The Ministry of Culture of Peru delivered more than 500 books from the National Library and nearly 300 school supply kits to students in native communities in Ucayali on April 27. The donations were made at two bilingual educational institutions located in the districts of Callería and Yarinacocha, province of Coronel Portillo, as part of the Pacto por la Cultura al 2030 initiative.
These efforts aim to support cultural identity and improve access to educational materials for students in Amazonian territories. The Ministry also seeks to foster social inclusion by protecting heritage and promoting diversity across Peru, according to the official website.
At Santa Martha Bilingual Educational Institution in Callería, Minister Soraya Altabás Kajjat handed out 338 books and 166 backpacks. She said, “This school reflects the work and commitment of a community that keeps its identity alive, transmits its language, and supports the growth of its girls and boys.” In Yarinacocha’s Bena Jema Bilingual School, another 195 books and 109 backpacks were distributed. “Here learning is built from within the community itself, with its language, knowledge, and daily life,” Altabás Kajjat said.
The ministry operates under decentralized facilities as well as its San Borja headquarters to support such programs according to the official website. It belongs to the Peruvian Executive Branch as an autonomous ministry according to the same source.
As part of her agenda during this visit, Altabás Kajjat inaugurated a free Shipibo-Konibo language course for public servants at Ucayali’s Bar Association. This program aims to strengthen communication skills among officials serving indigenous citizens in their native languages. The Ministry promotes cultural identity while combating discrimination through intercultural dialogue initiatives according to information on its official site.
Additionally, she participated in closing ceremonies for a vacation course teaching Shipibo-Konibo language skills at Coronel Portillo’s Provincial Municipality. Certificates were awarded there for student participation. These activities are part of a national strategy led by the Directorate of Indigenous Languages within the Vice Ministry for Interculturality—an effort designed to strengthen indigenous language learning across different groups.
The Ministerio de Cultura del Perú oversees national cultural policy with an emphasis on safeguarding heritage while encouraging diversity; it was created in 2010 according to information available on its official website.
