About Us

About Us:

Latin American Foundation for the Future (LAFF) is a UK-registered charity working with local organisations in Peru that support vulnerable children in the region of Cusco. Due to poverty, family violence, homelessness and teenage pregnancy amongst other factors, many children in Peru are lacking opportunities to access basic rights such as education and equal participation in society. LAFF chooses a collaborative approach, partnering with local organisations to reach out to these children and young people, helping them to build a brighter future for themselves.

LAFF’s team is based in Cusco and currently supports three partner organisations and over 100 young people in Cusco and across the Sacred Valley region. LAFF is also a part of the ‘Semilla Nueva’ Network of NGOs in Cusco – the members of which collaborate to improve the working environment for charities operating in the Cusco region.

Our Vision:

We envision a Latin America where all children and young people have full support in accessing quality education and equal life opportunities.

Our Mission:

We work with local partners to improve our long-term ability to provide quality education and personal development to children and young people in vulnerable conditions in Peru. 

Our History:

LAFF was founded in 2008 by Sarah Oakes in response to her experience working in Cusco and witnessing the harsh reality of life for vulnerable youth in Latin America. 

Partnership has always been central to our work, as our organisation was created around the initial goal to raise funds for a member of the local community to establish a home to support children living on the streets. After an overwhelming response from supporters in the UK, Sarah saw the potential to improve the future of vulnerable youth in the Cusco region through long-term partnerships with local organisations.  

Since 2008, LAFF has worked with different partners in the Cusco region responding to specific challenges, including: 

• Homelessness 
• Youth pregnancy 
• Gender discrimination 
• Lack of opportunities and infrastructure in rural communities
• Indigenous cultural erasure