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“THE ONLY WAY TO BE FREE IS TO BE EDUCATED”

The above quote greets visitors to the organization website that has agreed to host me for the month of March. Horizon Peru is a community initiative that provides free education to a community that struggles economically. My volunteer time will be most likely spent teaching English, playing sports with the students (such as volleyball and soccer) and providing computer assistance to those who are looking to improve various skills that will lead to employment prospects.

“The members of this community have very few job opportunities. Thus, they are born into poverty and few are ever able to rise out of it. Recognizing this cycle and its causes, we decided to broaden the horizons of our friends and neighbors by offering them an education in English. With the help of volunteers, we are able to offer children and adults alike this useful skill for free.” (From the Horizon Peru website)

The city where Horizon Peru focuses their work is called Trujillo. It is the third largest urban area in Peru, and is rich in cultural history – it was the first city in the nation to declare independence from Spain, and also is a stone’s throw from Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the ancient world. It’s current economic endeavors include the exportation of asparagus, rice and shoes. I’ll be situated in the city’s poorest district – La Esperanza.

Due to its unique blend of culture, geography and spirituality, Peru has always been on my radar as a country I craved to visit. And although I will not be making a visit to Machu Picchu during this visit, I will hopefully have three days to explore the nation’s capital, Lima, at the end of March. As with my previous destinations, I’ll be sharing a daily video, as well as a weekly LETTER HOME and plenty of photo updates.

What are my expectations of this month’s experiences?

- To learn more about the culture of Peru, specifically the city of Trujillo

- To further develop my abilities to help others improve their English language skills

- To gain introductory insight into the complex relation between poverty and education

- To improve my Spanish and learn a bit about local cuisine

- To visit some of northern Peru’s top attractions: Chan Chan, Huanchaco Beach, Catholic churches

I feel excited and optimistic for this leg of my project. I have never been to Peru before, so this is an opportunity to chart new territory and engage in a culture that is less familiar. I’m also very excited to work with children. My two previous tasks, reconstruction in New Orleans and farming in Costa Rica, were both manual labor, which certain came with its challenges. This month I’ll have the opportunity to work with my brain, my social skills and my miming skills!

Visit the Horizon Peru website for more details on their community work.

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Because of the limited funds available to Horizon Peru, they hav requested at $50/week donation to stay at their volunteer house. If you are interested in sponsoring my volunteer activities for a week, visit the SUPPORT section for details on how you can lend a hand.

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