Keith and Ruth Powilson have lived in a small village outside of Cusco, Peru called Palpanccay since 1998. They adopted two daughters from this Quechua village between 2006-2008.


Over the years, they began to see a need for the care of children within their community, as many babies were being found abandoned in the mountains. Within the village, many families would have eight to ten children, unable to be provide them with necessary care. Due to these challenges, children were being abandoned. This is what started Casa Josefina; the need for children to receive physical, emotional, and spiritual care.


In 2008, the first “house parents” took in one little girl, in a small, three story, concrete building, which has now expanded to what Casa Josefina is today. Casa Josefina received its’ name from Ruth’s Aunt Josephine, who ran an orphanage in Brazil for most of her life. After working with her aunt in the orphanage, Ruth knew she wanted to continue working with vulnerable populations, specifically children.

Over the years Casa Josefina has had a variety of children from diverse situations: abusive homes, extreme neglect, and children with both mental and physical disabilities. In 2016, Keith and Ruth felt called to pursue ministry in another format; Kristen was chosen to take over their role as the new Director of Casa Josefina.


 

After 2016, we became a home specialized for children with ages ranging from newborn to five years old. Casa Josefina is a transitory home, where we provide our children with care while working to secure a permanent home with a family in their early stages of life.