Secondary School
In 2002, Comunidad formed a secondary school in Paccha. The school started with 40 students and currently has approximately 170 students. Prior to its inception, education beyond 6th grade was only accessible by walking two hours one-way, or moving to a big city. The importance of Paccha’s secondary school not only provides education, but also allows families to stay together and stay in the area.
In 2006, the government finally acknowledged the significance of the school and took over paying the salaries of five teachers, as well as hiring an administrator. This was a huge accomplishment for us and for the community to have gained the notice, and more importantly the support, of the government; a significant step in making our project self-sustaining. Comunidad's current focus with the secondary school is providing a nutritious lunch for all the students.