Winnetka eighth-grader’s GoFundMe supports education in Peru village

More than two miles in the sky, the children of Colca, Peru, get an education with an assist from a family from Winnetka.

For years, the Boerjesson family has been providing school supplies and toys to children of the Peruvian mountain community, and they are raising money to keep the tradition going.

Eighth-grader Elise Boerjesson, whose mother is Peruvian, turned the fundraising effort into a class project at Winnetka’s Carleton Washburne Middle School, and she hopes her GoFundMe campaign raises more than $1,000 to support the students of Colca.

Each December, Elise and her family travel to Colca to deliver the items — including notebooks, pencils and more — to the children. She said it’s one of her favorite days of the year.

“The kids find joy in the things we give them. They appreciate everything so much,” Elise said, adding that the purpose of the family’s project is to make sure the children of Colca receive a quality education “and have the same things we have.”

The GoFundMe does not have an expiration date, but Elise’s class projects ends in May. She said she also plans to hold a bake sale at Washburne to raise more funds for the project.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Subscribe to The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a subscriber? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.