LLL of Peru was founded in 2000.

LLL Perú was founded in February of 2000, in the capital city of Lima.   Leader applicant Alison Velasco had returned from USA to Peru in Jan of 1999, where she had participated actively in the Evanston/Wilmette am group. Leader Meg Fuell moved to Lima in July 1999, from China, where she had founded LLL Beijing. Meg became an accredited leader after becoming involved with LLL in Guatemala several years earlier.

We had two transitional meetings, in Dec, 99 and Jan 00, with a small mother-to-mother support group that was lead by a North American missionary and IBCLC, Gleni Lorrick.   Glenni was wanted to concentrate more on getting an IBCLC program started in Perú, so she passed her little group to us. (And since 2000, some 50 IBCLCs have been certified in Perú, apparently the most in our region.) Our first official meeting was Feb. 24 th with 4 mothers, 1 leader applicant (Alison with Alex-4 and Eric-18 mos.), 1 leader (Meg) and 1 IBCLC, Glenni in attendance, as well as babies and young children. Alison was accredited shortly afterwards in June (2000).   Note: As newly accredited Alison was ending her first lead meeting, her son, Eric, vomited all over her, (a leader "baptism"?)

During the first years the meetings ran about 6-12 moms. The only paying members being expats or wives of expats, and wasn't more than 10 paying memberships. We had several potential leader applicants, but because of economic constraints, the mothers soon had to go back to work, making it near impossible to have extra time to dedicate to LLL responsibilities. We held the monthly meetings at Meg´s home, with an occasional "working moms meeting", as well as meetings for US embassy employees, led by Meg, wife of US Agriculture attaché in Perú. As well, we participated with the Peruvian Breastfeeding Network in the World/Peruvian Breastfeeding Week activities.

In August 2002, one month after Alison's daughter Anika was born, we co-hosted the Latin American LLL regional conference/IGAM with Cepren/Red Peruano de Lactancia Materna.

In July 2003 Meg returned to the USA, and in December 2003, we added a second monthly group meeting in Miraflores (west part of Lima) and continued with the La Molina meeting (east). In Sept, 2004 our first national leader, Fanny Mora was certified.

When we started to lose so many library books, we made membership a prerequisite to library privileges. In May of 2005 we had our first membership drive, and were able to get 40 memberships in one month, and thus, a 3 day scholarship the 2005 LLLI conference in Washington DC. During 2006 we had 80 paying members, apparently the most in our region per # of leaders. As of June, 2007 we have approximately 70 up to date paying members.

Currently we have several potential leader applicants, and one official leader applicant, who should be accredited within the next couple months, who will incorporate a GALM for working mothers into LLL Perú.

Alison Velasco
2007-06-23
Lima, Perú