The Home and Projects
The Anita Goulden Home provides care for about twenty children and young adults, seventeen of whom have mental and physical disabilities. Some of these include autism; blindness; deafness; epilepsy; respiratory problems; severe brain damage; and physical disabilities. All the children were abandoned, orphaned, abused or living 
in extreme poverty.
More about what we do…
We are based in Piura, Peru and provide full care for about 20 young people, many of whom have severe physical and mental disabilities and were found to be living in extreme poverty. The Anita Goulden Trust is the only charity which helps children with disabilities in the North of Peru. Please make a selection from the left-hand menu to learn more about what we do. Alternatively, please take a look at our Sitemap for a full list of information included within this site.
The staff in the Home include therapists and full-time nurses. The Anita Goulden Home is the only charity which helps children with disabilities in the North of Peru. We also help children in critical conditions who live outside of the Home, supporting their parents by providing medicine, therapy, analyses and operations.
Since Anita's death, the Home has continued to develop, providing more therapy and sending all the children with disabilities to school. The new Director is an extremely experienced and caring Peruvian and the Home is chaired by an excellent local committee.
We are pushing the boundaries of care for the disabled in Peru by setting new standards of care. We would like to construct a Relaxation and Sensory room; give all those with disabilities in the Home education; and look towards giving them an independent or semi-independent dignified and exciting life.
Every day the Home has mothers begging to help their children as they are too poor to do so. Usually, the children are disabled. For this reason, the Anita Goulden Home has current projects in and outside the home. Our main aim being to provide aid to those in most severe need.
The Peruvian Committee
The committee includes Chair Lola Santivanes, Vice Chair Mariella Diaz de Fernandez, Secretary Fransisco Carrasco, Treasurer Marieta Eyzaguirre and the Home's Director. The committee is independent and dedicated towards the welfare of the children and staff. They meet weekly and visit the Home regularly, having frequent meetings with the employees and young people.
The committee also work closely with the parents/guardians, volunteers and schools to monitor and develop the children's progress. The committee members all work voluntarily.
Children in the Home
In the home, there are children and young adults with only a possibility of developing through special care and in some cases, operations. The most recent development is a sensory room including lights and sounds for sensory development.
Lecxon — is very energetic! He came to Anita at the age of three, unable to walk. Now, after two operations, he walks and runs, showing everyone his latest findings including one of his favorites, a tambourine. He is currently in full-time education which focuses on his
learning difficulties.
Ronni — has a passion for music and watches! Though Ronni has extreme physical and mental disabilities, the staff work with him to help him communicate through gestures and language therapy is developing his speech. He loves watching TV and is a big football fan! Ronni would hugely benefit from adult education.
Jose Luis — has cerebral palsy. He is extremely ticklish and loves to laugh! Jose has developed a great deal over the past year through intensive physical and language therapy. He is now able to walk a few steps with a lot of support. He attends school, which focuses on developing his movement through fun activities. The therapists have also found that swimming is a huge help to Jose’s mobility.
Ivan — has been in the Home for ten years. He cannot speak, but he adores walking and has a love for opening and closing doors! Daily his walking becomes steadier and he is able to go up and down steps with support. Outings to the park really help him to develop. Ivan is attending a special needs school. He really needs a new wheelchair.
Veronica — has cerebral palsy and used to be very distressed when Anita took her in six years ago. However, with regular Bach treatment, she is (mostly) calm and happy. She attends school, where she loves painting and drawing!
Donay — arrived at the Home aged six. Since then she has developed her movement and communication skills. At school the focus is on her brain-hand co-ordination mainly – Doney can now successfully recognise and touch her name badge, which she is very proud of!
Carla — When she first arrived, Anita wrote “she pinches or bites everyone near her”, pulling out her eyelashes and pinching herself until she drew blood. Now she is a happy, kind and gentle young lady who does not self-harm, and rarely pinches others. Therapy sessions help her to improve her walking skills on a regular basis. Carla would hugely benefit from adult education – she is learning reading and writing in the Home.
Virginia (Vicky) — “had meningitis and when she came to us she was paralysed on the right side. She could not sit up and was just a vegetable”, wrote Anita. Now Vicky is a relaxed, very caring and happy young woman who loves painting and drawing. She is also learning to write letters and would love to be in adult education.
Jaime — is a fanatic chess player. He came to Anita when he was three years old, with cerebral palsy and club feet. However, a successful operation made it possible for him to walk and he now studies in adult education, learning new skills such as jam making, which he is very proud of. He also helps out in Hogar Anita Goulden and loves watching football in his spare time!
Karina — is in full-time education getting fantastic grades. After two operations, she can walk with the aid of leg braces and crutches. Over the past year, Karina has blossomed into a young lady, loving to paint her nails and the older girls include her in their girl talk! She has gone from a very shy and quiet girl, to a confident, kind and loving teenager.
Chavela — was found with infections of the nose and mouth. “She is not yet in our world” wrote Anita. “The friend that bought me news of her found her with the pigs”. She is now a beautiful young woman with a heart of gold. She loves being hugged and seeing everyone else getting attention too – she will point if you have forgotten anyone! She would gain a lot from adult education.
Nuria — is both deaf and mentally and physically disabled. She has been in the Home for twelve years. Therapy helps to develop her walking skills and is hoped that her hearing will increase with medical aid. The language therapist and school work closely together to improve her communication skills.
Trinidad — has severe mental and physical disabilities and epilepsy – with medication she has up to eight fits per day. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, which she is currently battling. After a phone call from the police informing Anita of her situation, Trini came into Anita’s care. When Trini first arrived, her eyes were closed and she didn’t respond to anything; Anita sang and talked to her on a daily basis until she opened her eyes. She loves music and is starting to communicate by gently squeezing her hand. The Home is really hoping to focus more on this.
Jhony — is blind, has hearing problems, suffers from asthma and is mentally and physically disabled. His asthma is treated with Bach remedies and helps strengthen his immune system to prevent bronchitis and flu. Jhony loves going to the cinema because he can see the big screen and hear the loud sounds. Jhony needs more 1-1 education which really focuses on his sensory development.
Gefferson — is another new arrival to the Home. He had a brain tumour which was operated on and also cannot walk. The Home is hoping to raise enough money for leg braces and crutches which will enable him to walk – and maybe run too! Gefferson is an incredibly happy, positive child who loves
doing anything fun!
Rosmery — is paralysed from the waist down after falling from a banana tree aged seven. She is incredibly intelligent, studying to become a lawyer and often studies until the early hours of the morning. She is also a talented artist and her paintings decorate the Home. Rosmery is the representative of the Children’s Committee.
Katty — Harry Potter fan, who loves maths at school and wants to become an engineer. She is hoping to be able to travel one day, especially to the USA. She is the sister of Rosmery; they are in the Home due to the severe poverty of their parents.
Miguel — has been with Anita since he was four and is a very talented craftsman, making elaborate candlesticks, bags and sculptures out of everyday items. He is also a football fanatic! Studying systems engineering, he hopes to work in Peru, which, he states, is of prime importance to him.
Kevin — is new to the Home – he arrived in July 2006. Kevin has severe mental and physical disabilities. He is responding very positively to the therapy in the Home, which he did not have access to before – nor did he have a wheelchair and would spend the majority of his time lying on the floor. We hope very much to see many more positive changes in Kevin’s development.
Children in Piura
There are still many children outside the Home who need life-saving medical care. Please help us to help them.