Peruvian Teacher Travels Daily to Serve Students

Diana Kusy Álvarez Minaya, a primary school teacher with over three decades of experience in Áncash, Peru, commutes two hours each way from Huaraz to Caraz to teach her thirty students at Colegio Nacional 2 de Mayo. She navigates challenging terrain in a "combi", a local minibus, to reach the school, which lacks basic resources like sufficient furniture and a covered outdoor space.

Kusy prioritizes individualized attention for her students, many of whom face difficult home lives and arrive at school without breakfast. She supplements the limited materials provided by the Ministry of Education with resources she and parents provide, acknowledging the financial burden placed on teachers.

The pandemic forced a rapid shift to virtual learning, presenting new obstacles, but Kusy has adapted to incorporating new technologies alongside traditional methods. Despite the challenges, she remains dedicated to her vocation, having taught generations of students and now seeing the children of her former pupils in her classroom.