Long-Term Strategic Partnership Agreement
Rising with Melodies Inc. · Georgia Domestic Nonprofit Corporation · 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Public Charity · Employer Identification Number (EIN) 42-1833918 · Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
In September 2025, a family trip to Trujillo, Peru put a teenager face-to-face with children who'd never touched a piano — the lessons he taught them on the spot became a school. Now Rising with Melodies is going further, into Iquitos, where the Festival Internacional de la Canción de la Amazonía has carried the region's musical soul for nearly fifty years. RWM brings the program; FICA opens the doors. Not a favor — a partnership built to outlast a single launch. November 2026 is the first chapter, not the whole story.
Rising with Melodies (RWM) and the Festival Internacional de la Canción de la Amazonía (FICA) are establishing a long-term partnership to support RWM's mission of providing free music education, English instruction, and humanitarian support to vulnerable children across the northeastern Amazon region of Peru.
This partnership looks beyond any single program or city. Its first concrete step is supporting the opening of RWM's new hub in Iquitos, with more collaboration expected to follow across northeastern Peru.
This agreement outlines both the long-term basis of the partnership and the specific short-term activities the two organizations will undertake together in its first phase.
Festival Internacional de la Canción de la Amazonía (FICA) is one of Iquitos' most historically significant cultural institutions. Founded in 1979, the festival ran for ten editions through 1993, and was once regarded as the second-most important song festival in Latin America after Chile's Festival de Viña del Mar.
After a nearly three-decade hiatus, FICA was revived in 2022 for its XI edition, held September 22–24 at Iquitos' Max Augustín stadium — a venue with capacity for 15,000 spectators — bringing together roughly two dozen singers, composers, and performers from local, national, and international backgrounds across three gala nights. A XII edition followed in September 2024.
FICA's leadership carries direct generational continuity with the festival's founding: it is led today by José Luis Alván Rojas, son of Silfo Alván, the festival's founding figure who presided over its original run until his death in 1992. The festival has also drawn institutional backing from the Loreto Regional Government (Gobierno Regional de Loreto), reflecting its standing as a recognized regional cultural event rather than a private venture.
That combination — deep community roots, historical prestige, and continuity of local leadership — makes FICA a credible and values-aligned partner for RWM as it establishes its own presence in Iquitos for the first time.
FICA is legally organized in Peru as an Asociación Civil (AC) — a private nonprofit legal entity under Articles 80–98 of the Peruvian Civil Code, formed by its members to pursue a non-lucrative common purpose. It is Peru's standard legal structure for organizations of FICA's kind, broadly comparable to RWM's own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the United States, though established under a separate national legal and tax framework. FICA's RUC (Peru's national taxpayer registration number): 20605420622. Registered address: Calle Samanez Ocampo 870, Iquitos 16002, Peru. Before signing, RWM should request FICA's official Ficha RUC (the SUNAT-issued registration certificate) to confirm this RUC, legal name, active status, and address match — a routine step Peruvian organizations can generate themselves from the SUNAT portal.
RWM's programs provide free music education, English instruction, and humanitarian support to vulnerable children in Peru, built for measurable youth development and repeatable, scalable impact:
RWM's first hub opened in Trujillo in 2025 and today serves 20 students across both programs — the same model this partnership now extends to Iquitos.
This partnership is built around complementary strengths: RWM brings the program, FICA brings the place.
What FICA contributes:
What RWM contributes:
The specific activities under each of these areas will be confirmed jointly as the November 2026 launch date approaches.
Extending the Partnership to FICA's Network — FICA's decades of regional standing connect it to local government offices, community organizations, and cultural institutions across Loreto. FICA is welcome to introduce RWM to these contacts as the partnership matures, helping RWM's presence in the region grow beyond what either organization could build alone.
Beyond formal program delivery, RWM and FICA can engage directly as organizations:
These options build support for the partnership across both organizations, not only at the leadership level.
RWM and FICA will work together to open RWM's new hub in Iquitos, Loreto.
| Category | Item | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Music School | Piano | $800 |
| Music School | Teacher (Year 1) | $1,370 |
| ESL Program | Computer & accessories | $850 |
| ESL Program | Materials | $500 |
| Total | $3,520 |
Additional short-term activities may be added to this agreement by mutual written agreement as the partnership continues beyond the Iquitos launch.
Phase 1 — Formalization & Pre-Launch Planning (Now–October 2026)
RWM finalizes curriculum, instructors, and program logistics for Iquitos. FICA introduces RWM to local community contacts, helps identify a suitable venue or location, and supports RWM in identifying candidate local staff — volunteers, teachers, and administrators — for the Iquitos hub.
Phase 2 — Community Outreach (October 2026)
RWM provides program information materials for families. FICA supports outreach to local families and community members ahead of enrollment.
Phase 3 — Iquitos Hub Launch (November 2026)
RWM leads the official program launch and initial enrollment. FICA supports the launch event's local visibility and community presence.
Phase 4 — Ongoing Regional Collaboration (Post-Launch)
RWM operates and staffs the programs. FICA remains a point of local connection as they become established, and both organizations begin exploring further long-term activities together.
Program activity in Iquitos will be tracked through the same data RWM already collects across its hubs:
RWM will share periodic updates on the Iquitos hub's progress with FICA, and welcomes FICA's own visibility into how the partnership is translating into real enrollment and community impact on the ground.
This is a non-monetary, mutual-support partnership. Neither organization is providing the other with a cash sponsorship or grant under this agreement — the value each side brings is in the areas described in Mutual Benefits of the Partnership above (RWM's program, FICA's local standing and community connections).
Any in-kind contributions beyond what's described above (for example, shared use of a specific venue or event) will be confirmed in writing between the two organizations as specifics are finalized ahead of the November 2026 launch.
Before shipping any goods into Peru for the Iquitos hub, RWM should confirm its registration status with Peru's Agencia Peruana de Cooperación Internacional (APCI) as an Entidad o Institución Extranjera de Cooperación Técnica Internacional (ENIEX), and with SUNAT as a qualified donation recipient — physical donations from abroad can face customs holds and significant import taxes without this registration in place.
Should either organization wish to formalize a monetary arrangement in the future (for example, a joint grant application or shared fundraising effort), that would require a separate written agreement between RWM and FICA.
Term: This agreement takes effect upon signature with an initial term of three (3) years, automatically renewing for additional one-year terms unless either organization provides written notice of non-renewal at least 90 days before the end of the then-current term. Completing the November 2026 Iquitos hub launch does not end this agreement — additional short-term activities may be added over its life, as described above.
Communication: RWM and FICA will maintain regular contact during the lead-up to the November 2026 launch to coordinate on community outreach and launch logistics, and periodically thereafter to share updates on the hub's progress.
Termination: Either organization may terminate this agreement at any time with written notice to the other. Termination does not affect any specific commitments already underway (for example, a launch event already scheduled) unless both organizations agree otherwise.
Rising with Melodies invites FICA to formalize this partnership as the foundation for a long-term collaboration in northeastern Peru. Together, the two organizations can ground RWM's expansion in a community FICA already knows deeply, while giving FICA a role in bringing free music education, English instruction, and humanitarian support to more of the region's children.
Proposed action: schedule a meeting between RWM and FICA leadership to review this agreement, confirm the specifics of the Iquitos launch, and formally sign ahead of the November 2026 opening.
Execution of this agreement on behalf of Rising with Melodies Inc. is subject to authorization by its Board of Directors, consistent with Article Ten, Section 1 of RWM's Bylaws (contracts require Board authorization before an officer may execute them on the Corporation's behalf). Execution on behalf of FICA is subject to whatever equivalent authorization FICA's own Estatuto requires.