Dennis Rojas
School classes ended in December 2022 and all of OSA’s college students successfully finished another semester towards their goal of obtaining their bachelor’s degree. It is very clear to them that without OSA’s support they would not be able to pay for their tuition with the resources provided by their families. Rivaldo, Lidsay, Maricielo, Milagros, and Bryan had hybrid classes during the last semester as some restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic still prevail in several schools in Peru. This situation added more stress to their academic tasks given that internet access is substandard in Collique where all of them live. Maricielo, Milagros, and Lidsay had to borrow OSA laptop computers to do their schoolwork at home. The financial situation of Maricielo is particularly difficult to the point OSA is also covering transportation costs and school materials. Despite such challenges, they all have been promoted to the next semester and are looking forward to approaching the end of their college course work.
In addition to material and logistic provision, OSA provides on-going counseling and spiritual support through a counselor, a member of our staff, who monitors their performance and encourages them to continue moving forward. Monthly in-person meetings took place at OSA house where all students gather to share reports of their academic performance, pray together, and search for God’s direction for their lives. As an organization, we are very interested in being up to date with their family and personal struggles as we know their school performance can be affected by external factors that may destabilize their lives. Every time we gather at OSA house, all of them share their words of gratitude to God, the sponsors in the U.S., and the OSA staff for their multiple forms of support to their lives.
What comes next is summer vacation from January to March 2023 and then another semester begins for our students. Meanwhile, some of them spend time in church activities; others take some extra courses in college, help their parents in their small family business, or work several hours a day to save some money for college needs throughout the year. However, social instability, strikes, and mobilizations in Peru are still prevalent and we pray this will not affect the beginning of a new school year next April. We ask for your continuous prayers for this situation and our committed students.
“My dream was always to become a psychologist to help people in need, just like OSA does. I pray I also can build an NGO like OSA to help children pursue their dreams,” Maricielo
