Interview with Melanie Gonzales Zavaleta by Mary Ward International Peru
For those working directly with the Childhood Without Fear Project, each day is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with children and families navigating hardship in Huaycán, Peru. This densely populated urban community on the outskirts of Lima is home to many families living on steep hillsides. They face economic insecurity, high levels of violence, and have limited access to services. “For me, it means actively and directly contributing to children and families,” said Melanie Gonzales Zavaleta, a social worker with the project. “It’s about striving to create a positive impact that encourages change and improves their quality of life.”
Often, moments of hope arrive quietly: in the relief on a parent’s face or the returning spark of hope in a child’s eyes. “What impacts me most is when I see a family no longer feeling alone – when they find their own solutions to overcome challenges.” These small, but profound, shifts capture the true progress of the program: transformation beginning within the families themselves.
The project creates a safe environment where children, especially girls in grades 4 to 6, can break free from cycles of violence and discrimination. Through small discussion groups, educational workshops, and personalised support, students learn about their rights and how to protect them. This empowers them to pursue education with confidence while developing the skills to reach their full potential and contribute to stronger, more resilient communities.
The work is not without its challenges, yet resilience grows through self-awareness. “I am encouraged by the self-knowledge I’ve developed, recognising my abilities, limits, strengths, and even my fears,” Melanie shares. This reflective practice shapes how they accompany others: with clarity, compassion, and purpose.
Melanie shares a powerful insight about her work: listening is the key to the project’s success. “By opening myself to people’s stories and emotions, I recognise their dignity and strength. That trust allows me to support them as they take the lead in changing their own lives.”
Finding Her Voice
Eleven-year-old Cami had always shown great potential in the classroom, yet she often struggled to make sense of the discrimination she saw around her. As part of the project, she joined a safe discussion group for girls and adolescents, which gave her space to express herself and develop her leadership skills.
Cami now speaks confidently when something feels unfair and encourages the project to reach younger children so they can learn about their rights too.
“The right to freedom is very important,” says Cami. “It’s not about doing whatever we want but doing what is right.”
From Chaos to Safety
Twelve-year-old Davide lives in a neighbourhood affected by gangs, drugs, and violence. His class had been known for its disruptive behaviour, making learning almost impossible. Through the project, he and his classmates learned about their rights, including the right to education in a safe, respectful environment.
With the support of their teacher, the classroom atmosphere changed dramatically. Davide now feels safe and focused, yet he is deeply aware of the challenges older students continue to face.
“I would ask the project to also help the first years of secondary school, because here drugs and gangs are a very big problem that stops them from having a future,” says Davide.
Courage to Break the Cycle
Living in a precarious home on one of Huaycán’s steepest hillsides, ten-year-old Isabel faced domestic violence and economic hardship from a young age. Despite her cheerful personality and excellent grades, fear and uncertainty followed her into school.
Through the project’s workshops, Isabel learned she has the right to live free from violence and that her voice matters. She soon began helping to teach other children about their rights, speaking calmly and confidently about emotional safety and violence prevention.
Most remarkably, Isabel used her new understanding to seek external support for her mother, demonstrating courage and leadership beyond her years.
“Now I know that my opinion is valuable, and that it’s important for us to be treated with equality and without violence,” Isabel notes.
How Australian Support Is Driving Global Eduction
Peru
Child Rights in Huaycán
The children’s rights initiative, designed for upper primary school children, initially faced challenges due to basic literacy struggles. To address this, the team expanded its focus to include literacy improvement, helping students develop foundational skills to engage in the program. As a result, academic performance has improved, ensuring all students can fully benefit from the initiative.
South Sudan
Early Childhood Health and Nutrition
Access to health education has been transformative for the people of Maker Kuei in Rumbek. Mothers and caregivers are gaining essential knowledge to improve children’s health and nutrition, especially those under five. The program encourages families to attend free medical consultations, helping address preventable illnesses like malaria.
India
Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) Training Facility
The newly renovated training facility at the KMWSC head office is transforming how KMWSC delivers the educational component of its 17 community development programs. Previously, lack of transport limited rural participants’ ability to attend these sessions. The new centre removes this barrier, offering overnight accommodation and allowing participants to engage fully without the pressure of an arduous journey home.
The Loreto Community Centre is a learning hub for the people of Ostico. It currently serves as a place where English is taught to local community members, assisting them to make the most of opportunities in this fast-developing country.
HAFUCO training room in Triloca
The Mary Ward International funded training room at HAFUCO, a women-led cooperative, boosts the group’s ability to deliver maternal and child health education. Sessions are held twice a week, accommodating up to 30 participants per session, including university students from Dili who visit as part of their coursework.
Zambia
Sancta Maria College of Nursing and Midwifery
Read more here.
High School Lunch Program
In Lukulu, where many families face food insecurity, this program provides 80 students with the nutrition needed to stay focused in class. Well-fed students perform better academically, particularly in afternoon lessons, leading to improved participation and long-term success, helping them stay in school and graduate.
Diploma of Nursing Bursaries
Diploma of Nursing bursaries support students facing financial barriers, enabling access to quality education. These bursaries help students develop essential healthcare skills for remote regions, easing financial pressure while preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve health outcomes in underserved communities.
Breaking the Cycle of Violence
The dignity of children and their right to live free from violence and fear remains a key priority on the international development agenda. However, for many children, the threat of violence is still a daily reality, even more so in vulnerable communities such as Huaycán in Peru.
Huaycán is located in the district of Ate, approximately 16 kilometres east of the capital Lima. It is home to thousands of migrant families, many of whom live in slum-like conditions and face daily hunger, economic hardship, and preventable disease.
Like many similar communities, Huaycán experiences a high rate of violence against children, with most perpetrators being trusted adults within a child’s family, society, or school. Government child protection services acknowledge the issue but are understaffed and unable to guarantee the right to protection for local children.
Designed and managed by the Loreto Sisters in Peru, the Child Rights Community Education project supported by MWIA focuses on two main areas: preventing violence against children through education; and acessing care and recovery services for those who do experience violence.
Staff at the school where the project is being delivered have already taken ownership of the initiative and feel great pride in being part of this vital work. With the project team led by Sr Miroslava Santillan, the teachers have incorporated new educational modules into the school curriculum aimed at strengthening each child’s sense of identity and self-worth. Classes are currently being delivered to more than 60 students aged between 9 and 11 and take place during school hours to ensure they are accessible to all.
The new modules were designed by health workers specialising in preventing family and sexual violence against children. The modules use a rights-based and gender approach and consider the participants’ age and cultural and socio-emotional needs. Each session focuses on a particular topic: identity, coexistence, communication, decision-making, self-esteem, and emotions. Two final sessions specifically address the prevention of sexual abuse and how to ask for help from trusted adults.
The project team has trained school staff to identify potential cases of violence against children and how to assist those who need protection. At the community level, support networks have been established with government organisations, local health centres and community hubs when access to care and recovery for a child is required.
The many parenting workshops already conducted have proved incredibly successful and shown that most want to strengthen their parenting skills, learn about positive discipline, and better understand the rights of all children. It also became evident that many parents were unaware of the developmental impacts of violence. Sadly, in some cases, these sessions identified violence against children and required intervention.
Vital projects such as these fulfil the mission of Mary Ward International Australia and further work towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls for the elimination of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and any other forms of violence against children.
We hope that through the work of the Loreto Sisters, this project will continue to protect the lives and well-being of children in Huaycán, reduce social tolerance for violence and promote community-wide awareness of these issues.
“My son’s father has two reports of domestic abuse. My son has seen all the abuse that his father used to give me… I know that we have caused a lot of harm to my son, but his father doesn’t care, he carries on the same way.”
Ana*, mother of a grade 4 student, speaking to the project team after attending a parenting workshop.
BACKGROUND: Ana had previously taken out a court order against her husband and, along with her children, was receiving psychological therapy; however, they stopped attending during the pandemic when many mental health services were restricted.
OUTCOME: Through this project, Ana received personalised guidance and individual counselling about the impact of violence on her children’s physical and emotional health and has committed to resuming therapy.
