PERU – There is no place quite like it: the Floating Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca—the highest navigable lake on earth. Tourists flock to the southern highlands of Peru to see this remarkable site and learn about its inhabitants.
Here, on the outskirts of the lakeside city of Puno, Elsa lives with her husband and their children on the charming and unique island of Ccapi Uros. The floating island they call home is actually made of reeds, one their people built themselves. Says Elsa’s husband, Eduardo: “We only fish and craft for a living. Here where we live, we have a lot of visitors who come to learn about our lifestyle.”
The area is both lovely and remote. And while this brings some advantages—like a thriving tourism industry that helps support families like Elsa’s—that remoteness carries a hefty price for low-income residents: limited access to good medical care. It takes about an hour and thirty minutes to reach the closest city, Puno, traveling by boat and car.
Elsa and Eduardo already had two daughters—Cintia (17) and Mirian (11)—when they realized Elsa was again pregnant. Normally, native women in this region can’t afford much in the way of prenatal care.
Prenatal Counseling Program in Peru
But several years ago, after Operation Blessing learned of this community’s need, that changed. We introduced programs to train local health volunteers, offered nutritious food for preschool children, and introduced a prenatal counseling program in Peru. In fact, that’s how we learned about Elsa and her family.
Now, thanks to caring friends like you, expectant moms are prepared to enjoy their pregnancy, give birth to healthy babies, and strengthen the all-important bond between mother and child. The Operation Blessing team also performs monthly home visits.
When Elsa realized she was pregnant again, little did she and her husband know how big a blessing it would be. An ultrasound, provided by the Operation Blessing team, revealed that she would be giving birth not just to one child, or even two—but to triplets!
“I did not expect these results, but I thank God that He wants to bless me with another baby,” said a jubilant Elsa when she learned the news. “I will be waiting for all of them!”
Your compassionate aid meant Operation Blessing could also help Elsa meet the special needs of having a multiple birth. We taught her how to have a safe pregnancy and delivery— and provided her with a newborn kit filled with essentials like diapers, wipes, clothes, socks, and baby soap.
The new mother was delighted with this support. “With my first pregnancies, I didn’t participate in this kind of workshop; we don’t have those kinds of things around here. But thanks to Operation Blessing, now I could participate in a very useful program like this.”
And there were some unexpected benefits. “Thanks to this workshop, I could see my babies’ gender,” Elsa said. “I am also happy because the doctor said they are healthy and in a good position for giving birth.” And so you helped this grateful mother bring three new children into the world: sons Yosep, Yosias, and Juan.
Thanks to the continued support of generous partners like you, this family in the Peruvian highlands received abundant blessings—along with the miracle of three new lives!
