Zapallal appeal: please help...

It’s easy for us to take all sorts of things for granted: electricity, hot water, nutritious food, the possibility of finding a job, education for our children and free hospital treatment when we need it. For people in Peru – and especially Delia and Michael’s charity, Zapallal: Sharing the Struggle, which supports a school in a poor desert region north of Lima – life is hard and the things that we all enjoy in the West aren’t always within reach.

Since the charity launched in the 1990s, readers of Sainsbury’s magazine, as well as Delia and Michael, have made regular donations to keep the school (left) going. These funds cover general school running costs like salaries, general maintenance, grants, office costs and stationery. The charity also keeps the library supplied with books, which are used extensively, so need renewing on a regular basis. There is also a clinic that is kept stocked and a poor fund (covering hardship cases-uniforms and hot meals when necessary). Last year the fund paid £3k to repair their water system as the school had no water.

As you can see, money donated is used for essentials – not luxuries – so we’d really appreciate it if you could help. Zapallal tries to help the families of its children as well as the school; parents are expected to help with cleaning and other tasks, so the school is very much a community project in the most literal sense.  

We know that Delia and Michael would be so grateful for any help you can give. There are over 1.4 million users of this site each month – so even small donations could soon add up and make a real difference.

If you'd like to make a donation, please send your details to: feedback@deliaonline.com