TESTIMONIAL

I spent just over 4 weeks volunteering in an after school project ere in Cusco (Peru). I always wanted to volunteer, and found myself with a 'now or never' option whether to come to Peru, and it is one I will never regret. Coming from a fast paced life both in work and social life, Peru was a welcome change. The first day I arrived at the project I was welcomed with hugs and kisses, from all 40+ kids in the project, all starving for some attention. The thing is, these kids are so happy to receive any affection at all that they immediately take to you. Because I am such a huge soccer fan, I was able to play with them in a local playground for 2 hours a day. It was great for building teamwork, keeping them fit and most importantly having fun. On top of that all, these kids are good. To be honest, my Spanish was much to be desired when I arrived at the project, but I still was able to help and play with the kids. It was great helping the small ones with jigsaws, or the older ones with homework, but sport and fun is my forte, so volleyball, soccer or some other made up game was always on the menu. To be honest it is the first type of work that I actually looked forward to going to and I also felt as if I had made a difference afterwards. You can make a difference one kid at a time here. I enjoyed my stay so much that I decided to stay another three months in Cusco.

This Project involves working with teenage girls between the ages of 13-17. Generally there are anywhere between twelve and eighteen girls. The girls are EXTREMELY enthusiastic to have volunteers around, both women and men. Only a handful of them attend school and have the privilege to leave their home, so all visitors are happily embraced. You do need an intermediate level of Spanish for this project or else you will end up feeling fairly lost. Most of the girls are fairly patient and love helping you look up words in your dictionary if you are struggling with your Spanish. There is little structure to your volunteer actual time in the project, so you need to be comfortable with a more low key environment and building relationships. Otherwise it is great to come up with your own project to do with the girls. Half-way through this project I decided to start an art studio for the girls with money donated from friends and family. They have a large room for making paper which is now a perfect spot to create an art studio. The girls are very excited about this studio project and it was the first time I was able to actively engage ALL of them at one time for a two-hour stretch period and see them both animated and happy. It would be great to find someone to continue this project after I am gone. While these girls were prostitutes in the past, overall they are normal, hyper, and sometimes moody teenage girls. They love to hug, chat about your love life, giggle, and play volleyball. I believe it is a project that demands at least a 2 month or longer commitment as it takes awhile for the girls to trust and embrace you.

This is a great project for anyone, even if you only have a day to volunteer. This project comes ready-made with things to do. If you volunteer in the mornings, you will be expected to help finish getting the children dressed for the day, play with them, feed them lunch, and help clean them up and put them to bed for a nap. The clinic sorely needs volunteers on weekends as well, especially during the evenings as there are fewer nurses available and generally no volunteers. With less people around, the kids sit around doing very little when they could really use some stimulation. I have loved this project - the kids are happy, engaging, and generally excited to see you. And while there are expectations (as listed above), as a therapist with a background with special-needs kids, I have been allowed access to the therapy room and can choose which children I want to work with. It is up to me to use what kind of therapy or skills I want to provide for that child (not all children here receive therapy). Not only is there a lot of freedom in this aspect, the clinic is also flexible in regards to your schedule. Sometimes when I can't make it during the week, I make up my time on the weekends. The children love spending time in their large playground, playing with toys in their rooms, going for walks (or wheelchair races) around the clinic, and they especially love it when volunteers bring bubbles, balloons, balls, and simple art projects. Most of the children are pretty low-functioning - about 25% can communicate or walk or attend school, whereas the rest have much higher needs. You don't need a particularly high level of Spanish for this project as most of the kids are unable to speak or are only capable of understanding quechua. Plus, the nurses, for the most part, keep to themselves unless you actively engage with them. What needs to be done is pretty clear to see in this project and it is a great place for a volunteer to be.