When I arrived in Huaraz two months ago I was having a hard
time picturing what lay ahead. I had volunteered abroad before, but never in a
country where I didn’t speak the language or on a continent I’d only really come
to know through Che Guevara biographies and Neruda’s love poems. Needless to say, I'd given my vision for the next year a romantic tint that was quick
to subside to sheer nervousness as my departure date neared. By the time I was soaring
over the Atlantic I had cross-examined every possible scenario of what was to
come, leaving only further questions scattered across my anxious mind: ‘Maybe
the people wont be as friendly as everyone has said?’ ‘Will I have to have cold
showers for a year?’ ‘Will I be able to buy the soap I like and decent tea?’
But, most importantly ‘What if the kids don’t like me?’
I had never been to South America before, let alone Peru. I
knew little Spanish and was freaked out by the thought of not being able to
communicate with those I was working with. I was walking away from a steady and
all too familiar life back in the city I grew up in and, for a split second on
that plane, I did wonder if this was really the best step forward for me. Of
course, these feelings are natural when you pick up your life and move it
thousands of miles away and I had always taken pleasure in trading in comfort
for the great unknown.
After spending a day in the sweltering Lima heat I took the dusty
road away from the coast to the foot of the first mountain. It wasn’t long
before I was surrounded by vivacious green cliffs stacked like dominoes ranging
as far as the eye could see, winding pathways zig-zagging through thick cloud, and great, babbling
rivers cascading through the centre of tiny villages.
To say the least, my nerves were all in vain. My first few days
in Huaraz were nothing short of delightful. From the warm welcome by Yuri and
the volunteers who were here when I arrived, to the first morning at the school
and the charming customs from all the children, I felt certain I’d come to a
great place. The mandatory kiss on the cheek and curious smiles from everyone
went a long way in diminishing any uncomfortable “first day” barriers.
The city itself is far larger than I expected it to be. There
are plenty of funky little cafes to spend an afternoon getting buzzed on strong
coffee, delicious and fresh food on almost every corner and a selection of hip
and bustling bars serving up Huaraz’s very own craft beer, Sierra Andina.
And this is all before you get to the best part: The spine
of thorny mountains running directly alongside us. Waking up in the morning to
watch the frosted tips of some of the tallest peaks in Latin America submerge
from departing cloud cover is staggering. Needless to say, the weekend
excursions are endless, every trip to the Huascarán National Park nothing
short of invigorating.
The school can go from calm to hectic in a matter of moments,
dozens of eager faces flood through the door to welcome you each day. With so
many vulnerable and economically-disadvantaged children in Peru, many of whom
work in the streets to supplement their families income, I was amazed to see
how gregarious and comfortable they all were around new people who arrived from
every corner of the planet. No doubt, several of the children suffer more than difficult
conditions at home and have had to grow up very fast. But there was no
adjustment period, no awkward few days for us to get used to each other. From
the moment I stepped through the door I was treated like they’d known me
forever. Like a part of the family. They are an absolute joy, to say the least.
The work Yuri, Mariella and the rest of the Seeds staff do
here is nothing short of spectacular. I had spent a lot of time researching
various organisations in Peru, conscious of not being caught up in any kind of
“volunteer tourism” where my time here would not be directly useful to those I was
coming to help. I can tell you whole heartedly that Seeds of Hope is far from
that. Not only is volunteering at Seeds reasonably priced as far
as volunteer opportunities go, from the very first day I was made aware of just
how much this programme has impacted, and still is impacting, the lives of
these young people.
The four young men who work at Seeds are all examples of how
successful the system is. Not only has the organisation hired them as teachers since
they graduated in order to keep them in steady employment, all of them went on
to higher education and are either still studying or have completed their undergraduate degrees or MA’s.
The organisation works closely with recent graduates to help
them with the extra tutoring to pass vital (and very difficult) university
exams. They provide all children with a nutritious meal each day, educate them
on health and hygiene and implement various projects into their weekly routine (thanks
to the wealth of fantastic volunteers we’ve had over the years), working with
them in sex education, child psychology and physical fitness. They work closely
with the poorest families and help to provide them with school supplies,
uniforms and extra food, coming up with imaginative fundraising strategies to
raise money for those struggling to make ends meet.
The children still enrolled at Seeds adore the school, are
respectful and motivated when it comes to education, and clearly see it as
another home away from home where they feel safe and cared for. As children
here tend to be passed on from grade to grade without having necessarily
achieved the knowledge to do so, many kids are left behind, drop out at a young
age without having the basic skills to improve their lives, and therefore continuing the cycle of poverty. Seeds aims to tackle these issues by keeping
children in education and empowering them to change their lives for themselves.
During my first few weeks here, thanks to the wonderful
contributions of organisations such as The One Percent Scheme in the UK, we
were able to take the children on an incredible trip to the ancient city of
Cerro Sechin before moving onto the beach for the afternoon. Not only was the day
educational (for me also!), but it was evident the kids don’t get the opportunity
to leave Huaraz much and loved every minute. I was absolutely amazed at how well-behaved they were all
day, even though we did a total of around 8 hours driving! They clearly had a
ball.
I am currently sitting on the balcony of one of Huaraz’s cafes
watching a distant storm cut its way through the layers of seemingly infinite mountains
and wondering where the rest of the day will take me. My volunteers are all off
walking around Lake Llanganuco, a tour I’ve done a few times now, so a day
relaxing and writing from the observation deck felt necessary. I haven’t had a dull day here so far and I’m
excited for each week to come, hanging out with the kids, learning new and
incredible things about this wonderful culture, and hopefully being of some use along the way!
Written by our International Coordinator, Alanna Byrne.
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