INFOCIMA Nº 39 – MARCH 2024

Smile of the Month:

Moisés Gómez

Hello, I am 13 years old. Before I joined CIMA, my life was an aimless routine. I spent hours and hours in front of the cell phone screen, surfing the internet without a clear purpose. I hardly left the house, except to go to the internet booth. My social relationships were limited to virtual interactions, and I hardly had any friends. I used to ask my mom for expensive food, without considering the difficult economic situation we were going through. I ignored her advice and refused the food she so painstakingly prepared for me. At night, I went to sleep at any hour. Everything changed when a family member intervened and made me reflect on the direction of my life. It was my uncle who told me about the importance of finding a purpose and recommended that I join CIMA. At first I was hesitant and finally decided to give myself a chance. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a psychologist who asked me questions to understand my situation. My tutor explained to me what the program was about, and what was expected from me: after some thought, I decided to stay. I now find myself writing this testimony, and I can hardly believe how far I have come in such a short time. Although I had doubts at first, I discovered a new path thanks to the support of CIMA. I was also offered the opportunity to join CIMA’s musical group called Wayra Marka, which I never would have imagined possible. In short, CIMA has given me a home, happiness and love. I’m grateful for this second chance and determined to keep going and make the most of everything this place has to offer.

Testimony of EXCIMA: Yerson Yauri

My name is Yerson. I came to CIMA in 2009 and stayed for 7 years. At first, when I arrived, I was scared because I didn’t know how the children were treated here. However, I was warmly welcomed by both the children and the educators from the very first moment. I had a hard time adjusting at first, especially getting up early, cleaning, and participating in morning prayer. Besides, I arrived in summer and the mosquitoes wouldn’t let me sleep. I really enjoyed playing soccer with my new friends. There were many workshops that interested me, such as crafts and cloth painting, farming, help with school leveling, and music. Before I came to CIMA, I didn’t like to study, I missed a lot of school and did not pay attention to the teachers. But here, I learned to value studying. I did my sophomore year of high school at CIMA and then finished high- school at the local school. On summer weekends, we went to swim in the river, which is dry in winter; we had walks in surrounding hills and went to Pampa Tinajas. In the summer we did a week-long camp on a beach south of Lima. Attending Mass was something new to me and what I loved most was receiving communion. Several boys from CIMA and I sang in the church choir. To this day, I still keep in touch with many of my former colleagues. We get together often to play soccer, make a barbecue and, above all, to talk and exchange ideas. We love each other like brothers. At first, I didn’t like helping in the kitchen, but over time I got used to it and started to like it. That helped me a lot because after CIMA, I became a kitchen assistant and now work in the appetizers and snacks area of a restaurant. Thank you CIMA for supporting me: I learned a lot of things and was able to develop as a person. Thanks to the tutors who were always attentive to each of us, and the workshops’ teachers who gave us a foundation that helps us in the work environment. And, of course, thanks to Father Jean-Louis for welcoming me at CIMA.

NO TO VIOLENCE!

Let’s work for Reconciliation, for Peace

Extract from Hamilton Henry – Founding Director of www.Posconflicto.org

Friend Hamilton is with us for a month. Hamilton is a Colombian who developed a methodology for a culture of peace. He has been refining his methodology over more than 20 years in different countries.

“How can we believe in the God of life in the context of death, where faith and hope are mixed with violence as well as the impoverishment of a majority? How can we make hope a journey in a context of violence that entangles relationships and projects for the future? These questions puts us in the light of what is our social responsibility and how we want to address it. What we call a violent death is a reality faced by thousands of people in different parts of the world. Our purpose is to walk the path of life from our respective reality. Time and distance have not broken our friendship and brotherhood with Jean-Louis, or prevent us from continuing to work to build the kingdom of God. God’s affection and love have called us to serve. What a God! We are faced with one of the greatest challenges: the crisis and the breakdown of the family. That leads to the drift of children and teenagers, living on the streets or in high-risk situations. They need comprehensive care and rehabilitation. It is the only way to reintegrate them into their homes and society. They are children and adolescents who crave for love, affection and understanding. A real hug would psychoaffectively change their life, their world, and possible mental illnesses or emotional conflicts. This change is not be limited to building a better future for themselves, it also helps their family, their community and society at large. The result is a better and more developed society, from which comes the blessing of prosperity. My experience with them and a closeness to their heart allowed me to build scenarios of trust. I witnessed their wounds and understood their problems, their hatreds and their grudges. I became aware of their reality to help them strive for a better life by making the right decisions. We start from the understanding of right and wrong: then, and adolescents identify their mistakes and correct them. This allows us to talk about issues of forgiveness and reconciliation, identifying opportunities for change and growth as a family, for a better future (www.HogarCima.org). We achieve this in peace by holding god’s hand. We live in a mercantilist and consumerist society, with a crisis of principles and values: it encourages violence, especially domestic violence. Children and adolescents suffer the consequences of this situation the most, generating traumas and wounds that mark them for life. Families face great difficulties and become obsessed with money, thinking that it solves everything. While money is important, it is not a life goal. We must learn to have an holistic vision and give a true value to our family, the love of parents for their children. This way, it is possible to overcome the challenges involved in this social, individual, family and collective responsibility. In other words, our true patrimony is to assume social responsibility and reduce the risks of the breakdown of the family. We can reflect on this and ask ourselves three questions: – who am I and how much am I worth? – What is my life purpose? – What will I leave here when I’m gone? Conflicts are inevitable human manifestations in interpersonal relationships. Life is noisy, chaotic, and distracts us from its essential meaning because it is full of demanding mental and physical challenges. We are swept away by a giant wave of stress; We are tired and our mental health is in danger. Successful people are those able to overcome that noise and chaos. Today’s society is experiencing a crisis, a breakdown of the family and a culture of violence and corruption. The new world order is identified by profound and accelerated changes, which generate conflicts that are difficult to resolve. These conflicts carry high human and financial capital costs. We must be prepared! The methodology that leads to conflict resolution is an interdisciplinary science. It allows us to learn the values of cohesion and to unlearn what was poorly learned. We start from the premise that any attempt to promote reconciliation and peace must promote the well-being of human beings; recognize the complex reality of problematic environments; and involve the entire family. That is the condition for ensuring that the outcome of the process is sustainable on the long-term. The family has a profound impact on the success or failure of a state’s objectives. Promoting the stability and solidity of the family has a valuable and positive impact on governments, peace-keeping and a healthy coexistence. That is the fundamental objective of citizens and their State. My methodology strengthens reconciliation and peace in a new way, with a proven impact. The task of consolidating, disseminating and evaluating it is possible by combining efforts with diverse experiences. CIMA is a privileged setting to achieve these purposes given that it is a training center. This innovative proposal for a culture of coexistence will profoundly strengthen the image of the family. Caring for vulnerable people and building balanced personalities presents us with the challenge of building and strengthening tools for community work. These tools help solve the difficulties of personal and family growth. In this way, we can face critical and high-risk contexts. Hatred, rage, resentment and the desire for revenge paralyze the relationships between individuals, families and human groups. The situation is even worse when we add injustices and violence accumulated over the years. The danger of violence increases when traumas are individual, and collective. The objective is to build and implement support programs for children, adolescents and their families. This way, we consolidate a culture of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace in the midst of conflict. Such a culture allows for the reconstruction of the broken social fabric. Violence is born in the person, grows in the family and multiplies in society; so is Peace.” Hamilton

Workshops and various activities:

School Education at CIMA

At home, we recognize the importance of education in the integral development of our children and adolescents. We know that several of them face academic challenges when they arrive at CIMA, some had even stopped studying. However, at CIMA, we are committed to providing them with an opportunity to get back on the path of learning. Primary school children attend a local state school outside of CIMA. Secondary students are taught within our facilities, thanks to an agreement signed with a private school. This approach allows us to offer a quality education that encompasses all stages of our children’s academic development. They receive the care and support they need to reach their full potential. At CIMA, we believe in the transformative power of education and strive to open doors to a future full of opportunities for all of our children and teens.

Birthday of the Month:

Here is the list of people who had birthdays this month: Children: Jhon Gutierrez Kris Sinchi Collaborators: Julia Huillca Rosa Bravo Eddi Fonseca Happy birthday!

Welcome to the CIMA Family:

We introduce the children who have arrived at CIMA over the course of this month.

• Sebastián Pertuza
• Jesús Cueva
• Eduardo Paredes
• José Gutiérrez
• Donovan Sánchez
• Radamel Sánchez
• Bhos Mateo Valenzuela
• Josué Valles

News:

• – On March 11, school classes began nationwide.

• – Our friend Hamilton Castro has been with us for a month, offering training to expand a culture of peace.
• – While on his vacation from work, the EX CIMA Yerson Yauri came to help for two weeks. His presence was very positive and we are grateful to see him.

• – At CIMA, we live the Holy Week with deep meaning and reflection, while organizing sports and cultural activities. Thank you!