Located in the Cusco region of Peru, at an altitude of 4,800 meters, the Unidad Escolar Patacancha school welcomes local children.


Daughters and sons of farmers, most of them have to walk more than 4 hours to get to school, which is inaccessible by bus. There they learn the basics: reading, writing and, above all, arithmetic. The overwhelming majority of them will take over from their parents, who know that if you can't count or write, you can't sell your crops in town. Despite the rudimentary breakfast and the seeming priesthood of the daily journey to school from the outside, all the pupils already seem to regret having to leave one day.

UNIDAD ESCOLAR PATACANCHA

A man wearing a colorful hat, blue sweatshirt, green jacket and holding blue documents, standing against a white wall with a concrete lower section.

A man wearing a colorful hat, blue sweatshirt, green jacket and holding blue documents, standing against a white wall with a concrete lower section.

Group of people dressed in colorful traditional clothing, examining objects in a cardboard box. The scene takes place outdoors, near a wall and a water surface.

Group of people dressed in colorful traditional clothing, examining objects in a cardboard box. The scene takes place outdoors, near a wall and a water surface.

Peruvian children dressed in traditional red clothing, some wearing hats, with a background of mountains and blue sky, most carrying a bag or object, including a box with texts related to food aid.

Peruvian children dressed in traditional red clothing, some wearing hats, with a background of mountains and blue sky, most carrying a bag or object, including a box with texts related to food aid.

Children play ball in an open-air courtyard, dressed in colorful traditional clothing, with a mountain in the background and a red-roofed house.

Children play ball in an open-air courtyard, dressed in colorful traditional clothing, with a mountain in the background and a red-roofed house.

A young girl dressed in colorful traditional clothing, standing in front of a whiteboard in a school classroom, thinking or studying.

A young girl dressed in colorful traditional clothing, standing in front of a whiteboard in a school classroom, thinking or studying.

A smiling girl wearing a colorful traditional garment with a red hat in a room.

A smiling girl wearing a colorful traditional garment with a red hat in a room.

Two children in traditional Andean costumes sit in a colorful room, one seated on a wooden chair with a red hat, the other leaning over a table, decorated with posters and papers on the wall.

Two children in traditional Andean costumes sit in a colorful room, one seated on a wooden chair with a red hat, the other leaning over a table, decorated with posters and papers on the wall.

A child in colorful traditional clothing works on a large flipchart with numbers, in a classroom. Other children in traditional dress sit at tables in the background.

A child in colorful traditional clothing works on a large flipchart with numbers, in a classroom. Other children in traditional dress sit at tables in the background.

A man shows a young girl how to write with a wooden stick at a table, in a room decorated with posters and papers written in Spanish.

A man shows a young girl how to write with a wooden stick at a table, in a room decorated with posters and papers written in Spanish.

Children sitting in a classroom, some wearing traditional hats, with a blackboard and a banner written in Spanish on the back.

Children sitting in a classroom, some wearing traditional hats, with a blackboard and a banner written in Spanish on the back.

Mexican children in traditional uniforms, wearing red hats, sit at their desks in class, concentrating on their work.

Mexican children in traditional uniforms, wearing red hats, sit at their desks in class, concentrating on their work.

Andean children play skipping rope in a school classroom decorated with posters and bright colors.

Andean children play skipping rope in a school classroom decorated with posters and bright colors.

Children in colorful traditional dress play in a classroom with pictures and wall decorations, including a moving person skipping a skipping rope.

Children in colorful traditional dress play in a classroom with pictures and wall decorations, including a moving person skipping a skipping rope.

Young girl with a backpack, wearing a red sweater, in a classroom with a whiteboard and a drawing of a girl in the background.

Young girl with a backpack, wearing a red sweater, in a classroom with a whiteboard and a drawing of a girl in the background.

Three children in traditional dress in a school classroom, one girl holds a pen and another bites a pencil, with a chalkboard and decorations in the background.

Three children in traditional dress in a school classroom, one girl holds a pen and another bites a pencil, with a chalkboard and decorations in the background.

Five Andean children dressed in colorful traditional costumes, wearing red hats, in a classroom in front of a blackboard with mathematical equations written on it.

Five Andean children dressed in colorful traditional costumes, wearing red hats, in a classroom in front of a blackboard with mathematical equations written on it.

Children sitting in a classroom, wearing colorful traditional clothes and hats. The board behind them features drawings and texts, indicating that they are probably in a school in Peru.

Children sitting in a classroom, wearing colorful traditional clothes and hats. The board behind them features drawings and texts, indicating that they are probably in a school in Peru.

A young boy standing in a rocky environment, wearing casual clothes with a colorful cap, talking or looking at the camera.

A young boy standing in a rocky environment, wearing casual clothes with a colorful cap, talking or looking at the camera.

A young girl in colorful traditional clothing, wearing a red sombrero, writes in a notebook at school.

A young girl in colorful traditional clothing, wearing a red sombrero, writes in a notebook at school.

Indigenous children dressed in traditional red and green clothing sit at a table in a classroom, looking at a book with a red pen resting on it. A colorful wall and an animal drawing are visible in the background.

Indigenous children dressed in traditional red and green clothing sit at a table in a classroom, looking at a book with a red pen resting on it. A colorful wall and an animal drawing are visible in the background.

Group of people dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing, using computers in a room with a sign on the wall reading "COMUNICANDO NOS" in colorful letters.

Group of people dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing, using computers in a room with a sign on the wall reading "COMUNICANDO NOS" in colorful letters.