Organization

This shelter for girls was once part of a big Peruvian religious organization. After a threat of bankruptcy, Peruvian and Dutch volunteers have set up a foundation to take over the orphanage. Currently there are 15 girls staying in the age of 4 to 19 years, who are sheltered for various reasons. Many of the families where they grew up live below the poverty line and cannot maintain their children. Others are one-sided orphan and their father or mother works all day so the children roam the streets without supervision. In addition, many girls are victim of domestic or sexual violence. Many parents face a drink- or drug-addiction. The home is run by a manager and his wife. Sometimes there is a pedagogic employee present. A psychologist and a doctor on call are connected to the house.  In order to accommodate the shelter as good as possible, the following goals are formulated: A. Creating a healthy and safe living environment for the child B. Guidance to and support of good education C. Offering relaxation and diversion by means of sports and games. Throughout the week the girls are at school until 15:00. After lunch in the shelter they do household chores and their homework. Then there is time for relaxation.

Project activities

Tasks of the volunteer can be supporting the girls with their daily activities (for instance helping them with their homework), organizing sportive or creative activities both after school and in the weekend. But the most important is: being there. By giving them attention you show the girls that they do matter and this enlarges their little self-confidence. This project is for a self-supporting volunteer where initiatives are greatly appreciated and where your efforts mean a lot.

What’s expected of the volunteers?

• 21 years or older
• Pedagogic skills
• Nivel intermedio de Español
• Social
• Flexible
• Enterprising

Accommodation and living environment

• You can choose to sleep and eat at the shelter. You can also stay in a hostel or apartment. These costs are at your own expense. The town itself lies 40 km from the capital of Lima. It’s a small town at the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 1100 metres. There are possibilities to go out but there is no large group of international volunteers. The foundation can arrange Spanish classes for you. These costs are at your own expense.

Period / duration

• Throughout the year. A period of 6 months is preferable. For certain projects in future, there is a shorter staying period possible.

Local costs

• You can stay for free at the home, food is included.

Experiences

 ‘The next day I heard the girls already early at work. They get up at 5 in order to do their cleaning chores. At 7 they are picked up by a van and leave in their school uniform for school. 

Everyone would love to have a ‘normal’ home. But some know that they will never succeed in this, while others might get the idea to make plans. I decided for this weekend to let the girls write a letter to me in which they tell what they like and do not like so much to their live and the hogar, and what they would like to see different. Thus I hope to get more insight in what goes on in their little heads, and to use this as a basis for conversation with them. I’m very curious how this will turn out to be. I told them that it’s just for me and no one else, because I want to get to know and understand them and that this orally can be difficult. A letter is easier to me and for them perhaps easier to be open. It surprised me how open they are towards me and (luckily) how happy most are to be here. This is good material! 

We also started a new dance. They chose the music themselves and it turned out to be: The Party Squad!  Yeah, a true Dutch group, and really, I didn’t influence them. I think it’s a daunting task seen the very high speed of it.  But an advantage is that they like the music and are willing to learn, so that should be possible.’ 

Tessa.