Jangala’s Technology in Cusco: Enabling Peruvian Charity LAFF to Change Lives
From the peaceful coastal plains to the misty peaks of the Andes, Peru is as diverse as it is breathtaking. At over 3,400 metres above sea level, sits the historical city of Cusco, once the heart of the Inca Empire.
Surrounding Cusco is the Sacred Valley, with terraced fields and traditional villages like Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and leading up to Machu Picchu; showcasing the architectural genius of the Incas.
Cusco is now home to Jangala’s Big Box, our flagship internet connectivity device, where it is being used to transform education and inspire futures.
Nearly 4 in 10 Students in Cusco Drop Out Before Finishing Secondary School
Despite the global tourism appeal, young people in Peru face significant challenges as the country is considered the least equitable in South America in terms of education. In rural areas, such as the Cusco region, 20% of young people do not complete primary education, and 38% never finish secondary school.
There is a huge disparity in education quality between rural and urban areas. In Cusco, schools and educational institutions are under-resourced, limiting young people's access to essential tools for meaningful learning.
Consequently, larger problems have surfaced in areas with limited access to quality education, such as teenage pregnancy, with 23% of teenage girls in rural Peru becoming mothers.
Many teenage mothers are forced to leave school, a situation that affects eight out of ten pregnant teenage girls in Peru, according to the Ministry of Education*. This forced interruption harms their mental health and development, and puts an abrupt end to opportunities of academic and personal growth.
Peruvian Charity LAFF is Changing the Narrative
The Latin American Foundation of the Future (LAFF) is a charity tackling these challenges head-on. LAFF is on a mission towards a Latin America where all children and young people receive full support to access quality education and equal life opportunities. Registered in the UK in 2008 and as a Peruvian charity since 2023, LAFF collaborates with organisations deeply familiar with the local context of residents in Cusco, providing support in quality education, personal development, and capacity building.
LAFF works with three local partner charities in Cusco: Casa Mantay, Mosqoy, and the Sacred Valley Project. All three organisations drive grass-roots development in their communities. LAFF supports these organisations by covering tuition fees, providing various types of tutoring, supplying academic materials, and facilitating access to online resources and digital skills.
Building Partnerships in Challenging Environments
While visiting other Jangala project partners, Leo Hernandez, Jangala’s Head of Programmes, transported three Big Boxes from Jangala’s workshop in London all the way to Cusco in Peru. During his visit, he met with various partner organisations to gain further understanding of the local need for Jangala’s technology.
“It was a wonderful experience spending a week with the LAFF team, learning more about their work through various visits to Casa Mantay, Sacred Valley Project and Mosqoy, where I was able to witness first-hand the excellent work they do as well as meet the staff and young people they work with. We were able to install equipment at each site, whilst gaining some really useful feedback on Big Box. It was a privilege to see their work in action and learn more about Cusco and the Sacred Valley region with Amapola and her team..”
Most local organisations in Cusco have access to cable internet. However, the signal is often weak and unreliable due to the mountainous terrain surrounding the city. As a result, many organisations cannot depend on the internet to meet the needs of their students and staff. In 2023, LAFF introduced Big Boxes, to the three organisations they support to create a reliable internet connection that would later be integrated with educational resources.
“The entire LAFF family is very happy and grateful to Jangala for the donation of Big Boxes and laptops for each of our partners, also for their incredible team that is always very kind and attentive.”
Once connected, the Big Boxes amplified existing cable internet, enabling both students and teachers to connect and use the internet for online resources, educational materials, and acquiring digital skills.
The Lenovo Foundation Magnifies Jangala’s Impact
In May 2024, the Lenovo Foundation, in collaboration with Jangala, donated 12 laptops to LAFF's three partner organisations in Peru as part of their mission to empower under-represented communities with access to technology and STEM education.
“The girls were so excited when we arrived with the laptops and loved opening them up. It’s not very common for them to get something brand new so they really enjoyed that. The laptops will be really useful for them to take ownership of their own schoolwork [...] They will also be able to take part in online courses.”
This contribution directly improved the quality of education for young girls, boys, and youth in Cusco. Today, students in the Sacred Valley Project can complete their homework, conduct research, and find answers to their many questions online.
“Not only were the laptops going to make a difference for their academic development by helping them to access online resources, but they were also going to open up a world of new possibilities such as being able to listen to music online, watch films, and keep up to date with the latest news on social media.”
Having a reliable internet connection and the necessary tools is sparking many interests in students, including Luz Brenda, an inspiring 16-year-old high school student in the Sacred Valley Project. Luz is passionate about languages and dreams of learning English and Korean. Her interest was sparked by English-speaking tourists visiting her home; Luz wanted to understand them better and answer their questions about Cusco's history.
“My dream is to speak English. I learned the basics of English and even some Korean from the computer. I picked up English by listening to music and watching English videos with subtitles. I learned a lot from songs by BTS, Sara Larsson, and Alan Walker. Now, when tourists come to my town, I try to talk to them [...] Here at SVP, when we have questions, we often look them up on the internet, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Luz Brenda - 16 years old - SVP
At Jangala, we are immensely proud of how Big Box users are thriving and exploring their interests online. Ordnia and Nataly, both 14 years old, are now using the internet in various creative ways.
“We are working on a project about What Things Grow in our Community, and we are using the computer to find examples and make a maquette for our maths class. We’re also looking for poems for July, the month of the flag in Peru.”
Ordania and Nataly - 14 years old - SVP
The work of LAFF and their local partners in Cusco is a wonderful example of the impact that we strive to achieve. It shows how technology can transform an entire generation in multiple ways, provide endless answers to curious young minds, and unlock endless opportunities for self-expression, creativity, and personal growth.
At Jangala, we have a deep admiration for the inspiring efforts of the Latin American Foundation of the Future in communities across Peru, and are grateful for the ongoing support from the Lenovo Foundation, without which none of this would be possible. The impact of our partners across the world brings us closer to our mission of equalising technology for everyone and connecting four million people by 2030.