San José Obrero School in Sullana celebrates 50 years to the service of the neediest

The San José Obrero School in Sullana (Peru), that welcomes blind children and students from humble backgrounds celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Five decades ago, on March 21, 1972, this school was born in a poor town in Piura. It was a state school promoted by the Marist brothers of Peru, who, at that time, foresaw the need to have a school that collect the aspirations of Marcellin Champagnat: “all children and young people, especially those most in need.”
Although the school was born in the 70s to serve the most needy, it was in 2007 when the “Montagne classroom” (Aula Montagne) was born and the doors were opened to blind children. “From the ‘Aula Montagne’, blazes of light continue to flow, transformed into words, signs or sounds of children who do not hear, who do not see, but who feel in their new school the security, joy, happiness, emotion, smiles, help, trust, encouragement, listening, friendship, hugs, sharing… Their emotional expressions arise from contact with classmates and teachers”, says Brother Bernardino Pascual Juárez, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the school.
Since 2013, the primary and secondary education school also serves children with different disabilities such as motor-physical, hearing, visual, Down syndrome, intellectual and learning difficulties. In 2017, the Peruvian Ministry of Education awarded the San José Obrero School (Marist Brothers – Sullana) for its outstanding pedagogical achievements and inclusive educational practices, and gave the school the recognition: “ESCUELAS VALORA” (“VALUE SCHOOLS”).

Open eyes and ears

The Spirit of God distributes gifts to those who are close to Him. He gave the San José Obrero school the gift of being the OPEN EYES AND EARS of those who have them involuntarily closed. Yes, there has been a great gift for the school on its 50 years of life, and this has undoubtedly been to reveal that, in the educational family, as in the Gospel, the blind can see and the deaf can hear,” says Br. Bernardino, who has been accompanying and serving these sons of “San José Obrero” for fifteen years. In this link you can read the full testimonial of Br Bernardino Pascual Juárez.