Characterized by densely packed buildings on its steep hills, San Juan de Lurigancho is the most populous district in Lima, Peru. The district is home to the Congregation of Holy Cross in Peru, where Holy Cross religious minister to a wide range of community needs.
One of Holy Cross’s ministries in San Juan de Lurigancho is Colegio Fe y Alegría no. 25, a school that educates students from preschool through high school. In recent years, it has become an annual tradition for members of the senior class to work together to build houses for two of the most impoverished families in the school community through the financial support of the Holy Cross Mission Center.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Mission Center awarded Colegio Fe y Alegría no. 25 a $5,000 USD grant for the construction of these houses. The funds purchased two prefabricated houses, along with paint, plaster, electrical supplies, and other necessary construction materials, at a cost of approximately $2,500 USD per family. Approximately 120 students participated in the project, which included hauling materials up steep hills and assembling and painting the houses.
Of the two families who received houses this year, one has a daughter enrolled in high school, and the other has three children enrolled in elementary school—all students at Colegio Fe y Alegría no. 25. Though the houses most directly benefitted these two families, the project has a broader impact on the whole school community. Neura Nieto, the teacher who has overseen the project for the past four years, notes that the students become more compassionate through the experience, as they learn to contribute to “a more dignified life for the poorest members of society.”
Through this tradition of service, the school community has grown in solidarity, collaboration, and gratitude. The Holy Cross Mission Center and its international partners are deeply grateful to the generous benefactors who make projects like this possible.
Provided by Madeline Thompson, Project Coordinator, January 2026
