The Integral Ecology Initiative (IEI) continues to be the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth’s holistic response to the interconnected crises of climate change, environmental degradation, and deepening social inequities. Guided by a vision of a world where people and organizations work together for lasting, transformative change, IEI seeks to empower marginalized communities to participate fully and equitably in improving their own lives.

In late September, the IEI team traveled to Piura, Peru, for its quarterly in-person meeting. This experience deepened our understanding of the social and ecological realities facing local communities and strengthened our partnerships across the region.

Listening to build relationships with local partners in Piura.

Rooted in Relationship: Who We Met and What We Learned

We began our visit with the Ignacio Merino Lions Club, whose volunteers are dedicated to community health, youth sports, and social aid. Membership Advisor Salomón Quevedo Gamarra spoke of the Club’s solidarity and mutual care mission.

Salomón also voiced concern about the algarrobo (carob) tree, once abundant but now endangered by disease and deforestation. The team explored opportunities to collaborate on replanting and preservation efforts, a project that could unite universities, government agencies, and the Lions Club in ecological restoration.

At the Ecobosque processing plant in Tambogrande, President Estela Arroyo guided us through a facility where carob pods become syrup, candies, and more. She proudly described Ecobosque’s sustainable practices, such as using mango wood waste for fuel, and reminded us that caring for the environment and supporting local economies are inseparable goals.

We met with educators and youth employability consultants from the National University of Piura and the Regional Directorate of Labor (DRT) who are working to reduce child labor and keep students in school.

Their programs connect young people with mentors and entrepreneurs, while workshops for parents emphasize education’s power to transform families. Together, we discussed future collaborations to strengthen vocational training and family stability.

At the Centro Pastoral San Vicente de Paúl (CPSVP), Executive Director Ana Sulma led us through a vibrant community hub offering health care, employability training, human rights advocacy, and education. We met the women of “Harvesting Hope,” a crafts cooperative whose members proudly displayed the intricate knitted goods they sell through the Center. The Center teaches small-business management to new artisans to help them support their families with dignity. We identified new possibilities for the Center’s growth, including leveraging unused space to expand physical therapy services and create learning spaces for youth and adults. The need for accessibility improvements, such as an elevator, was also discussed.

Led by biologist Diana Rojas, we explored the Santa Julia Wetlands, home to more than 90 bird species—herons, kingfishers, terns, flamingos, and even the charming “monjita,” or Masked Duck, whose black “hood” resembles a nun’s habit. Diana reminded us that the wetlands act as a natural water regulator and carbon sink, but face growing threats from nearby human settlements and pollution.

Under the unrelenting sun that gives Piura its nickname “the city of eternal heat,” community resident Yessenia Rivera Mariñas led us on a walking tour of the La Florida human settlement, home to more than 200 families living in precarious conditions along the wetlands’ edge. Families eager to share stories of their struggles and resilience joined us along the way.

“We are a community. We support each other. Everyone just wants a home.” Yessenia explained as we listened.

Residents showed the team a small community pantry that distributes food when supplies are available and a soccer field dotted with young children at play. They also pointed to the lagoon where garbage collects and described their ongoing efforts to clean it. Residents detailed their efforts to build up the ground in the settlement after floods washed away the sandy soil. This never-ending battle against erosion is one of the primary reasons the settlement can never be a long-term solution.

When asked why the community has resisted efforts to move to a more stable, environmentally sustainable area, Manuel Yenque Imán (Jade), president of the settlement, explained that government-proposed relocation options to date have been too far from work, school, markets, and healthcare, and would force extended families to break apart into single-family dwellings.

The group asked us if we could help them stay together. The exchange was profoundly moving and reinforced IEI’s belief that caring for creation must always begin by listening with humility and compassion to those most affected.

During our final day of partner meetings, the team met with Engineer Boris Niño Mauricio from Sencico, Piura’s water and wastewater authority, and with architects Irina Delgado Panta and Xenia Saavedra Barriente from the Provincial Municipality of Piura’s Sub-Management of Territorial Development.

The experts described the challenges of providing clean water and sanitation in informal settlements. These discussions revealed both technical and relational gaps, showing how misunderstanding can hinder solutions. In the IEI’s role as connectors, we discussed how to bring the government officials and La Florida residents together to foster understanding and ensure that the community had a voice in its future. The team also saw potential for collaboration on community education around sustainable urban planning.

Residents of the La Florida human settlement share stories of hardship and hope.

A Living Framework

Reflections of our trip reaffirmed the truth that the suffering of people and the planet is deeply interconnected and that transformation must be relational, systemic, and grounded in local realities. As the IEI continues to serve as a bridge-builder, uniting ministries, communities, and partners in shared action, our next steps include developing a plan to support La Florida residents and preparing a proposal to expand CPSVP’s community services.

Our time together in Piura deepened our conviction that the Integral Ecology Initiative is not just a project. It is a living framework that calls us to see, listen, and respond in ways that unite social justice and sustainability.

IEI team members (left to right) Rosario Valdivieso (CPSVP IEI Representative), Jerry Gumbleton (Plante Moran), Erin George (Plante Moran), Ashley Hernandez (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Organizing and Policy Coordinator), John Shively (SCL Executive Director of Mission), Ana Sulma (CPSVP Executive Director), and Kellie Murphy (Scott Circle Communications) at the Centro Pastoral San Vicente de Paúl.

ACT WITH US FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Learn more about Peru’s valuable, vanishing Tree of Life and read about the Centro Pastoral San Vicente de Paúl’s efforts to raise awareness and protect the Santa Julia Wetlands in honor of World Migratory Bird Day.

Source: https://www.scls.org/