About Los Martincitos

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Donations to Adopt a Grandparent go directly to Los Martincitos, a non-denominational enrichment program for poor senior citizens in Villa El Salvador, a shantytown outside Lima, Peru. The 145 members of the program, most of whom are at least 65 years old, have been relegated to living their advanced years in destitution. The program provides nutritious meals to the seniors three times a week, along with basic medical care, classes, activities and a sense of community.

Established in 1987, Los Martincitos is part of a wider seniors program organized through the Peruvian government known as "La Programa Especial de la Tercera Edad" ("The Special Program for the Third Age"). Groups similar to Los Martincitos exist across the country, each attempting to give Peru's oldest and poorest citizens some dignity in their final years. A total of nine such groups function in Villa El Salvador alone. These groups typically have a director, a treasurer, a social worker and one or two medical personnel. Nearly all these positions come from volunteer staff.

Los Martincitos is housed in the Oscar Romero Center in Villa El Salvador, a tidy campus of small buildings donated by the Catholic Church. The center consists of a main gathering room, a small clinic, a room for literacy classes, offices, and a kitchen. The central courtyard serves as an area of relaxation for the seniors to sit with their friends in the sunshine.

Los Martincitos is extremely popular and has exceeded its capacity. When it was first established, the program accepted anyone from Villa El Salvador who was at least 65 years old and poor. Due to its popularity, however, Los Martincitos has been forced to develop tighter requirements for entry; applicants must be in a desperate situation, either with no family or with abusive and neglectful caregivers. Even with such requirements, the program maintains a lengthy waiting list.

The enthusiasm at Los Martincitos is infectious. On any given day of activities, participants often show up early so they can merely bask in the spirit of the program. Many of the women arrive at the program at 7:30 a.m. to help with food preparation, while several men often come early to do gardening, sweeping and other setup activities. During the program, even when volunteers are available, the seniors help with disbursing and gathering plates of food, washing dishes and aiding those others who can’t aid themselves.

There are many activities for the participants of Los Martincitos, tailored for their health level, their mental and physical dexterity and their skill sets. Most of the mornings have an exercise class; during the class, seniors help those who are less able to work on their fitness. One day a week, a volunteer Tai Chi Master provides instruction. A game or program usually occurs in the morning, sometimes planned and presented by schoolchildren from nearby areas. The literacy class consists of 20 students learning how to read and write Spanish; the small crafts display provides items for sale to the community; the garden raises a small amount of food for the martincitos to eat (and sometimes to sell). If a program member is unable to travel to Los Martincitos for some reason, the program and its benefits will come to them: staff members often volunteer to visit the housebound participants. Other members who are unable to find transportation to Los Martincitos often are brought there by mototaxis, thanks to donations from nurses.

Los Martincitos seniors are often called “martincitos” themselves. “Los Martincitos” is translated as "Little Martins" in English, referring to St. Martin de Porres, an 18th-century saint who is revered for his work with the poor. St. Martin was one of the first Peruvians to attain sainthood.

 

Staff

Antonio Palomino Quispe:

Antonio (“Tony”) is one of the founders of Los Martincitos and currently serves as the institution’s director. He has been working at Los Martincitos since 1988. Prior to this position, Tony worked as the Assistant to the Father at San Martin Church for eight years. Tonny is a very “hands-on” director; he can be seen helping out in the kitchen with prep work, organizing meetings with various groups and helping address matters of senior abuse and other injustices. Tony is from the town of Chichas, which is situated in the Sierras, near Arequipa. He has lived in Villa El Salvador for over 30 years and knows how difficult it is to survive there. He loves his job at Los Martincitos and he loves seeing the seniors’ smiling faces every week. Tony’s salary is paid by Cross-Cultural Solutions, a charitable organization in the United States.

Sr. Jacqueline Glessner:

Sister Jacci is a School Sister of Notre Dame. She worked in Peru in the 1980s and then returned in 2000 to work at Los Martincitos. In addition to her efforts at Los Martincitos, Sister Jacci is involved in several other ministries, including catechesis and youth ministry. She finds her work at Los Martincitos very rewarding and she loves working with the seniors. She often says that Los Martincitos is a very special place for her, stating that working with the seniors has made her more loving, more desirous of living a simple life and more grateful for what she has. Like all her fellow sisters, Jacci’s subsistence comes totally from donations. Sister Jacci is also a member of Adopt a Grandparent's Board of Directors.

Staff Members:

Two other paid staff members include a nurse, who visits one morning each week, and a social worker. Their salaries are paid by donations. A large volunteer support staff, including cooks, program assistants, and maintenance workers, helps keep Los Martincitos running.

 

Funding

Funding is a constant challenge at Los Martincitos. The Catholic Church donated the Oscar Romero Center, but it doesn’t provide any operating funds for basic services such as electricity or telephone service. The Peruvian government provides only small food donations and a literacy teacher. Individual donations, such as those made to Adopt a Grandparent, are solely responsible for generating enough income to serve food and deliver critical services to the seniors of Los Martincitos.

The program is in a constant struggle to procure private support. When fundraising efforts don't meet the financial needs of the program (approximately $1,700 per month), program activities are postponed and seniors on the waiting list remain unserved. Often, it seems, the entire program faces the prospect of elimination because even basic services cannot be provided.

 

 

Visiting Los Martincitos

Visitors and volunteers are always welcome at Los Martincitos! Feel free to contact Adopt a Grandparent Executive Director Pamela Jay-Paralikis for more information.

You can also volunteer at Los Marcincitos by participating in the formal program organized by Cross-Cultural Solutions, a nonprofit organization that arranges short-term volunteer opportunities in several areas around the world. Visit the Cross-Cultural Solutions website for further details.