From IVHQ to Tarpuy Sonqo

Tarpuy Sonqo- Sembrando Amor- Spreading Love

So, you're probably wondering how in the world I ended up in Peru. Well, that's a good question. I'm not so sure of the answer myself.

 What I am sure of is that by the end of senior year, I was majorly sick of being in school, and that I had absolutely no motivation to start college in the fall. I also know that I really enjoyed volunteering and helping build a house in Mexico a couple years ago, and I'd since then decided that any travel I'd do in my life would either be for volunteering or educational purposes. Being the small town girl that I am, it seems so weird to me to go anywhere farther than Saint George (about 45 minutes away). So how did I even come to the conclusion to leave? That's another good question. I was inspired by the stories of my cousin Shamra, and my friend Annie. They both seem to have a passion for travel, and just the fact that they are young, independent women traveling by themselves made me realize that I can do it to. Really, I've learned that absolutely nothing is impossible. Part of the reason I picked Peru is because Annie went there a few years ago to volunteer in orphanages, which I thought was a brilliant idea, and so I'm following pretty much in her foot steps. I even looked into the program that she went with, but the age requirement had been raised to 21. So, next stop: google. Through the website volunteerabroad.com and much research, this is the program I found:

www.volunteerhq.org

IVHQ is an organization based in New Zealand that has a locations across the globe where people can volunteer to do different things like help in orphanages, teach english, work in medical clinics, and building projects. It's not free, but the cost of the program is one of the cheapest I've found, and it's a very excellent quality program. The specific program am I at is the Lima, Peru orphanage program. IVHQ is technically only a middle man that hooks you up with a local organization in the country you want to volunteer in. So, even though I got here through IVHQ, I'm actually working with Tarpuy Sonqo (quechan for spreading love). It's a local organization that is run by Lidia, the lady whose house I'm staying in (my peruvian mom). With the organization, I personally help in four different locations, as explained below.

1. The orphanage at San Antonio- 


I suppose this is our "main" orphanage, even though it's not necessarily the most important one. It's about a twenty minute walk away from our house, the most local orphanage we work at. It's a fairly nice orphanage, by Peruvian standards. It definitely houses a lot of kids. They all seem really happy and well-adjusted, too, so it seems like a good place to live for them. Anyway, I haven't been to all of the rooms, or even very many of them, but they have a room or two for every age group, from zero to about age fourteen. I work with the older girls, from around age 6 to age 14. They are quite an exciting bunch! The very first day I got there (when I had absolutely no clue what was going on or what I was supposed to be doing) they all swarmed around me, took me by the hand, hugged me, braided all of my hair, etc. They are all really sweet girls, but there are always the crazy, wild, rambuncious one's too! We go there a couple times a week in the mornings and generally just hang out with the girls. I'm have free range to do any activites with them that we have time for. We've played musical chairs, danced, watched movies, painted finger nails, did hair, played lots of volleyball, etc. I also have plans for bringing some sidewalk chalk in the future, and maybe we'll do some origami… Well, we'll see. Some of the girls go to school in the morning, so I don't see them as much, but the majority go in the afternoon, so we hang out with them and help out until after lunch, and then we clean up the cafeteria, and our work there is done for the day!


2. The orphanage at Semillitas (Special Needs)


This orphanage was at first the most difficult, frustrating place I'd been to. I honestly didn't know if I would go back, but I was told they needed the most help, and it was pretty evident that they did. This orphanage is for special needs children only. I'm not certain how many children live there, but there are plenty, believe me. Our job as volunteers is to take them outside, play with them, make them smile, help them learn if we can, and we help feed them lunch. My first day there, they gave me a quick tour, and then pretty much handed me a child to go off with. That day was a struggle. It was filled with much picking up and putting down, trying to stop the kids from eating things that aren't meant to be eaten, being slobbered on, being slapped and kicked, being led around (and out of bounds) by a blind girl (got in trouble for that), trying to get them to a.get off the slide, b.eat their food (I mean, actually eat it without spitting it out or just staring at it), and c.drink their juice with out spilling it all over them, me, the table, and the floor. The most memorable moment of that day was when I was trying to get one girl down from the top of the slide, and another girl just came over and sunk her teeth right into my arm! Yep, it was pleasent. That was about the time when I decided I wasn't sure if I wanted to back. It was a tough day. But, I signed up anyway to go once a week. The next week I was a little aprehensive to go, but one of the volunteers told me I could come into the room with the babies if I wanted, and I did. Let me tell you, that day went a lot better. And every week since then (even if I have to shove other volunteers out of the way with my elbows so I can be in the baby room) I've gone to the baby room. Slowly, Semillitas has become my absolutely favorite place! I love it there! I've learned all of the babies names, and their faces, and their personalities, what they respond best to, what they love to do the most, etc. I will post more about this place later.


3. The school at Pachacutec


About a forty-five minute bus ride from where we live there is an area (quite a large area, actually) that is really poor. It's pretty much one shack (by our standards) after another, after another, for miles on end. We teach at a school in this area. There's english classes taught by volunteers for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. There is also a physical education class taught by volunteers. We go there twice a week, and for the first couple weeks, I was just helping in Maemie's (another volunteer's) english classroom. Mostly standing around and observing.They've been learning vocab like clock, chair, desk, light, and how to put them into sentences, (this is a desk), and other stuff like that. I've had the chance to teach some of my own classes, though, and an origami class! More about that later. Lastly,


4. La Punta


Twice a week we go to a home for girls that have been sexually abused, or in prostitution, (or other similar backgrounds, of which I'm not sure) that is actually located in a police station in an area called La Punta. There is about 14 girls from around ages 12 to 18. The time we spend there is actually a lot less structured, we just hang out with the girls, talk, teach them some english words, dance, and some days we do activities like make bracelets or have a parties. The girls kind of pick volunteers that they cling to every time, and we kind of become their older sisters. It's actually a really great place to go. The girls need so much love, and we are ready and willing to give it to them. However, their stay there is sometimes temporary, so you never know if the girls you've been bonding with will actually be there the next time. It's kind of hard. But I love that place. I love those girls so much, and I hope that they know it! 


In short, those are the four places I volunteer at every week. My schedule is like this:


Monday- San Antonio (normal orphanage, morning)
Tuesday- Pachacutec (school, morning), La Punta (girl's home, afternoon)
Wednesday- Semillitas (special needs orphanage, morning)
Thursday- Pachacutec, La Punta
Friday- San Antonio


I really do love my schedule. I have a little bit of everything- babies, teenagers, in between, teaching, playing, etc. I love this program. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.


Con mi amor, 


Miranda