Making A Difference

PuraVida Foundation

Founded in 2005, the PuraVida Foundation (meaning Pure Life in Spanish) is a registered charity in Canada, concentrating on some of the most desperate areas of Latin America. For the first four years, Nathan Beninger worked at several orphanages and shelters for abandoned and abused young children of Peru. After years of working and supporting these facilities, in 2009, the Foundation decided to open their own shelter in Cusco, Peru, for underprivileged young kids in the hope of breaking down the walls of poverty and exploitation through education and rehabilitation.

At 8.1.2 we believe this collaboration with PuraVida Foundation will not only foster a great relationship but lead the way to a bright, hopeful and sustainable future for these young kids.

Since 2009, the shelter has been rehabilitating, educating and giving these amazing children the family they have been robbed of for most of their lives. PuraVida Foundation is proudly supporting every young woman that steps through their doors with an education and a chance to go to university.

PuraVida also works hard to improve health care in some of the most impoverished areas in Peru. Check out Ricardo’s story.

The new PuraVida shelter will be capable of housing up to 50 kids. The shelter will provide young kids with food, safe housing, rehabilitation and activities such as photography, art, music and most importantly LOVE! 

The present goal is to provide marginalized and exploited young kids in Peru with basic necessities such as a dependable supply of food, safe housing, and necessary resources to enhance their quality of life. PuraVida hopes that these initiatives will ease the suffering and help strengthen the lives of many desperate children and communities. 

Learn more about PuraVida Foundation, its current projects and its future plans. Information about the new shelter, its proposed plan and associated costs can also be found here. 

8.1.2 and The PuraVida Foundation

This alliance aims to foster the PuraVida Foundation vision and bring to reality the future envisioned by its founder, Nathan Beninger.

The new shelter (future site shown on the right) will not only be a rehabilitation centre for
kids from all over Peru; the PuraVida Foundation also looks forward to setting up programs and workshops for the 12 Andean communities surrounding the town of Caicay, Cusco. In Nathan’s own words; it might not be us that will touch a million people but maybe we will touch that one, that will touch a million.

Our primary focus is to ensure that the kids overcome their abusive past in as little time as possible by creating programs and activities that will bring a new meaning to their lives and shine a ray of hope in a once shattered dream.

In achieving this, we will need the support, encouragement and help from people like you so that we may commence building the new shelter that will house up to 50 kids. A portion of all 8.1.2 sales contribute to sustaining the current PuraVida shelter and helps in gathering the resources needed to build the new shelter. In this bold attempt to fight poverty and exploitation issues in Peru, 8.1.2 will be at the forefront alongside PuraVida.

Our vision is to empower the young women so they not only see themselves as future leaders but will also empower other young women who share a similar past. Nathan said it best when he concluded his Tedx talk with the quote, “we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give!”

Get in touch with Nathan here. Follow PuraVida on Facebook.