This summer, I will be joining a non-profit organization called United Planet as a volunteer for four weeks in Cusco, Peru. Once there, I will be working at the Aldea Infantil Juan Pablo II, a small orphanage in Cusco. Some of the things I'll be doing will include helping kids with their homework, helping children learn English, organizing activities for the kids, and assisting the orphanage staff in any way I can.
Why Peru? Currently, I teach fifth grade at Mathews Elementary School in Austin, Texas. Mathews serves as the home school for children of international graduate students who att... full info
My Spanish Tutor and MeI have been taking intensive Spanish classes with Dany this week. My Spanish, especially my listening comprehension, has improved greatly.
My First Visit to the Aldea InfantilOn Thursday, I visited the orphanage where I´ll be working. This is a picture of me with Shirley, one of the girls living at the orphanage. Shirley virtually leapt into my arms when I sat down.
Marina and MeMarina is a former volunteer at the Aldea and the one who initiated English lessons for both children and adults last May. She also wrote the curriculum.
At the AldeaThis is a picture of another one of the volunteer staff at the Aldea. The two boys will be in one of my English classes. Apparently, the boys come in contact with very few men at the Aldea, so I will be not only a teacher, but also a mentor who can answer their most urgent questions about... girls.
Rosa Luz y CeliaAt the Aldea, the orphanage is divided into houses, each of which has a house mother. There is one house mother for every eight or nine children. The idea is to create a more family-like atmosphere for the children. One of my jobs at the Aldea will be to help the mothers in whatever way I may. The job of house mother is one of the most demanding I have ever seen. The mothers are there 24 hours-a-day, 6 days of the week. They are permitted one day per week to see their own families. Often, the older girls in the house act as surrogate mothers to the youngest children.
Fiesta de cumpleaños para CarlosOn the afternoon I first visited, they were holding a first-birthday party for Carlos. Apparently, parties are not unusual at the Aldea. I was told they can happen as often as two or three times a week. I guess they´re trying to make the children feel special and loved.
