The Ministry of Culture of Peru announced on April 28 that it concluded a vacation course in the Kichwa variety of Quechua for secondary school students in the city of Lamas. The event, held at the José Reátegui Sandoval Cultural Center, brought together students, families, and local authorities to celebrate efforts to revitalize indigenous languages and strengthen cultural identity.
The initiative is part of broader actions by the ministry to support social inclusion by protecting heritage and promoting diversity across Peru, according to the official website. During the closing ceremony, 38 students received certificates and shared their experiences learning Kichwa. They expressed pride in acquiring their ancestral language and committed to promoting its use within their communities.
Artistic presentations included a performance of the song “Aylluyni” in Kichwa and a local dance called “La adoración.” Manuela Amasifuén Sangama, an artisan from Lamas, said preserving language is essential as part of collective memory. Local officials such as Luis Alberto Vásquez (director of DDC San Martín), Rosa Acuña (municipal councilor), and Nicolás Gonzáles (director of UGEL) participated in the event.
The Ministry utilizes decentralized facilities and museums alongside its San Borja headquarters to support such programs, according to the official website. It also belongs to the Peruvian Executive Branch as an autonomous ministry under ministerial leadership. The ministry promotes cultural identity, combats discrimination and racism, advances intercultural dialogue and rights, serves communities throughout Peru, oversees national cultural policy, safeguards heritage while encouraging diversity through initiatives like this course—according to information provided by its official website.
This activity was one among 17 vacation courses on indigenous languages organized for over 800 secondary school students across 14 regions. According to information from the Ministry’s official site created in 2010, these efforts aim at linguistic revitalization as well as intergenerational transmission of ancestral languages.
