In addition to the school the organisation, Traveller Not Tourist, also has an orphanage in the city where it sends many volunteers. Sunday 25th September was our first experience of the orphanage since arriving in Arequipa. Some of the volunteers decided to organise a fun morning out at the swimming baths which gave us the perfect opportunity to meet the children and see the work that goes on there. The Casa Hogar orphanage is roughly a twenty minute bus journey out of the town centre. The orphanage was set up (and is run) by a charity organisation called Instituto de la Caridad Universal del Perú (The Institute of the Universal Charity of Perú). The orphanage is run by full time local volunteers who only get food and board for their work there, no wage. It works with the government who sends them children, but money and resources have to come from donations. The orphanage has around twenty children under the age of 10. The youngest is a 2 month old baby girl that was left on the doorstep at just 12 days old! The living quarters are extremely small and cramped. They are currently fundrasing for a new place, one which will be larger and suit the needs better for the children and carers. We are hoping that with the money we raised in England we can organise an events day in Arequipa to raise awareness and generate further funds. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
Tom and Sophie
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Arrived safely in Arequipa!
On Thursday afternoon, 1st September, Tom and I departed for Peru. Our trip began with a flight from Manchester to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Santo Domingo, then to Panama City where we were almost refused entry to Peru. Minutes before the flight to Lima took to the air, we were given permission to fly and ran across Panama airport to board the plane. Upon arriving at Lima airport, we took a taxi to a hostel in the city centre, where we spent our first night in Peru.
The following day, we took the Cruz del Sur night bus to Arequipa. After 16 hours, we awoke to find blue skies and snow capped mountains awaiting us. Arequipa is known as the 'White City' due to the volcanic rock in its architecture, which makes it a beautiful place to be.
On Monday, we visited Flora Tristan school and met the other volunteers and the students. The area is a deprived area on the northern outskirts of Arequipa. Many of the inhabitants are still without waste water disposal and have only recently been supplied with running water. Some of the children attend school, but others do not.
Our working day commences around 2.30pm, when we take a 45 minute bus journey to the school. The purpose of the school is to provide English lessons to the young people of the community. English is seen as a valuable asset, as tourism is an important source of income to Arequipa. A good grasp of the English language also acts as a gateway to further career opportunities.
Around 20-30 students attend the school, although not all of them attend every day. The school is split into 4 classes. Tom will be working with 2 classes; currently beginners aged 5-8, then from next week an advanced class with young adults. I am working with the babies class, aged 2-5.
We are very excited to start making a difference to this community. Thanks for reading!
Sophie & Tom
The following day, we took the Cruz del Sur night bus to Arequipa. After 16 hours, we awoke to find blue skies and snow capped mountains awaiting us. Arequipa is known as the 'White City' due to the volcanic rock in its architecture, which makes it a beautiful place to be.
On Monday, we visited Flora Tristan school and met the other volunteers and the students. The area is a deprived area on the northern outskirts of Arequipa. Many of the inhabitants are still without waste water disposal and have only recently been supplied with running water. Some of the children attend school, but others do not.
Our working day commences around 2.30pm, when we take a 45 minute bus journey to the school. The purpose of the school is to provide English lessons to the young people of the community. English is seen as a valuable asset, as tourism is an important source of income to Arequipa. A good grasp of the English language also acts as a gateway to further career opportunities.
Around 20-30 students attend the school, although not all of them attend every day. The school is split into 4 classes. Tom will be working with 2 classes; currently beginners aged 5-8, then from next week an advanced class with young adults. I am working with the babies class, aged 2-5.
We are very excited to start making a difference to this community. Thanks for reading!
Sophie & Tom
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