The city of Ayacucho is situated in the Central Andes at 2 752 meters above sea-level at a distance of 575 kms from Lima. It is the capital city of Huamanga province which in turn is one of the eleven provinces of the administrative region of Ayacucho. The two local languages are Spanish and Quetchua, a native American language widely spoken in the Andes. Ayacucho municipality, according to a 2007 estimation, has a population of about 150 000 inhabitants. 

Modern Ayacucho dates back to colonial times. It was founded in 1539 by the Spanish «conquistador» Francisco Pizarro who gave it the name of San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga. In 1824, Simon Bolivar, South America’s most famous revolutionary and liberator, renamed the city Ayacucho, meaning «corner of the dead» or «of souls» in Quetchua, a reference to the great battle that was fought nearby between the nationalist forces and the Spanish armies. The nationalist army defeated the colonial regime. The battle of Ayacucho not only sealed the Peruvian independence but eventually ended Spanish rule in South America.

The history of the region goes much further back in time. Remains of human settlement found in the Pikimachay cave near Ayacucho point at 15.000 years of long-term occupation. Various civilizations have ruled the area over the centuries. The Waris prospered between the 6th and 11th century. Their capital was located in the Ayacucho area, some 20 kilometers from the modern city. The Waris were the first to use military means to expand their civilization and conquered most of modern-day Peru.

They built large, rectangular stone buildings that proved to be earthquake-resistant. Their cities were laid out in strict grid patterns resembling modern city block structures and connected by an extensive road system. Important irrigation and drainage works allowed expanding the agricultural area on terraced fields built into the hillsides.

The civilization started to decline around 1000 AD. It was the last great empire before the Incas absorbed the Andean communities in the fifteenth century, extending their territory all the way to Chile and Ecuador.

AN INTRODUCTION: HUAMANGA PROVINCE, AYACUCHO MUNICIPALITY AND THE VISTA ALEGRE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Huamanga province, of which Ayacucho is the capital city, is geographically divided into the « sierra » (the highland) and the « selva » (the lowland jungle), each with different populations and customs, accounting for Huamanga’s social and cultural diversity. It is not only one of the poorest regions of Peru but was also hit hard by an armed conflict between the terrorist movement «Sendero Luminoso» (Shining Path) and the national government forces, a war that ravaged the province between 1980 and 2000. An estimated 69.000 citizens lost their lives of which 85% were from Ayacucho and the surrounding districts.

The violence has left lasting wounds. Ayacucho has a high percentage of one-parent families headed by widowed mothers as many more men than women were killed during the terrorist war – many men who left behind families. This, combined with traumas caused by long years of indiscriminate violence, has led to a general break-down of family structures. In addition, local social, medical and educational facilities are seriously insufficient. Many governmental development programmes do not include the region. Educational levels are low. With employment being scarce and wages very low, many men have to leave home for jobs elsewhere, often far away, their families being left to fend for themselves. Women and children are thus particularly hard hit by poverty. Economic and social misery has resulted in widespread alcoholism, domestic violence and drug abuse. In particular, child labour and juvenile crime are rampant. Many young people have little or no family experience and are disoriented.

However, Ayacucho is looking ahead and non-governmental initiatives such as Los Gorriones are warmly welcomed. It took Chantal and Gil van den Berg only nine months to open their children’s home. They choose to do so in Carmen Alto/Vista Alegre, a district in the outskirts of the city. It is one of the most underprivileged neighbourhoods of Ayacucho. Its inhabitants suffer from all of the problems described above. Their houses are rundown and the roads are bad. On the other hand, the condition of the streets being such that few cars venture out to Carmen Alto, it is a relatively quiet neighborhood where children can safely play in the street.

Los Gorriones is located on a dusty street full of stones and potholes. It only distinguishes itself from the surrounding houses by its bright pink front wall on which the home’s motto is painted: « Sin amor, nada soy » (Without love, I am nothing). Apart from this, the house has all the features of a poor local house offering rudimentary comfort. It is, and wants to be, fully part of the neighbourhood.