Kiya Survivors

May 2026 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:59:57 +0000

KIYA NEWS: May 2026!

Dear supporter,

I can´t believe we are almost half way through the year, where does the time go?

Mama Cocha has a full team now of 2 Physiotehrapists; Speech Therapist; Psychologist and Project Manager/Techinical Nurse and we are truly beginning to see the difference… the quiet but powerful impact of consistent therapeutic care. Children are arriving earlier, receiving structured support, and beginning to show meaningful developmental progress through early intervention and multidisciplinary therapy.

Every step we take forward is built on consistency, safety, and the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. To be the best they can be!

Each child’s journey is unique, but all are grounded in the same foundation: early support, therapeutic consistency, and a safe environment where development can unfold step by step.

We have welcomed very young patients to the project this year and are encouraging early intervention in the community.

Why Mama Cocha Matters….

Antuane is now just 3 months old. He arrived at Mama Cocha when he was only a few weeks old, following a difficult start at birth that affected his early development.

From the very beginning, our team initiated immediate multidisciplinary therapeutic support, focusing on early intervention during this critical stage of development.

After just 6 weeks of continuous therapy, Antuane is already showing encouraging progress. One of the most significant early milestones is that he has achieved head control, a key indicator of neurological and physical development.

This marks only the beginning of his journey. With continued consistent therapy and nurturing care, Antuane will continue to grow stronger day by day.

A thriving centre in the community

Mama Cocha continues to grow into a stable and trusted space for the 45 children and their families it supports. Therapy sessions, early intervention programmes, and family support services are now running daily, creating consistent structure and care within the community.

We are seeing increased engagement from families, earlier referrals, and stronger developmental outcomes as children access support sooner.

What began as a small initiative when we re opened the doors in July 2025, is now becoming a recognised and essential part of local care provision.

Hope for the future!

There is a growing sense of momentum and possibility. More children are accessing therapy earlier, families are becoming more engaged in the process, and consistent intervention is leading to visible developmental progress.

While challenges remain, the direction is clear: early support changes outcomes.

This is long-term, sustainable change—built one child, one family, one session at a time.

Support Our work – £8 a month

This work is only possible through ongoing support. Through YOUR support!

By sponsoring Mama Cocha for just £8 a month, you help provide:

Consistent therapy sessions
Early intervention for vulnerable children
Safe, structured learning environments
Ongoing support for families in need

If you don´t already, please. Help us continue with our vital work in Peru!

YES! I WANT TO SPONSOR MAMA COCHA!

Together, we can continue creating spaces where children are not only supported—but given the opportunity to thrive.

Peace and love,

Suzy and the team x

LOOKING AHEAD….PERU JULY VOLUNTEER TRIP

We are currently preparing for our July trip to Peru, where we will be leading three families through our Family Volunteer Programme on a 17-day journey across the country.

Lima: We begin in Lima, Peru’s vibrant capital and an essential introduction to the country’s history and culture. Here, the group will explore the historic centre of Lima, including the catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery, as well as local artisan markets. We will also spend time in the bohemian district of Barranco, home to independent galleries, colourful street art, and a thriving creative scene, before concluding with lunch overlooking the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site in Miraflores.

Huacachina Desert Oasis: From Lima, we travel south to the desert oasis of Huacachina. Families will take part in an unforgettable 4-hour desert experience, including dune buggy rides and sandboarding across the vast desert landscape, before watching the sunset over the dunes and continuing on to Paracas.

Paracas and the Ballestas Islands: Known as the “poor man’s Galápagos”, the Ballestas Islands are one of the most important marine wildlife areas on the South American coast and a major breeding ground for sea lions. The group will head out by boat to observe an extraordinary range of wildlife, including sea lions, penguins, flamingos, and turtles in their natural habitat.

After this immersive introduction to Peru, the team travels north to Máncora, where the core of the programme begins. Over 13 days, the families will take part in hands-on volunteering and therapeutic support activities at Mama Cocha, including:

Building a bathroom for a local family
Helping construct essential physiotherapy equipment funded through their fundraising efforts
Re-vamping and improving the speech therapy area
Learning from and supporting the work of the occupational therapist they have funded, and taking part in daily therapeutic activities alongside the children

This experience at Mama Cocha in Máncora offers families the opportunity to:

Take part directly in therapeutic and developmental activities
Support daily life within the centre
Gain first-hand understanding of the impact of early intervention
Build meaningful connections with the children and wider community
Contribute to lasting, practical change in children’s lives

As well as working hard onsite, the volunteers will participate in some active and educational activities during their stay in Mancora! We start the day off before work with yoga on the beach; participate in surf lessons; a quad biking safari; whale watching… and…participate in a clown dr workshop with the Mamas of Mama Cocha!

Over the years, volunteers have played a vital role in the growth and sustainability of Kiya Survivors. This programme offers a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully while also experiencing Peru in a deeply immersive way. Each trip is tailored collaboratively to ensure families gain the most from their experience.

Applications are now open for our 2027 Family Volunteer Programme.

Places are limited, and interest continues to grow each year.

Apply now to be part of the journey

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO!

We are so excited for this fund raising challenge! With only 3 places left….don´t let this opportunity escape you! Come walk for kiya!

For more information: HERE

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING KIYA.

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered UK charity: 1121519

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post May 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

March 2026 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:52:59 +0000

KIYA NEWS: March 2026!

Dear supporter,

A super start to 2026 thanks to our AMAZING supporters!

After an uplifting and hopeful first few weeks of the year where we received enough funding through private sponsorships, to continue our work for the next 12 months, things have continued to move forward with the same awesome energy!

The Mama Cocha centre is thriving! Thanks to all those who donated and recently increased their sponsorship or became a sponsor, we have been able to bring on board a new Physiotherapist, Astrid, to complete the team, allowing us to admit 15 new patients, bringing us to a total of 40 patients receiving physiotherapy, speech therapy and psychological support, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm!

THANK YOU!!

Astrid is also trained in Occupational Therapy specialising in neurodivergent children and we are excited to see how her expertise supports our children’s progress.

Our Psychologist, Henry, has extended his work hours and is running extensive workshops for the parents, carers and siblings, supporting over 87 individuals in areas such as: Alcoholism, machismo and sex education along with autism and cerebral palsy support groups and one to one therapy sessions where needed.

Our 2026 volunteer group is raring to go out to Peru in just 4 months to support the community and families and have an adventure of a life time! They will be building a bathroom for a family and designing murals and creative projects at the Mama Cocha centre.

Our family volunteer programmes get booked up quickly and we only have room now for 1 or possibly 2 more family´s, in 2027…if anyone’s interested do reach out here.

Lastly, we have launched an Active Fund raiser for April 2027 that we hope some of you will join us in!

Myself, along with my kids and some of the other top team members and their families, will be walking the last part of the Camino Frances on the Camino de Santiago here in Spain! We will be hiking for 4 days, staying in hostels along the way, enjoying hearty Spanish meals together in the evenings and sharing stories from the day….we can´t wait to get a team together for this exciting fund raising activity and look forward to meeting some of you! For more information let me know!

That´s it for now!

Thank you as ever for your support and for believing in me and the team!

Peace and love,

Suzy and the team x

YES!! I WANT TO JOIN ..SEND ME MORE INFORMATION!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN KIYA!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered UK charity: 1121519

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post March 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

January 2026 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:48:46 +0000

KIYA NEWS: January 2025!

“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it.”

– Michael Jordan

Dear supporter,

As we enter a new year, we wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you.

Thanks to your generosity and ongoing belief in our work, we are delighted to share some wonderful news: we have secured Kiya for the year!

At the end of 2025, having lost a significant sponsor, the team and I were concerned at how to keep the projects running as yet more grant applications were rejected. Since Covid, fund raising has been incredibly tough for small charity’s, including Kiya, as many new projects and NGO´s sprang up to help those being effected by major world events and the competition for funds increased drastically leaving small projects like us, vulnerable.

However, we didn´t give up and over the first few weeks of January, after a big push between the rather wonderful Kiya team, we managed to secure 30 new sponsors and an unexpected, incredibly generous, one off donation came through as a very welcome surprise! This along with confirmation from a current sponsor that they would be continuing their support, gives us much needed breathing space and time to focus once again, on the project, the patients and our families.

This simply wouldn´t have been possible without you all. Your belief in Kiya is already changing lives, and we are deeply grateful.

The monthly contributions our sponsors donate, along with the one off donations from appeals, makes an enormous difference when we come together as a community, allowing us to ensure our projects can continue.

However, we are still not comfortably sustainable long term again and are already looking at how to fund 2027 and the years to come, but…. we have time on our hands now that will hopefully allow us to do some serious fundraising and reach our new target of signing up 40 sponsors of £50 a month (or the equivalent of)….this will give us the opportunity to fully fund the projects in a sustainable manner.

So! If you don´t already sponsor a child, and feel you´d like to help Kiya in this way in 2026, (even as little as 75p a week makes a difference) sponsor us today and help us take a step further towards sustainability!

Deciding to sponsor a child or project is a massive commitment, one that we understand takes considerable thought, especially as living costs continue to rise. It is an incredibly selfless act and one that we are so very grateful to so many of you for doing.

From the heart, thank you for walking this journey with us, we feel immensely grateful and deeply moved for the help we received that got us through a particularly difficult time and allowed us to climb the seemingly insurmountable wall blocking our path and head into the future, supported and strong!

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead.

Peace and love from myself and the Kiya team,

Suzy x

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS!

January has been a busy month spent organizing the year ahead, fund raising and getting everything ready at Mama Cocha to receive the 15 new patients we are able to take on as our new Physiotherapist gets ready to join the team in March!

Finally! We will no longer have a waiting list, just a patient list!

Thanks to some very generous one off gifts, we reached target this month allowing us to bring on a 2nd, part time Physiotherapist to join Eliana, meaning that this year, Mama Cochas doors will be open from 8am to 6pm and provide Physiotherapy and Speech therapy to 40 patients whilst also providing dynamic parent workshops and psychological support to over 100 parents and siblings of our patients!

Our little team now consists of 2 Physios; Speech therapist; Psychologist and a technical nurse/Project Manager.

We can´t wait to share everyones progress with you over the following months!

¡VIVA MAMA COCHA!

FAMILY´S TRAVELLING TO PERU……

With just 5 months to go before our intrepid traveller´s join Suzy, our Founder and CEO, along with her family, on an epic adventure to Peru, we are all busy finalizing the on the ground projects and excursions for the 3 family´s who have put their trust in us to lead them on a Peruvian expedition!

This year, one of our on the ground projects with the volunteer team, will be supporting a family directly by building a bathroom and providing them with access to running water and a flushing loo! Things we take so for granted but for many, are things that dreams are made of.

These trips are an eclectic blend of volunteering and exciting and educational trips that can include: Guided tours of the huge pyramids in Lima, the Huaca Pucllana; Sand surfing in Huacachina; Sea lion and flamingo watching on a boat trip to the Islas Ballestes; Ethical whale watching; Swimming with turtles; Surfing; Quad biking on the beach; A trip to Cuzco to do the inca trail and see Machu Picchu…. and so much more! These trips are built in around 1-3 weeks of hands on volunteering at The Mama Cocha centre where projects include: Creative arts and crafts projects; DIY and building projects; Helping our therapists in the therapy sessions and house visits along with the opportunity to participate in clown dr workshops! We also arrange daily morning yoga sessions on the beach….all in all, an incredible experience!

We are starting to put together our 2027 team, so if you´re interested in joining us for a family experience of a life time, get in touch! We take a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 volunteers and only lead 1 group a year. Each programme is bespoke. Every programme leaves a positive impact on our community.

If you´d like to volunteer with Kiya, here´s some more information.

HOW TO HELP KIYA CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE….

Increase your Sponsorship with WHATEVER you can afford to give! As little as 75p extra a week helps us to get help where it’s truly needed. Can you increase your sponsorship?

Get Active! Every year we host an active event to raise funds whilst having fun! If you’d like to organize your own active event or would like information on our Active Kiya event in 2026, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time. Our family volunteer programmes for summer 2026 is full but we are starting to organize our 2027 team….we only lead up to 3 families at a time and all trips are totally bespoke, enquire here for more info!

The 50 club …..some of you are already members of the 50 club but we have a long way to go to achieve our goal! 50 sponsors sponsoring us with £50 a month and Mama Cocha is completely sustainable! We are 1/5 of the way there….can you/your company/a group of friends help us reach our target??!!

Gift Aid….If you haven’t already, but are gift aid eligible, PLEASE PLEASE sign the form, your sponsorship will then be worth a whole 25% extra!!! To sign the form, contact us and we will be in touch – it only takes 1 minute!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN KIYA!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered UK charity: 1121519

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post January 2026 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

December 2025 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:44:11 +0000

KIYA NEWS: December 2025!

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Abraham Lincoln.

Looking Ahead to 2026: Hope, Challenge, and a Call for Support!

To all our wonderful supporters,

As we come to the end of 2025, we reflect on this year past and find ourselves holding both hope and hardship.

This year has opened the door to new possibilities and new journeys for our team and each of our patients who now have access to professional equipment and a safe space to receive therapy at the new Mama Cocha centre.

We are seeing numerous individual advancements we never expected to see. For example, watching little Liam taking first steps and speaking first words despite a medical diagnostic that implied this may never happen, has filled our hearts!

We are beginning the development of a new therapeutic organization and working to ensure that more children can access holistic, relational therapeutic support through the Mama Cocha Centre, and starting to shape our future in a way that ensures our community can benefit for years to come.

These steps reflect our continued commitment to healing, connection, and long-term impact.

At the same time, we want to be honest with our community. The past few years have been exceptionally challenging! We went from a 5 man/woman team pre COVID, to a 1 woman team relying on volunteers and Trustees to help fill in the gaps and working long hours to ensure the future of this heart felt organization.

The dedication of those who stayed on to help after the pandemic despite low or no pay, has been amazing, BUT, it has meant we are lacking in man power and this year has brought moments of sadness and loss as despite our dedication and the clear need for our work, we are currently facing a significant difficulty: we do not yet have enough funding secured to see the coming year through. To top it off, the unexpected loss of a sponsor has left us in a difficult position and we need to fund raise £13,000 by June 2026 to give us time to re arrange, seek a new sponsor, grant etc.

We are asking our supporters, partners, and wider community to stand with us, not only through financial support, but also through ideas, connections, and creative ways of fundraising or collaborating. Every suggestion, introduction, and shared opportunity helps us move forward. And we must move forward for the sake of the 77 individuals who rely on our services in Mancora and the many more still waiting for our help!

Your belief in our work has carried us this far. With your continued support, we can protect what has been built, sustain our services for our children and families, and move into the future with resilience and care.

Thank you for being part of our journey and together, we hope to move into 2026 united, ready and strong!

So, as our little Kiya family in Peru celebrate Christmas together today and receive the gifts we have sent them and enjoy a special meal thanks to the generosity of those who contributed to the Christmas auction which raised us almost £900, we remember to enjoy the moments as well as consider the future, for realistically, we cannot predict what is to come, but we can sure try and create the path we want to be following!

From my family and I, my wonderful team and their family’s, we wish you all a love filled Christmas, we hope that you can all take pleasure in the moments spent with loved ones and find time to rest and celebrate in good measure!

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PROSPERO AÑO NUEVO A TODOS!

Love and peace,

Suzy xx

DONATE NOW!!

Kiya Christmas Party in Mancora!

Thanks to the success of the Christmas auction, where we raised almost £900 due to many of our generous supporters donating, our families and patients had a lovely afternoon in the countryside celebrating together, sharing food and presents and enjoying the community spirit Kiya has successfully built here!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this years festivities such a success!

HOW TO HELP!

Increase your Sponsorship or start sponsoring a child….with WHATEVER you can afford to give! As little as 75p extra a week helps us to get help where it’s truly needed. Can you increase your sponsorship or start sponsoring a child today?

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time. Our family programme for July 2026 is full but we are starting to organise our 2027 team….enquire here for more info!

GIFT AID….If you haven’t already, but are GIFT AID eligible, PLEASE PLEASE click here and follow the instructions….your sponsorship will then be worth a whole 25% extra and it will only take 1 minute!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

DONATE NOW!!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING

IN KIYA AND SUPPORTING

MAMA COCHA!

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519
Registered Charity Peru: 12267622

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post December 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

September 2025 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:30:46 +0000

KIYA NEWS: September 2025!

¨No matter how hard the past,

you can always begin again.¨

Buddha

To all our fabulous supporters!

Sorry we haven’t sent an update for a while, I’ve been in Peru!

2025 has been full of change and new beginnings for Kiya and the team, including a big Peru trip, opening a new Mama Cocha centre and new faces joining the Kiya family, both patients and team members!

The biggest news is…..that we have opened a new MAMA COCHA centre!

After losing everything during the pandemic…having to close down the centres and having most of our equipment and materials stolen, we were down heartened but fiercely determined to keep on supporting our families, and so, for 4 years, we have provided in home therapy and essential supplies to our patients. However, we were frustrated as their progress was slowing down. We knew they could do better with the right materials. We needed a space again where we could fit proper physiotherapy equipment and run workshops.

Our dream finally became a reality this summer when my family along with 2 other families from the UK, travelled to Peru on a family volunteer program to open a new centre!

The volunteer team fund raised sufficient funds to launch the centre and cover basic running costs for a year, a huge gift to the community of Mama Cocha!

After a week of hard work, designing and painting a mural; building new therapy equipment; making signs and cleaning….MAMA COCHA was ready to open and on July 31st we opened the doors and a new chapter began for our amazing therapists, Mamas and children of Mancora who now have a fully equipped, bright and happy space to work in, a space where they can focus on their healing and health with support and love.

The centre offers Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Psychological support including weekly parent workshops. It also now houses a unique space for the MAMA MIA project so our entrepreneurial Mamas can design, create and be together.

It goes to prove, no matter how hard the past, you can indeed, always begin again!

We look forward to sharing more with you over the next few months.

Love and peace,

Suzy and the team

MAMA MIA!!

Mama Mia is now up and running at Mama Cocha!

The mamas have their own space fully kitted out with sowing machines, tables, materials and display units for their beautiful creations!

They’ve designed there own label, now on every item made!

Some items were a big hit like their tote bags and table spreads…but they are still working on designs and ideas to fine tune their production!

In October they are displaying their goods at a local feria and they hope to hold open days at the centre and, in the future, arts and crafts workshops to the public!

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

In other exciting news, Juan and Mati are currently mid trip to the UK where they have been sponsored to participate in a 2 week English course before they fly to Southern Spain to spend a week on our Founders tropical fruit farm and learn all about their rescue horses and how to care for them!

We cannot thank everyone enough, who contributed to our ´Dreams Can Come True´ appeal, to help make this happen for them!

They have never left the Cuzco region, or flown on a plane before…let alone explore new countries and have so many wonderful experiences! Thank you! A truly life changing and forming experience!

And, of course, a big thanks to Monika and family for hosting them in the UK!

PHYSIOTHERAPIST NEEDED!

The success of the new Mama Cocha centre is being felt in so many ways!

Our patients are progressing amazingly well with the new equipment and timetable.

However! We now have a waiting list! With your help, we can extend the opening hrs of the centre if we can raise enough funds to employ a 2nd Physiotherapist and instead of a waiting list, just have a ´patients´ list!

We are almost there to being able to provide this vital service, but we need your help to ensure we reach target by October so we can employ a new member of the team to help our new patients.

Thanks to a generous supporter we are now just 1,500 GBP short of being able to employ another therapist.

Please, help our community and let´s not leave any child behind!

DONATE NOW!

HOW TO HELP!

Increase your Sponsorship with WHATEVER you can afford to give! As little as 75p extra a week helps us to get help where it’s truly needed. Can you increase your sponsorship?

Get Active! Every year we host an active event to raise funds whilst having fun! If you’d like to organise your own active event or would like information on our Active Kiya event in 2024 don’t hesitate to contact us!

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time. Our family programme for December 2023 is full but we are starting to organise our 2024 team….enquire here for more info!

The 50 club …..some of you are already members of the 50 club but we have a long way to go to achieve our goal! 50 sponsors sponsoring us with £50 a month and The Rainbow Centre is completely sustainable! We are 1/5 of the way there….can you/your company/a group of friends help us reach our target??!!

GIFT AID….If you haven’t already, but are GIFT AID eligible, PLEASE PLEASE reply to THIS email ….. your sponsorship will then be worth a whole 25% extra and it will only take 1 minute!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN KIYA AND SUPPORTING MAMA COCHA!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519
Registered Charity Peru: 12267622

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post September 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

April 2025 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:25:56 +0000

KIYA NEWS: April 2025!

KIYA NEWS

“With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.”
– Sandra Lake

To all our fabulous supporters!

THANK YOU! Thank you as always for your continued support of Mama Cocha and Kiya Survivors. It means so much to so many.

As we enter the 2nd quarter of 2025 we have much to look forward to, be grateful for and…a lot of news to share!

As you may remember, in 2020, the pandemic lock downs forced Kiya to close the doors to our Mama Cocha therapy center in Mancora, Peru.

The staff were quick to adapt and started working with our families in their homes and helping them create small sensory and therapy spaces in their houses to be able to continue physiotherapy and speech therapy.

This has continued for the past 4 years with our therapists doing home visits to our patients every week on the Kiya motos!

HOWEVER! It is time to re-open the doors and create a communal space to run workshops, provide better equipment for the physiotherapy sessions, have an area for our psychologist to work from and to launch our MAMAMIA project!

We are excited to announce that in May 2025 our new Mama Cocha center will be opened!

This launch has been possible thanks to our long term sponsors along with the united efforts of our families going to Peru this summer on the Family Volunteer Programme. The money raised by the families is being used to buy all the needed material for the new space including new physiotherapy equipment that they will help build and install.

Thank you for being part of the Kiya family and supporting our efforts and families out in Peru.

Suzy and the team xx

MAMAMIA….

To help our families thrive, we need the Mamas of our patients to be empowered! To earn their own money and provide for their children. To use their talents and shine! And so, we have developed the MamaMia project….MamaMia is an initiative to provide a workspace and online platform for them to sell their beautiful hand made products.

We are looking for a marketing savvy and web design volunteers to work alongside Suzy and the group of Mamas, to design their online platform.

Please get in touch if you’d like to help and might be interested!

VOLUNTEER IN PERU!

This lovely family are coming to Peru!

Monika was one of Kiya Survivors first ever volunteers on the volunteer programme, over 17 years ago!!

She has stayed in touch with our founder, Suzy Butler, and helped raise funds by participating in many active events over the years. She’s also sponsored a child for almost 2 decades!

One of her dreams was to return to Peru with her family. So when she saw Kiya had launched a Family Volunteer programme, she signed them up!

Her and her family, along with another family, will be embarking on a 25 day trip to Peru this summer!

Aside from taking on the 2 day Inca trail to Machu Picchu, whale spotting in Mancora, climbing the Rainbow mountain, taking yoga classes on the beach at sunrise and participating in clown dr workshops, they will be launching the new Mama Cocha facility with Suzy and the team and visiting the Lagos family in Cuzco.

Monika has fond memories of Mati, Juan, Yelson, Lizandra and Fernando who were all very young when she met them and living at The Rainbow House Kiya funded in Urubamba!

Aside from seeing them again, she has fundraised alongside Suzy, to bring Mati and Juan to the Uk and Spain for a month for an incredible adventure we hope will open their hearts and minds and help them grow and strive for a fabulous future!

They will stay with Monika and her family in the UK and do a 2 week sponsored English course before exploring the UK and then coming over to Spain for a week on Suzy’s farm with her family, who they’ve known since they were babies!

Families helping families! Kids supporting kids!

THIS is the Kiya family we want to grow and share- providing amazing experiences for our kids in Peru and, inviting families from overseas to experience Kiya in Peru

Thank you Monika and family-your support is so so appreciated!! Exciting times ahead!!

If you’d like to join us in Peru as a volunteer, get in touch!

HOW TO HELP!

Increase your Sponsorship with WHATEVER you can afford to give! As little as 75p extra a week helps us to get help where it’s truly needed. Can you increase your sponsorship?

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time. Our family volunteer programmes for summer 2025 and 2026 are full but we are starting to organise our 2027 team….enquire here for more info!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN KIYA

AND SUPPORTING MAMA COCHA!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post April 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

January 2025 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:21:47 +0000

KIYA NEWS: January 2024!

Happy 2025!

We hope your year has started off positively with love in your heart and hope in your dreams!

Talking of dreams……

With just 7 months to go before Juan and Mati fly to the UK for an incredible opportunity to study English in an academy and get work experience thanks to long term supporter Monika and her family, we are doing a last push to raise sufficient funds to cover all their flights, transport and transit accommodation costs.

Please, if you can, dig deep for our youngsters to be able to have this trip of a life time!

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE….DONATE HERE!!!

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post January 2025 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

December 2024 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:16:57 +0000

KIYA NEWS: December 2024!

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Abraham Lincoln.

Looking Ahead to 2026: Hope, Challenge, and a Call for Support!

To all our wonderful supporters,

As we come to the end of 2025, we reflect on this year past and find ourselves holding both hope and hardship.

These steps reflect our continued commitment to healing, connection, and long-term impact.

Thank you for being part of our journey and together, we hope to move into 2026 united, ready and strong!

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PROSPERO AÑO NUEVO A TODOS!

Love and peace,

Suzy xx

DONATE NOW!!

Kiya Christmas Party in Mancora!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this years festivities such a success!

HOW TO HELP!

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time. Our family programme for July 2026 is full but we are starting to organise our 2027 team….enquire here for more info!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

DONATE NOW!!

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN KIYA AND SUPPORTING MAMA COCHA! ¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Website: https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519
Registered Charity Peru: 12267622

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post December 2024 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

May 2024 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:08:08 +0000

KIYA NEWS: May 2024!

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving”.

Mother Teresa

Project Update

Dear supporter,

As spring brings warmer weather to Europe and the United Kingdom, Peru’s temperatures finally begin to drop.

After what was an unusually hot summer up until the end of April, that led to schools having to change their timetables as the children couldn’t cope with the heat, swarms of mosquitos, summer viruses along with water shortages up in Mancora and the surrounding villages, the community and staff are relieved cooler days are setting in and life feels a bit easier again.

Despite the heat, our ever dedicated Mama Cocha Outreach therapy team have been busy delivering in home Physiotherapy and Speech therapy to our new patients and, already enrolled families.

Our youngest new patient is just 2 years old and has psychomotor delay that is stopping her from walking unaided. The team, as with all new cases, are providing service with a smile and are excited to see her progress already.

As well as therapy, we have been initiating some new projects including Mamas yoga mornings to provide a safe space for our amazing Mamas to have some much needed time to themselves, learn how to breathe to reduce anxiety and stress and remember to laugh! Laughter can feel difficult when life is full of chores and caring for others so this release of emotions is so important.

Our family volunteer programme for 2025 is already full! A lovely team of 3 families will be joining me and my family, to go on a 2 or 4 week adventure in July next year!!

We will be building bathrooms for families who have no access to toilet facilities in their homes and fund raising to sponsor start up kits for our new intiative, a virtual shop!

So many of our Mamas have incredible talents but are unable to make the most of them due to their circumstances.

More news to come as we plan for the launch of an online shop for our Mamas to sell their hand made goods and become finnacially independant!

Claudia, our long term Physiotherapist, is having a baby! She is leaving this month for maternity leave, we couldn’t be happier for her!

We thank you all as always for your belief and ongoing support of our work. We wouldn’t be here without you!

Love and peace from myself and the ever growing Kiya family!

Suzy Butler

Founder & CEO

HOW TO HELP!

“For me, sponsoring a child was not something I felt I ‘should’ do – the opportunity to help support and give children a life they deserve is a wonderful thing and I saw it as a privilege.” Nikki, Child Sponsor

Sponsor a child with WHATEVER you can afford to give! As little as 75p a week helps us to get help where it’s truly needed. PLEASE. If you don’t already, consider supporting Kiya in this way…it takes just 3 minutes to sign up! If you already support us, increasing your sponsorship by even just £1 a month would help!

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time.

Enquire here for more info!

The 50 club ….. 50 sponsors sponsoring us with £50 a month and KIYA is completely sustainable! We are 1/5 of the way there….can you/your company/a group of friends help us reach our target??!!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

NEW TRUSTEE NEEDED!

Kiya is looking for an enthusiastic individual to help us direct the charity and move forward.

If you have a few hrs free a week and would like to make a difference to our cause, please don’t hesitate to get in touch here.

HELPING DREAMS COME TRUE….

THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far to our campaign, raising funds for Mati, Juan and Yelson to travel to Europe and the UK to participate in an English course, get work expereince and….see more of this wonderful world, we couldn’t be more grateful!

This month these wonderful young people will be getting their passports and applying for visas, taking the first steps towards making this dream, become a reality!

Please please, keep donating! We have raised £650 so far which is amazing… but… we have a way to go before securing the needed funds to making this happen!

Please donate whatever you can to our DREAMS CAN COME TRUE fund raising page.

Thank you so much for supporting these amazing humans!

https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519
Registered Charity Peru: 12267622

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post May 2024 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

February 2024 Newsletter

Stuart Macleod — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:23:53 +0000

KIYA NEWS: FEBRUARY 2024!

“Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack”.

Germany Kent

Project Update

Dear supporter,

So! Here we are in February 2024 already! It’s flying by isn’t it? I hope the year started well for you and your loved ones and brings good health to you all.

The year was kicked off in Peru with an abundance of positive energy from our 3 lovely families who came with us to volunteer at Mama Cocha for 2 weeks over the new year and into the beginning of January. Our group ranged from young children aged 4, 6, 8 and 9 to energetic adults aged between 18 and in to their 70’s! And what a team it was…really showing, no matter what your age…what your experience….you can make a difference and be a part of something bigger.

It was the first volunteer programme we have led since pre COVID and despite the feeling of ‘starting from scratch’ as so many of our original organisations / houses / hostel’s etc that we used on previous trips, had closed over the pandemic, it was a huge success!

When people cry as you say good bye because they don’t want to leave, after 15 days of being together through all the laughs, tears and challenges the group trips throw at you as a team, you know it’s been good and that transformation has occurred!

We hiked Machu Picchu; drove off road buggies high up in the Andes; played on Inca slides; swam with turtles; ate more mango and avocados then we thought humanly possible; embraced a 2 day Clown Dr workshop that made us all stop, think, feel humble, laugh hysterically, cry, come together as a team and feel grateful…and, most importantly, meet and support our Mama Cocha families in Mancora! We built a standing station for lovely Lian and donated a wheelchair to the very deserving Sofia, we made hammocks for quiet time and boxing bags for young lads needing an outlet; we made a sensory walking bridge and decorated Emersons brothers bedroom as well as donating a bunk bed so they have their own space (previously they shared an old broken single bed) and motivated some of our families to be proud of who they are.

Sometimes, we all need a helping hand and what the trip highlighted was the importance of being told, YOU CAN!

It was an uplifting experience for the volunteer team and the Kiya team and gave new hope, energy and strength to our children and their families. At the leaving ceremony where we presented certificates to the volunteers and small gifts to all the children as well as share a HUGE orange Mama Cocha cake, many of the Mums came up with letters of gratitude and home made souvenirs for the group, it was a very touching moment that was summed up by one Mums words:

”We felt invisible with our daily struggles and silent tears. To be seen, laugh, play and cry with strangers, it makes us feel strong and whole again. There aren’t words to express the gift this week has given us. Thank you.”

LET’S DO IT AGAIN! Yes! We are doing it again …in 2025 the same team is coming back! AND, we have a new group of new families already discussing a summer ‘25 programme with us….

Families helping families. It’s a rather marvellous thing!

Love and peace from myself and the team. Thank you for your belief and ongoing support of our work.

Suzy Butler

Founder & CEO

HOW TO HELP!

Volunteer! Join us in Peru and help hands on, whilst having an incredible experience with our teams and families and visiting some amazing places in your free time.

Enquire here for more info!

Connect to Social Media…like our instagram and facebook pages and help us spread the word, stay connected and join in our campaigns!

VOLUNTEER WITH KIYA

New year, new challenges!

We are now running our individual and family volunteer programmes again!

Hedu, our onsite Manager of 24 years, and myself, Founder and CEO, have personally sourced and put together programmes to suit solo travellers and groups, wanting a unique and bespoke experience, combining seeing the best of Peru whilst making a hands on difference, with support every step of the way.

We are only offering 10 individual placements a year (2 have already been booked up!) and 1 family group programme a year.

Programmes start at just $30 a day including B&B and a donation to Kiya.

Any questions or if you’d like to sign up, contact us here.

HELPING DREAMS COME TRUE….

Whilst in Cuzco with the team, we spent some quality time with Yelson, Juan and Matilde.

These young adults have worked so hard, have learnt what family is despite a hard beginning and are truly, wonderful humans that deserve the same opportunities as any of us.

They are all keen to improve their English and are studying hard. Matilde is in her 2nd term at the English academy now and thriving.

We want to fund raise enough to bring them to Spain and the UK for an intensive English course and work experience in a bakery and a hotel in 2025.

They’ve never really left Cuzco, let alone got on a plane! So this would be a dream come true for them and provide them with life experience that will help them progress in their careers and live a totally independent life.

Please help these deserving young people reach for the stars and see what the rest of the world has to offer! They have welcomed us, volunteers and visitors into their lives over the years and given so many people, some truly wonderful memories…. let’s give them an adventure of a life time and let them make some memories of their own!

Please donate whatever you can to our DREAMS CAN COME TRUE fund raising page.

Thank you so much for supporting these amazing humans!

https://kiyasurvivors.org

Contact: info@kiyasurvivors.org / Tel: +447894747470

Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo – Peruvian charity:
Registered Charity UK: 1121519
Registered Charity Peru: 12267622

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

A young life can be positively impacted by even the smallest of gestures. Do something wonderful today and change a life for the better.

DONATE NOW

VOLUNTEER

The post February 2024 Newsletter appeared first on Kiya Survivors.

Kiya Survivors

May 2026 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: May 2026!

LOOKING AHEAD….PERU JULY VOLUNTEER TRIP

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO!

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING KIYA.

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

March 2026 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: March 2026!

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

January 2026 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: January 2025!

“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it.”

– Michael Jordan

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS!

FAMILY´S TRAVELLING TO PERU……

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

December 2025 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: December 2025!

Kiya Christmas Party in Mancora!

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

September 2025 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: September 2025!

¨No matter how hard the past,

you can always begin again.¨

Buddha

MAMA MIA!!

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

PHYSIOTHERAPIST NEEDED!

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

April 2025 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: April 2025!

KIYA NEWS

“With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.” – Sandra Lake

MAMAMIA….

VOLUNTEER IN PERU!

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

January 2025 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: January 2024!

Happy 2025!

We hope your year has started off positively with love in your heart and hope in your dreams!

Talking of dreams……

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

December 2024 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: December 2024!

Kiya Christmas Party in Mancora!

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

May 2024 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: May 2024!

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving”.

Project Update

NEW TRUSTEE NEEDED!

HELPING DREAMS COME TRUE….

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

February 2024 Newsletter

KIYA NEWS: FEBRUARY 2024!

“Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack”.

Project Update

VOLUNTEER WITH KIYA

HELPING DREAMS COME TRUE….

Share This Post

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

“With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.”
– Sandra Lake