Mobilizing Youth And Non-Youth To Volunteer For Sexual Education In Cusco

Banesa founded Ñañaykuna in 2017 as a volunteer group interested in providing popular education to indigenous women about sexual reproductive rights in Cusco, Peru. Regardless of the great passion and sense of commitment the volunteers had for the mission of Ñañaykuna, it was very challenging to retain their engagement and to mobilise funds to compensate them for their time and at the same time cover the costs of their multiple projects. In 2020, during Banesa´s participation in the Youth Action Lab, Ñañaykuña was able to cover the fees to register as a non-profit organisation under Peruvian laws. The primary motivation of this registration was to protect their intellectual rights for the initiatives they create. In 2020, Ñañaykuna focused on a project called “Online Families” that seeks to work with women victims of GBV providing trainings on digital security, sexual education, and preventive measures against COVID-19. They achieved this through radio messages broadcasted throughout Cusco and online, as they were not able to meet in person for most parts of the year. 30 women survivors of GBV who engaged with Banesa´s organisation shared that thanks to the information and conversations facilitated by Ñañaykuna, they are aware they have the right to protect their life and to denounce domestic violence, and they now know what hotline to call to seek support when the police do not respond.

By the end of the year, Banesa’s work got such important recognition locally and regionally that 150 people in Cusco (all ages – young and not so young) expressed interest in volunteering for Ñañaykuna of which 50 were selected to serve as volunteers for a year. This was an increase of 33% compared to the number of applications received a year before. Additionally, the Organisation of States of the Americas recognised them with the award of Best Practices in a Latin American Youth-led Organisation. Thanks to the additional human resources acquired in 2020 and the recognitions, the team is very motivated to continue working in 2021 with the same passion and strength.