 2, because their parents are in prison convicted of terrorism.

OTHER CHILDREN
Most are keeping well and have returned to school after the very long summer holidays which began before Christmas until end of March. This is an expensive time ensuring that all the children have uniforms to wear plus all the essential text books and exercise books for each lesson that is taught. Some have learning difficulties and need extra tuition. Fortunately, the retired lady school teacher continues to come into the Home every evening to help the boys and girls with their homework.

SUNDAY SCHOOL
This is held in one of the large rooms in the Home. Betty and Christian members of staff conduct it, with the help of young people from a local church who lead the singing of choruses with guitars and other musical instruments. Even the severely retarded children like to clap to the music. The boys and girls much enjoy the Bible stories.

TRAINING WORKSHOP
The foundations have been laid and the walls built, and we are now busy putting on the roof. It is hoped to have it ready for use by early May. Tools and machines will be purchased to train our teenage boys in carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, and many other useful DIY skills for house repairs and home improvements. Such knowledge will help them get jobs when they eventually have to leave school and earn a living. 

HEALTH MATTERS 
Betty has a stomach ulcer making it difficult for her to hold down food. She has lost -a lot of weight as a result. She is receiving out-patient treatment at a good hospital in Lima city, and her condition is improving. Our son, Steven, is also making a steady recovery after treatment for the removal of kidney stones, but still has infection. Medicines are expensive in Peru, but our Secretary, Ray Spencer, has purchased a large quantity from a medical company in London at wholesale prices. 

MISCELLANY
Animal Farm continues to provide a regular supply of eggs and meat and we continue to bake our own bread in the clay oven in the grounds of the Home, some of which we distribute free of charge to the poorest families in the town.

Thank you again for your kind gifts and prayers. Every blessing and best wishes.

May God bless you. 

BRIAN AND BETTY ATTWELL