The football tournament that Tom and I decided to initiate took place on Saturday. As usual, it was a hot and sunny day in Arequipa. All of the TNT volunteers, some of the children from Flora Tristan school and some local people attended.
The tournament took place at a local 'cancha'. Opposite the football pitches was a grassy area where we set up the TNT stall and the food, drink and ice cream stands. Here people could purchase these items or just sit in the shade and watch the proceedings.
Apart from one leg injury, the children had a great time. In addition, we generated local awareness of the charity and also built up relations with a local hostel to help promote the work that the charity is doing.
Thank you once again to all who contributed to our fundraising back in England, to help this tournament happen.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Teaching English in Peru
I am now into my second month of teaching English in Arequipa and I would like to tell you about my experiences of working, both good and bad, in a foreign country.
The college where I teach is a reputable language institution renowned for having good teachers whose first language is English. It also has built up a partnership with a local university where I also work. The pay is better than most in the area and my hourly rate is S/.11.50 (£2.65) an hour at the college, and S/.13-15 at the university, which seems low but is enough to pay for rent and support food and living for two people. I teach between 30 and 35 hours of classes a week, which doesn't include time lesson planning and any extra marking. My school is one of the better, but by no means perfect, places to teach in the area.
Working as a foreigner is always risky business. Most schools in Peru operate an 'under the table' policy when it comes to paying its staff and foreign teachers are recruited as 'volunteer teachers' on holiday visas. It is rare for a school to hire a foreign teacher legally. However it seems to be common practice here and it works fine. All the authorities are aware of what goes on, and I imagine it saves a lot of paper work!
It has been a difficult first month trying to learn the ropes of being an English teacher. The course that I did before I came out could never have prepared me for the approach that one school might take. My school focuses much of its attention on grammar and it is common in class that the students will probably be able to tell me the rules quicker than I could find it in a book. Grammar, as English speakers, is something we take for granted and having to learn your future perfect continuous from your past simple and your zero conditional from your reflexive pronoun is something that seems unnatural. It is, however, sinking in much faster than expected and in class I am of course the expert. English is my first language and I can see straight away if something looks wrong without any knowledge of the correct rules.
I have enjoyed the challenge that has faced me with teaching so far. I get on well with my students and I am starting to find out what works and what doesn't in class. In terms of learning on the job, I still feel as though I am a student myself and I am always looking for new ways of presenting material and open to hear people's ideas and what they do in class. A good way to do this is to look on the many forums dedicated to teaching English as a foreign language.
The students I teach are mostly university students with the average age being 18. The school where I teach is relatively expensive to go to so I find that most of the people that are at the school are from some of the more affluent families. The students and I get on well and generally I have found Peruvian students to be quite open to try new things and they are not afraid of speaking out in class and getting things wrong.
To sum up, my first month has been hard but enjoyable. If there is any advice I could give to a teacher starting like me for the first time it would be that the first month is by for the hardest and after that you seem to find a rhythm. I think the main thing to decide after that first month is that teaching English is something that you enjoy and if you can weigh up the positives and negatives and still want to do it then carry on!
Thanks for reading,
Tom
The college where I teach is a reputable language institution renowned for having good teachers whose first language is English. It also has built up a partnership with a local university where I also work. The pay is better than most in the area and my hourly rate is S/.11.50 (£2.65) an hour at the college, and S/.13-15 at the university, which seems low but is enough to pay for rent and support food and living for two people. I teach between 30 and 35 hours of classes a week, which doesn't include time lesson planning and any extra marking. My school is one of the better, but by no means perfect, places to teach in the area.
Working as a foreigner is always risky business. Most schools in Peru operate an 'under the table' policy when it comes to paying its staff and foreign teachers are recruited as 'volunteer teachers' on holiday visas. It is rare for a school to hire a foreign teacher legally. However it seems to be common practice here and it works fine. All the authorities are aware of what goes on, and I imagine it saves a lot of paper work!
It has been a difficult first month trying to learn the ropes of being an English teacher. The course that I did before I came out could never have prepared me for the approach that one school might take. My school focuses much of its attention on grammar and it is common in class that the students will probably be able to tell me the rules quicker than I could find it in a book. Grammar, as English speakers, is something we take for granted and having to learn your future perfect continuous from your past simple and your zero conditional from your reflexive pronoun is something that seems unnatural. It is, however, sinking in much faster than expected and in class I am of course the expert. English is my first language and I can see straight away if something looks wrong without any knowledge of the correct rules.
I have enjoyed the challenge that has faced me with teaching so far. I get on well with my students and I am starting to find out what works and what doesn't in class. In terms of learning on the job, I still feel as though I am a student myself and I am always looking for new ways of presenting material and open to hear people's ideas and what they do in class. A good way to do this is to look on the many forums dedicated to teaching English as a foreign language.
The students I teach are mostly university students with the average age being 18. The school where I teach is relatively expensive to go to so I find that most of the people that are at the school are from some of the more affluent families. The students and I get on well and generally I have found Peruvian students to be quite open to try new things and they are not afraid of speaking out in class and getting things wrong.
To sum up, my first month has been hard but enjoyable. If there is any advice I could give to a teacher starting like me for the first time it would be that the first month is by for the hardest and after that you seem to find a rhythm. I think the main thing to decide after that first month is that teaching English is something that you enjoy and if you can weigh up the positives and negatives and still want to do it then carry on!
Thanks for reading,
Tom
Monday, November 14, 2011
Volunteering at Casa Hogar Orphanage
In addition to teaching at Flora Tristan School, I am also volunteering at the orphanage that TNT is affiliated with. On Wednesday, I worked my first shift at Casa Hogar Orphanage. The orphanage is situated in Villa Selva Alegre, a 20 minute bus journey out of Arequipa city centre. It is run by the director, Lilia, and 2 other Peruvian ladies, called 'Tia' by the children (which is Spanish for 'Aunt'). The three of them live there 24/7 and receive no pay, only their food and accommodation. They have given over their lives to looking after these children.
There are currently 19 children living at the orphanage. Generally, only children under the age of 5 are admitted, however if there are brothers and sisters who need housing together, then they are accepted into Casa Hogar.
I arrived with Anna, TNT’s Volunteer Coordinator (who is sadly leaving in a few days to return home to the US) and a new volunteer. We were welcomed by Lilia with a kiss on the right cheek, as is customary in Peru. I was also greeted by a toddler running towards me and wrapping himself around my legs, shouting 'Tia!'.
The room I entered was small, with some bookshelves and a couple of tables. This is generally where the older children do their homework . Climbing the stairs, I found myself in a small area, with a dining room to the right, a kitchen straight ahead, and the children’s bedrooms to the left. The kitchen seems so small when one considers how many mouths there are to feed. The bedrooms are small, with one for the boys, one for the girls and two for the babies. Up another flight of steps are the Tias’ living quarters and concrete sinks where all the clothes are hand washed. In addition, there is a concrete area which serves as the only outside play area that the orphanage has. Absorbing my surroundings, it came as no surprise to me that new, more spacious premises are being sought.
On a morning, the older children attend school, so there are the babies and toddlers to care for. I spent my first morning getting to know the toddlers, 3 boys, joining in playing with them. They are old enough to commence pre-school, but the feeling is that the children should be protected from outside influences that they have no control over, for as long as is reasonable. As such, Lilia asked that I introduce something educational in my time with them.
Today was my second shift. When I arrived, the children were eating breakfast. After much encouragement for them to clear their plates, I presented the toddlers with some crayons and pictoral representations of the alphabet. It seems funny that I am attempting to teach the alphabet in Spanish! As one would expect, the toddlers' short attention spans meant they soon tired of this, so we played upstairs in the outside play area. While the boys were happily playing, I was called to assist with the babies and changed a nappy for the first time in my life. Approaching lunchtime, I bottle fed a 5 month old baby boy, who fell asleep in my ams. This concluded my second shift.
Lilia asks that the volunteers come to Casa Hogar with an open heart, as it is so important to give these children some love, something they have been lacking in their time before coming to the orphanage. I was very touched by this, and hope that in my time there I can help the children feel loved as I did as a child.
There are currently 19 children living at the orphanage. Generally, only children under the age of 5 are admitted, however if there are brothers and sisters who need housing together, then they are accepted into Casa Hogar.
I arrived with Anna, TNT’s Volunteer Coordinator (who is sadly leaving in a few days to return home to the US) and a new volunteer. We were welcomed by Lilia with a kiss on the right cheek, as is customary in Peru. I was also greeted by a toddler running towards me and wrapping himself around my legs, shouting 'Tia!'.
The room I entered was small, with some bookshelves and a couple of tables. This is generally where the older children do their homework . Climbing the stairs, I found myself in a small area, with a dining room to the right, a kitchen straight ahead, and the children’s bedrooms to the left. The kitchen seems so small when one considers how many mouths there are to feed. The bedrooms are small, with one for the boys, one for the girls and two for the babies. Up another flight of steps are the Tias’ living quarters and concrete sinks where all the clothes are hand washed. In addition, there is a concrete area which serves as the only outside play area that the orphanage has. Absorbing my surroundings, it came as no surprise to me that new, more spacious premises are being sought.
On a morning, the older children attend school, so there are the babies and toddlers to care for. I spent my first morning getting to know the toddlers, 3 boys, joining in playing with them. They are old enough to commence pre-school, but the feeling is that the children should be protected from outside influences that they have no control over, for as long as is reasonable. As such, Lilia asked that I introduce something educational in my time with them.
Today was my second shift. When I arrived, the children were eating breakfast. After much encouragement for them to clear their plates, I presented the toddlers with some crayons and pictoral representations of the alphabet. It seems funny that I am attempting to teach the alphabet in Spanish! As one would expect, the toddlers' short attention spans meant they soon tired of this, so we played upstairs in the outside play area. While the boys were happily playing, I was called to assist with the babies and changed a nappy for the first time in my life. Approaching lunchtime, I bottle fed a 5 month old baby boy, who fell asleep in my ams. This concluded my second shift.
Lilia asks that the volunteers come to Casa Hogar with an open heart, as it is so important to give these children some love, something they have been lacking in their time before coming to the orphanage. I was very touched by this, and hope that in my time there I can help the children feel loved as I did as a child.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Flora Tristan School Scholarship Scheme
The students who come to Flora Tristan School to learn English all attend local public schools. Not all of these have a particularly high standard of education and many classes hold up to 40 students. This further reduces the quality of the education they are receiving, as they cannot all have the individual attention they deserve when they need it. As the families in the community are all very poor, they cannot afford to send their children to private school.
Li, the School Coordinator, has done a lot of fantastic work on setting up a scholarship scheme, to enable one student a year from Flora Tristan to attend private school. Students who have the highest attendance rates at Flora Tristan and who work hard and are committed to their own education have the opportunity to be put forward for this scheme, funded by Traveller Not Tourist.
Next week, one of the students, Elizabeth, will be sitting the entrance exam for the private school. The exam consists of questions on Spanish, English and Maths. If she passes, then she will join the private school in the new school year, commencing in March.
To enable Traveller Not Tourist to fund the scheme every year, money needs to be raised regularly, not just as a one-off. As such, Tom and I have decided to use some of the funds we raised in England to hold a fundraising event here in Arequipa. As well as contributing to raising funds for this first year of the scheme, it will create local awareness and therefore hopefully generate funds for each year to come.
Work has already commenced on the fundraising event. On Saturday 26th November, we shall be holding a football tournament (football is incredibly popular here) for both adults and children. There will also be food and drink for sale, face painting for the children and a raffle. Traveller Not Tourist will of course have a stand, providing information on what the organisation does and also advertising the Spanish School and Tour Operator which they run.
So many thanks to those who contributed to our fundraising back in England. The donations you have made will help provide the opportunity of a much brighter future for Elizabeth and other students like her in years to come.
Li, the School Coordinator, has done a lot of fantastic work on setting up a scholarship scheme, to enable one student a year from Flora Tristan to attend private school. Students who have the highest attendance rates at Flora Tristan and who work hard and are committed to their own education have the opportunity to be put forward for this scheme, funded by Traveller Not Tourist.
Next week, one of the students, Elizabeth, will be sitting the entrance exam for the private school. The exam consists of questions on Spanish, English and Maths. If she passes, then she will join the private school in the new school year, commencing in March.
To enable Traveller Not Tourist to fund the scheme every year, money needs to be raised regularly, not just as a one-off. As such, Tom and I have decided to use some of the funds we raised in England to hold a fundraising event here in Arequipa. As well as contributing to raising funds for this first year of the scheme, it will create local awareness and therefore hopefully generate funds for each year to come.
Work has already commenced on the fundraising event. On Saturday 26th November, we shall be holding a football tournament (football is incredibly popular here) for both adults and children. There will also be food and drink for sale, face painting for the children and a raffle. Traveller Not Tourist will of course have a stand, providing information on what the organisation does and also advertising the Spanish School and Tour Operator which they run.
So many thanks to those who contributed to our fundraising back in England. The donations you have made will help provide the opportunity of a much brighter future for Elizabeth and other students like her in years to come.
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