During the past twenty-eight years, St. Bernadette’s Children’s Home in Lima, Peru has undergone annual maintenance, as well as a few major renovations, in order to become more suitable and responsive to the needs of the children in the surrounding, economically deprived community. Now, as it begins to actively prepare for its 30th anniversary, it is preparing for another extensive renovation which is estimated to cost US$ 54,000.
The large and colourful Children’s Home today looks nothing like the shabby building on a rocky hillside that Fr. Tony Coney bought in 1996. “Over the years, St. Bernadette’s has changed and developed in ways that I could never have imagined!” Fr. Tony reminisces. “It started out as a response to the urgent need of local children to have a safe place to play, and to get help with their homework. Then, as the number of children grew and grew, the house was extended again and again. The size of the current building is at least ten times that of the original! And as the number of children coming here daily grew from about 40 to around 400, so did the range of activities that were made available to them, from crafts to computers, from dance to drama. Our most recent addition has been a gymnasium with all sorts of equipment for physical exercise, which the teenagers really enjoy.”
However, as the size of the building, the number of children, and the variety of activities multiplied, so also did the number of staff required to ensure a safe, caring and supportive environment. At present, 25 workers – including specialists in areas such as child psychology, safeguarding, and speech development – are employed, at a total annual cost of US$ 180,000.
“While our benefactors in other parts of the world are faithful in helping us cover a large part of these annual expenses, the local people are also very supportive” Fr. Tony emphasizes. “In July of each year we hold a large, outdoor festival with traditional music and dances, a raffle, children’s games, pony rides, food stalls, and so much else. It is both a fun day for families and a major fundraising event. Many of the people who attend it are parents who recall the enjoyment they experienced at the Children’s Home fifteen or twenty-five years ago, and who now want to help form similar, happy memories for their own children. They understand therefore just how important it is to support the Children’s Home. This past July, the festival raised US$ 32,000, which helps greatly to cover the wages of our employees.”
Yet, while Fr. Tony relies on many faithful supporters – both locally and internationally – to cover the annual expenses associated with running the Children’s Home, he is now faced with the challenge of overseeing major renovation work – and securing the necessary funds to cover it – by the end of this year.
“We have been talking about this renovation work for a few years, and the longer we delay it, the more the building is going to deteriorate, and the greater the expense will be” he explains. “The sole purpose of the renovations will be to ensure that the children who come here daily can participate in various activities in a safe, comfortable and nurturing environment. For example, at present the top floor has railing around the sides and a faded nylon sheet as a roof covering. That means that the breeze coming in from the sea makes it a damp and chilly place to engage in activities during the winter months. We plan to replace the rails with laminated glass, and the nylon sheet with an aluminum roof. We’ll also take care of some troublesome plumbing matters. And we’re going to reinforce the columns and beams in the original building, as well as repair the retaining walls, so that the overall structure remains sturdy and secure for another thirty years.”
Since the achievement of such a long-term goal will require short-term sacrifices, the Children’s Home will close for the duration of the construction work, from early September until the end of November. However, Fr. Tony is already focusing on the joy that lies ahead: “The last step of the renovation project will be to apply a fresh coat of bright paint to the inside and outside of the Children’s Home. Since it is located on a hilltop, that will be like a sign from heaven for the children and teenagers in the surrounding community – then they will know that the reopening is just around the corner! Our plan is to celebrate the re-opening with a large party and a Christmas gift for every child and teenager. I can already imagine the joy that the renovated Children’s Home will give all those hundreds of young people – not only during the Christmas season, but also throughout their summer vacation in January and February, as well as during the coming decades!”
