The story behind Oye LENA

From a personal dream in 2012 to a warm place for inclusive education and care in Curahuasi.

Education as the key to change

In the beautiful but remote mountains of Curahuasi in Peru, reality is harsh for many children. Poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of quality education form daily barriers. For vulnerable children from the poorest families, and especially for girls, the path to a better future is often blocked before it has even properly begun.

No one left on the sidelines

However, the largest invisible group are the children with disabilities. In traditional Peruvian society, they are often excluded from education or even seen as a ‘punishment’. At Oye LENA, we believe that every child, regardless of disability, background, or gender, has the right to learn, play, and grow.

What we do

Since 2012, we have been building a warm place where inclusion is the norm. We offer not only after-school support and preschool education but also specialized care for children who have nowhere else to go. By investing in the early years of a child’s life, we lay the foundation for a life full of new perspectives.
Een vrijwilliger speelt gitaar samen met een leerling met het syndroom van down.
Een groepsfoto van het Belgische team. Hierop staan Stefanie, Sofie, Milena, Sara en Ilse.
Sara, Sofie, Stefanie, Milena and Ilse


The team behind Oye LENA Belgium

Oye LENA is passionately supported by a strong Belgian team that bridges the gap between Peru and Belgium every day. At the foundation of it all is our founder and project manager, Stefanie Van Erps, together with her Peruvian husband. After her studies as a teacher and a postgraduate degree in Development Cooperation, she traveled to Peru where she built this beautiful educational project from the ground up in Curahuasi.

To better support the project from Belgium, we have been an official Belgian NPO since July 20th, 2022, led by directors Ilse Cayron and Milena Vleminckx-Huybens. Milena already knows the inner workings firsthand, having previously spent a full year working on the project in Peru.

In addition, the board receives indispensable support from our regular volunteers Sara Defoor and Sofie Cumps. Sara, an educational psychologist by training, worked as a class supervisor in Peru for years and is now the primary point of contact for sponsorships from Belgium. Sofie also spent six months working at Oye LENA and now enthusiastically guides the new volunteer candidates.

Together, they help with emails, administrative tasks, and finding sponsors. In short, a close-knit team of (former) volunteers with one shared passion: building a better future for the children in the Andes through education!

Team Peru: Diofe,Gisela, Claudia en Christel
Diofe, Gisela, Claudia and Christel

The team behind Oye LENA Peru

Our permanent local team in Curahuasi is the trusted backbone of the project. Thanks to their daily dedication and expertise, we can offer a safe and educational environment to all children, from the very youngest to our teenagers.

The team is led by Gisela Catalan Ovalle, who, as co-director, maintains an overview of the project and keeps everything running smoothly. She is also responsible for guiding the volunteers on the project.

Claudia Roldan Mendoza is our dedicated supervisor for the preschoolers and babies, and also supports the activities for children with disabilities with immense patience.

For the older children, Christel Vera Vargas is the main point of contact. As a teacher, she brings valuable depth to the guidance of these groups.

Finally, there is Diofe García Delgado; not only is she our cook who provides healthy meals every day, but she also loves to roll up her sleeves to help with the older children.

Together, they form a close-knit family that makes a difference for the community in Peru every single day!

The people behind Oye LENA

From Dream to Reality

2012

The Seed

Stefanie and Valérie lose their hearts to Peru. What starts as a small idea for an educational project in Curahuasi quickly grows into a concrete plan.

2013

The Official Start

Oye LENA is founded as an officially recognized NGO. We welcome the first 20 preschoolers in a temporary classroom. The dream is now a tangible reality.

2014

Inclusion & Own Classrooms

An absolute milestone year. We launch our inclusion project, giving children with disabilities a place in the classroom as well. At the same time, we move into our very first self-built classrooms.

2018

Recognition and Growth

The impact of our work does not go unnoticed. Oye LENA wins the prestigious ‘Anis de Oro’ and is awarded as the best project of the year in the Apurimac region.

2024

Appointment of a Local Director

The appointment of the Peruvian director Gisela marks an important moment for the organization. Thanks to her strong bond with the local population, she manages to steer the project in the right direction and strengthen the impact of our work in the region.

Today

A Sustainable Future

What began with two idealists is today supported by a professional local team. They make a difference every day, unconditionally backed by a strong support base in Belgium.
Kinderen staan naast elkaar met hun zelf gemaakt halloween kunstwerkje.

The Impact Today

Children supported weekly
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Toothbrushes distributed per year
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Local Staff
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Warm meals per week
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