Since 1988, Generación has worked to restore the human rights of street children in Peru.

Friends of Casa Generacion’ss (FoG) primary role is to gather funds, resources, and volunteers in the United States to assist Generación. As an extension of Generacion, our efforts support the organizational mission to protect street children and provide the resources and skills needed to create the life they dream of. Working together, we can promote a bright future where at-risk children in Lima can articulate and achieve their hopes and dreams.

Our Areas of Impact.

Our Group Homes

Our group homes provide a safe, secure, and loving environment to address the immediate needs of children and adolescents at risk in the streets of Lima. Not only do our homes provide protection, resources for basic needs, and therapeutic services, but they also create a loving space to call home. 

As the children of Casa Generación embark on their new journey, they build relationships with their fellow house members and Generación staff. This welcoming environment empowers them to heal, grow, and thrive. Youth involved in our group homes experience improved attendance in school, an increase in family engagement, and an increase in positive social behaviors and self-esteem.

- Veronika’s House: Group home with a focus on providing compassionate, mental health services for survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

- San Bartolo House: Group home for children located near the ocean. Here, youth are provided access to therapeutic activities, such as surfing, to help them heal and develop their self-confidence.

- Magdalena House: Youth and student housing. Generación administrative headquarters.

Private Education

The at-risk children, teens, and youth living on the streets of Peru rarely attend public school. When they do, they are often mistreated due to what is viewed as their low status. As a result, many of these children lack the support education can provide for a solid future. At Generación, we provide private education and access to tutors for over 250 children, teens, and young adults every year. Our academic programs teach the fundamentals of math, reading, and writing, while providing the daily structure children need to thrive.

Trade Skills Training

In addition to our academic programs, Generación aims to provide our youth with valuable life skills they can apply in the real world. From cooking, baking, and sewing to starting micro-enterprises and opening a coffee shop, we strive to provide opportunities for children to learn trade skills that will help provide them with opportunities in the future.

Ocean Camp & Surfing

Harnessing the healing power of the ocean, our San Bartolo ocean house provides a therapeutic refuge for youth to get in touch with nature and start their healing process. Through surfing and other activities, the ocean has the ability to trigger a psychological state of calm and contentment. In many ways, it can help wash away the pains of the past as our youth embark on the journey to their future.

Visual Arts

Art is a powerful means of expression. For centuries people have used art as a way to express their feelings and improve their well-being. From a very young age, we instinctively use drawing, painting, or modeling clay as a way to communicate, reduce stress, and express emotions. Youth involved in our visual arts program learn the valuable lessons of creativity, problem-solving, self-determination, and self-worth. They receive weekly lessons in painting, drawing, and other forms of artistic expression that not only help their healing process but also provide a bit of creative fun. 

Music & Theatre

Similar to the visual arts program, our music and theatre programs not only serve as a therapeutic form of expression for our youth, but they are also fun! Our yearly production of “Nana de la Calle” is performed by the children, teenagers, and young adults who live or lived in the streets of Lima to provide a realistic representation of violence in the streets. Through dance, song, acting, and music, they spread their message and tell their story.  Over the years, the production has evolved to include the various mediums of performance the children would like to include. In 2005 the production included a rap performance. In 2006 they transformed the material into an opera. In September of 2008, they were able to launch a pilot program performing the play at secondary schools of Lima. 

Mental Health Services

Children and adolescents living on the streets are incredibly vulnerable to the harsh realities of poverty. Street children are exposed to the constant threat of starvation, human trafficking, violence, physical abuse, and sexual exploitation. Often homeless or forced to sell wares on the streets to support their family, these children are denied the fundamental rights of education, dignity, self-respect, and the dream of a better future.  When they arrive at Generación, their wounds are fresh and the healing process has only started to begin. We provide our children with access to ongoing mental health services aimed at facilitating their path to healing, growth, and development.

Community Organization

All the children, teenagers, and young adults who reside with Generacion participate in community organizing and outreach. The youth identify their needs and work to resolve their problems in a collective manner. This process helps to develop the confidence and capability of the youth as community members to organize themselves - taking an active role in reshaping their world from the ground up.

Street Team 

Generacion’s street team was developed to identify the street children who need immediate assistance. This team of social workers, psychologists, and educators also designs the platform of support, and develops the activities that will provide the children with opportunities to change their own lives.