General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
Volunteering in Peru was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I worked in a home designed for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The majority of the children I worked with were orphans. The first few days volunteering were extremely difficult. Getting used to the cultural differences and lack of resources seemed impossible at first. However, once I accepted that I had to learn different ways of doing things, it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. Every day presented a new, exciting challenge and every day I went home feeling like I made a difference.My host family was wonderful. There was a slight language barrier, but that made being able to communicate even more special. My family even accommodated my brother, who came to visit me when my volunteer work was over. The food was (obviously) different from what I am used to, but very good and consistent.
I traveled on the weekends and the volunteer coordinators were very flexible and allowed me a few extra days for my travels, I just had to let them know a few days ahead of time. This experience introduced me to a new, different way of life, and really made me feel like I made a difference. In some cases, the children I worked with couldn’t walk or talk, so we had to find other ways to communicate. It’s amazing how wonderful I felt sometimes just knowing I was the reason a child smiled.
If I had any advice for new volunteers it would be just this: keep an open mind. Do not shut out differences, but accept them as beauty.