International

The boarding school that fights for the future of seven indigenous peoples in the Amazon of Peru

Shirts, pants and backpacks hang from wooden beams in a large room full of old bunk beds in which students from a particular educational center sleep in the heart of the Amazon of Peru. This residence and institute welcomes 248 adolescents of seven ethnic groups who seek to improve their future and, with it, that of their peoples.

The Yankuam Jintia high school (‘Luz en el camino’, in the indigenous language Achuar) is located in San Lorenzo, capital of the Datem del Marañón, and is an option for teenagers who do not have educational centers in their small indigenous communities.

It has teenagers from 12 to 18 years old of the shawi, condoshi, wampis, quechua, awajún, shapra and achuar ethnic groups, from 95 peoples, so the mixture of languages and cultures is breathed in the walls full of murals.

It houses realities of all kinds, from adolescents whose families have decided to give a better education for their children than their community can provide, to those who are orphans or have suffered abuse and did not have a safe home.

“We are always doing shifts so that they are not alone. We are always here with you at all times, they are small who come for the first year at 11 and 12 years old. They are very brave when leaving the family to come to study (…) They need the paternal warmth from us as mother and dad,” the director of the center, Sandra Elizabeth Flores, tells EFE.

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He explains to EFE in the courtyard that this place was born as a male boarding school at the initiative of the missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who saw 50 years ago the little access that young people in these areas had to education.

“It was seen that our young people didn’t adapt much. There was a little bit of discrimination, because they didn’t master Spanish. Then the students came sad,” says the director, adding that for this reason the boarding school also became an intercultural school that respected the various origins of adolescents.

She adds, proudly, that the center has also been open since 2016 for girls, who are now a little more than half of the total.

“We do a comprehensive job trying to ensure that the children are respected, that the original language is maintained and we are working with a culture of peace,” says Flores.

The residence has an area for girls and a boys’ area, with several rooms per age group, in which some students have their books, hygiene material and glossy shoes tidy, while others keep their muddy slippers next to their toothbrushes.

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“The reality in this educational institution, on the one hand, is fun, we share cultures, beliefs, experiences with each other and we make the union as a family, but we lack some basic needs since the institution does not have enough resources,” Jean, a 15-year-old young wampi, representative of the students and whose native community is two days away from the institute, tells EFE.

In the wooden bunk beds, there are no mattresses for some, and there are no pillows or mosquito nets for everyone.

“Like all young people, we also need to have fun and we want tools like balls and poles to go to represent school when we play soccer and be presentable,” he says before adding that he wants to get a scholarship to study Law.

The director shares her frustration by agreeing that the center lacks resources of all kinds, but that every year teenagers who want to enter are left out.

For many, the objective is to get one of the scholarships granted by the Government to students of high performance and scarce economic resources to pursue a university career, so the routine of the institute is focused on studies, which occupy mornings and afternoons.

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But Jean admits that there is no computer in the center, a need that has identified a project developed by Unicef and Adra at the Datem del Marañón, which seeks to protect children, adolescents and their access to health services.

“We have worked with them on the issue of communication, their skills and strategies so that they can be able to easily develop, lose their shyness in front of the public when they express themselves or when they want to talk,” says the project coordinator, Lady Mondragón.

They also promoted the creation of ‘spots’ with messages alluding to health care that they have elaborated in the dialects of their native peoples, something that is not usually common since they are usually disseminated in Spanish.

He adds that, through this initiative, they have known the importance of promoting health in their communities, where they will then share them, which also helps to give a voice to these adolescents who live in a rich interculturality.

A project that gives communities a future of a present and a future that emanates from their adolescents.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.