PERU
Global Education Fund and House of the Children worked together to build a community library that has a strong emphasis on books relating to environmental preservation, natural science, medicine, indigenous history and health.
When asked why education is of utmost importance to the children in the Manu Rainforest, Nancy Santullo, director of the House of the Children, replied:
"The children living in the village belong to the indigenous Machiguenga and Muachipaeri ethnic groups. Each ethnic group is heir to a legacy of ancient wisdom and valuable medicinal knowledge that has been handed down through many generation. This knowledge has global application in guiding pharmacological research. Important drugs such as aspirin, quinine, morphine and the more recently developed drugs like vinblastine and taxol for cancer treatments are all derived from plants indigenous to the rainforest. We believe that the children are our best hope for carrying, advancing and integrating this knowledge into the future. As we help them, they in turn help us."