The Wall of Shame
The situation
The Wall of Shame is a concrete barrier topped with wire fencing, nearly 10 kilometres long, built in the late 1990s between the exclusive neighbourhood of Casuarinas in La Molina and the informal settlements of Pamplona Alta and other precarious settlements in San Juan de Miraflores.
It has trapped over 18,000 people, effectively making them invisible within their own city. Residents on the Pamplona side endure overcrowding, lack of potable water and electricity, and higher utility costs than affluent homes just beyond the wall. Many adults work as gardeners or nannies in Casuarinas — jobs that once required only a few minutes' walk down the hill, but now take hours to reach.
These neighbourhoods are so isolated that some children barely know Lima proper. One boy, Andy, once asked while peering over the wall, "is that a different country?"
What we are doing
We propose transforming this scar of social division into a beacon of unity, creativity and dignity — a groundbreaking model for inclusive urban revitalisation. Beginning with a mission to document the space and engage community voices, we will build a public park along the remaining wall with swings, green spaces and play areas; transform the wall into a living canvas of large-scale murals; install a micro-cinema projecting film onto the wall at night; partner with community kitchens (ollas comunes) to provide food tours sampling Afro-Peruvian and Andean dishes; and host music performances, cultural workshops and artisan markets. A documentary will capture the transformation in real time.
We aim to make the transformed wall a must-see cultural destination in Lima, generating jobs, sustainable income and a renewed sense of pride for the community.
How can you help? We need $55,000 USD to make this vision a reality — infrastructure, materials, cinema equipment, mural supplies and community-led initiatives. Your support will help employ local residents in park construction and mural painting, fund the community micro-cinema, strengthen local food initiatives and cultural programming, and bring the story to the world through a professionally produced documentary.
Hope climbs higher than any wall.