I am so grateful to have received the training that allowed me to start working as a beauty therapist, in this amazing industry, all those years ago.
Not everyone is as fortunate as I was to afford the training.
By supporting the inspiring HOW Awards, through the sponsorship of 1 Scholarship, we are creating an opportunity for a fulfilling and wonderful future for a young person.
It is my honor to ‘pay it forward’ in this way.
Please consider joining me and sponsor a beauty practitioner of the future!
My last volunteering project with Maximo Nivel Peru was by far the toughest. I spent a week up in the mountains with a typical Andean Quechua-speaking family in Umasbamba, a small Quechua community of no more than 100 families. The setting was very rural, with houses made of adobe mud, which was quite cold.
My hosts, the lovely Rafaella and her husband Zenobio, lived a very simple life with their two daughters and baby son. They also had several animals, two not-so-white dogs, sheep, guinea pigs, chickens, a donkey, and Lucy the llama. Their main sources of income were derived from their small-scale subsistence farming activities, weaving products, different jobs Zenobio was working at, and from hosting volunteers.
Working on the farm was a tough but unforgettable experience, to say the least. The jobs I did included cutting alfalfa, feeding the guinea pigs, peeling beans (six hours non-stop sitting on a cold floor) and potatoes, sorting corn kernels, scattering manure with my hands (seriously!), taking the sheep out to the field, and helping with food prep. Let me tell you that those tasks ranged from fun to exhausting.
One of the hardest things was the cold. By 6 pm, it would be pitch black and freezing cold, so once we had finished dinner at around 7.30 pm I would retire to my room to get into my sleeping bag. The cold was my main reason to say goodnight, but not being able to make conversation was another good reason. As there was no phone or Wi-Fi connection, it could get quite lonely out there; and due to the cold, I wasn’t able to read at night. I tried to read with my gloves and hood on one night, but my nose was so cold that I gave up and just curled up in my sleeping bag. I can honestly say that I’ve never been that cold in my life. Taking a cold shower wasn’t an option either, especially knowing that I was on anti-flu medication already. So, I will be eternally grateful to whoever invented wet wipes and dry shampoo! Trust me when I tell you that I showered three times after I got to my hotel after the project.
As I mentioned before, it was demanding but rewarding. Spending time with these humble, loving people made it all worth it. It certainly puts life in perspective! And knowing that their two daughters are enrolled at university, thanks to the support of us volunteers, is just fantastic. It makes it all worthwhile.
My third project in Peru was volunteering at El Centro La Recoleta, an elderly home of about 150 senior citizens who were either abandoned by their families or happened to outlive them.
La Recoleta is a Catholic establishment run by six nuns and consists of four separate pavilions that house the elderly. Our day started with feeding breakfast to those who couldn’t feed themselves followed by some time outdoors so they could enjoy the sunshine.
One day, when I brought a certain man to his allocated chair outside, he grabbed my hand firmly and didn’t let go. He looked me in the eyes and planted a kiss on my hand. I was so touched by it, but more than that, it showed me how lonely these people were and how much it means to have people who spend time with and care for them. It was heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time.
Afterwards, we did the dishes, folded the clean laundry, and helped with the lunch preparations. It was encouraging to see the number of Peruvian youngsters showing up on their off days to volunteer. I was impressed at how those kids decided to help those in need instead of enjoying their free time somewhere else. They set a good example.
Overall, it was beautiful to see what a close community the people in Cusco are. It is obvious that people support one another: those more fortunate bring food to the poor and organize charity events to collect money for those in need. Many of the people I met were supporting in one way or another.
It’s important for everyone to realize that there are so many people in the world who aren’t as fortunate as us. And once you realize that, find a way to support them. Even the smallest contribution, like holding and old man’s hand for a morning in the sun, can make a world of difference to some people. This is how we can all work towards making the world a better place.
My second project in Peru was as a volunteer with Corazón, a wonderful project in the Saylla district on the outskirts of Cusco. I feel so blessed to have met Laura. Laura founded the afterschool program for children ten years ago, at the age of 62. She started the program because many of the children’s parents work long hours and the kids are left without supervision. As Laura says, these kids are the future of Peru, so we need to support them and keep them off the streets. She gets little support from the government, so everything is funded by herself and the support she gets from organizations such as Maximo Nivel Peru.
There are currently 57 children aged 5 to 13 years enrolled in the program, so the support from volunteers is vital. Each day typically begins with the kids doing their homework. In the picture, I am helping the boy do his English homework. I have never encountered a kid that was so happy doing homework! He loved the help and support. He showed his gratitude with the biggest smiles and it was so heartwarming! After homework, there was one hour allocated to reading, to improve their skills. After homework and reading, it was play time.
I truly fell in love with this project. It has so much meaning to it. Keeping children off the streets and investing the time to enhance their skills and knowledge is of such great importance. It all translates in building a better and safer world.
My first project as a volunteer with Maximo Nivel was as a teacher’s assistant at the Jardín Cajonahuaylla (jardín is Spanish for garden, which is a way of saying pre-school in Peru). Approximately 130 children aged 3–5 years are enrolled, most of them from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds. The aim of the school is to provide a good education to children from low-income families. Having only five teachers makes the support of volunteers necessary. I was assigned to work with the five-year-olds. As a volunteer, I provided classroom assistance and individual attention to ensure a smoother and more productive day. My responsibilities included taking kids to the restroom, teaching them to wash their hands afterwards (this was very important as this can prevent them from getting parasites), assisting with hygiene stations, and preparing homework and worksheets. For consistency and to add a greater impact to the program, we made daily entries into the online volunteer journal, which helps the next volunteer pick up where we left off.
We had the chance to spend a whole day in the park with some of the children and their parents. The kids had made their own cometas (kites) and we helped get them off the ground and into the sky! It was a day filled with fun and it was heartwarming to see their happy faces. Unfortunately, the school couldn’t arrange for transportation to the park due to a lack of resources, so their parents had to bring them. And because most of the parents also didn’t have the means to provide for transportation, many kids missed out. It is in these moments that you realize how different their world is in comparison to ours. I never doubted as a child that I wouldn’t be able to make it to a school outing. We were taken to amusement parks, the beach, and to many other places. I didn’t miss even one, but it’s only now that I realize that I took something for granted that isn’t a reality for many other kids around the world. But one thing will always be the same: wherever they are in the world and whatever their background, kids will be kids. They adjust to whatever situation they are in, bringing sunshine and joy to the world. I loved being surrounded by that bunch of beautiful children. Their craving for hugs, attention, and love was huge. My time with them made me confront myself and some of my preconceptions, but it was very rewarding nonetheless. Those children stole my heart and made me grateful for all the beautiful things that life has to offer.
