Introducing the newly-launched website, with in-depth details about our four projects

The Sol y Luna Foundation was founded in 1998 by Petit Miribel who moved to Peru’s Sacred Valley driven by a desire to do something useful; to live a life that would be beneficial to others.

In 2000, Petit and her husband Franz opened Hotel Sol y Luna, with just 14 casitas. The reason for creating a hotel was to raise funds by means of tourism. At this time there were no luxury hotels in the Sacred Valley, the gateway to Machu Picchu, and Petit saw an opportunity to provide accommodation to travellers visiting the iconic Inca city.

Machu Picchu, Peru, a Unesco Word Heritage Site

Regenerative tourism ahead of its time

At the beginning, the Sol y Luna Foundation supported existing schools in the Sacred Valley.

In 2009, after a decade supporting local public schools, the foundation finally opened its own school.

The Sol y Luna School began by offering education for kindergarten, and the first few years of primary school. There were originally just five children, now there are 163, over half of whom have their costs fully covered by the foundation.

Giving children born into extreme poverty the future they deserve 

The Sol y Luna School was the first project launched by the foundation. Yet, the needs of these children from some of Peru’s poorest communities do not stop in the classroom.

Therefore, in 2015, the foundation grew to include Paqari, a centre for disabled children.

Paqari means ‘rebirth’ in Quechua 

Paqari is centred around inclusion, growth and revival. Currently, fourteen children receive special needs support at Paqari.

Over 90% of the children supported by the Sol y Luna Foundation come from backgrounds of extreme poverty.

As well as deprivation, poverty brings many issues, and in 2018 The Sol y Luna Home opened its doors, providing a safe, loving, permanent home for students who have suffered violence or neglect.

“There are two lasting things we give our children. One is roots and the other is wings.”

As the years pass, the first children to enter the Sol y Luna School developed and grew, and in 2017 the first Sol y Luna students graduated from the school.

In order to continue providing support, in 2019 the foundation launched Roots & Wings, a programme to support graduates from the Sol y Luna School in their further studies, from practical courses such as mechanics, to International Baccalaureate and University degrees.

The care given by the Sol y Luna Foundation is complete and goes much further than eduction. We invite you to take a look at the new website to learn more, and see how you can get involved.

“Sol y Luna is a place of warmth, safety, learning and refuge”  – John Montgomery