The dream of a high school in Ayacucho village began to take shape in the summer of 2018. That year, Barbara Land, Executive Director of the Nevada Building Hope Foundation (NBHF), met with Walter Antonio Navarro Paredes, Principal of the Ayacucho Schools; Martin Da Silva Saavedra, owner of the Curassow Amazon Lodge; Tony Arevalo Mendoza, Mayor of Ayacucho Village; and Alex Cachique, President of the PTA. Together, they approached the Department of Education in Iquitos City to seek permission to bring secondary education to the village. In October 2018, the Minister of Education approved for NBHF to pursue the funding needed to make this vision a reality.

In 2019, two dedicated supporters, Ahhyun (Bailey) Ahn and Maksym Taran, raised the funds to launch Phase I of construction. By March 2020, the doors of the new high school opened for the first time. Before this milestone, children from Ayacucho, San Juan de Yanayacu, and Junin Villages faced enormous barriers to education beyond primary school. To pursue a high school diploma, they had to travel to distant towns—some as far as eight hours away—living apart from their families in dormitories, with relatives, or with family friends. The cost of transportation, lodging, and food placed this opportunity far out of reach for most families. As a result, many children’s education ended with primary school, and their dreams of a future beyond their village remained unfulfilled.

AHS Class of 2024 Graduates!