Author: Daniel J Ortiz-Nevares
Having just returned from a four month absence, I was walking around the new PSF camp, becoming acquainted with its new inhabitants, its peculiarities, the ins and outs and so on and so forth when suddenly I came across the morning meeting project board, which was headlined at the top (with about 20 volunteer names listed under it), "Pisco Unido Hair Dares Miracle Floors." This was nice for me to see because it meant that I had unwittingly returned just in time to find out where the money for my face shaving fund raising is going. Let me explain. December 12th of 2025 held the very first "Pisco Unido," an all day, all ages community building event held co-operatively by Pisco Sin Fronteras and the city of Pisco. Dancing, live music, face painting, food, beverage, art galleries, fundraising fun starting at 4 in the afternoon and continuing on until about 4:30 in the morning makes for a truly amazing community outreach celebration. During Pisco Unido, there was a fundraising gig called "Hair Dares" which consisted of many volunteers being sponsored to paint, dye and/or shave heads, faces and/or legs in all sorts of shapes, sizes and/or patterns to raise money for PSF´s miracle fund. I had participated by shaving half of my head, waxing one eyebrow, shaving half of my moustache and half of my beard. Our Hair Dares coordinator Rachel Borg, inspired by her victims, decided to step up to the plate by shaving off her entire head of long, dark beautiful hair in order to bring in nearly 5,000 soles. Truly inspirational. By the time it was all said and done, the Pisco Unido Hair Dares victims had collectively lost nearly a garbage bag full of hair, but had also successfully raised nearly 10,000 soles. This money, I now find, is being well implemented to help parents struggling to raise their children on dusty, dirty floors, under big black tarps, within walls made from woven grass, next to piles of wood and scrap metal. Phase one of the Pisco Unido Hair Dares Miracle Floors project consists of donating the materials(cement, aggregate, water) and labor to pour concrete floors for these families. I was fortunate to be able to visit and help with the construction for about 15 concrete floors scattered about the La Nueva Alameda community and I look forward to many more as PSF moves toward families living in Vista del Mar. Thank you fellow victims, volunteers, friends and family members and everyone else who donated to support this cause! We are making a huge impact! Phase two by the way, is yet to come and hopefully will be blogged shortly. Chau amigos.

-Daniel J Ortiz-Nevares
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Mi Tiempo en PSF 12/05/2010
 
Author: Eoin Barry
I’m not a particularly sentimental person and have lived with and travelled with many different people over the last few years.  I was compelled therefore to ponder why it was I left Pisco Sin Fronteras teary eyed and with a resounding urge to get a collectivo back from el cruce to Pisco rather than take my bus to Lima.  Unfortunately circumstances dictated that I leave and I did so with a heavy heart.

Living and working with fellow volunteers creates an incredibly strong bond that solidifies almost immediately.  The combination of meeting like-minded volunteers and working together to make a real difference in the lives of people who have lost so much makes for a very special atmosphere that I have felt nowhere else in my years of travelling and studying.  I was truly inspired by (and jealous of) the long term volunteers at PSF who work continuously to improve the standard of life of the people of Pisco many of whose conditions can only be described as abject and squalarous.

As someone who is pursuing a career in humanitarian development the PSF experience has remotivated, reinspired and reinvigorated my hunger to continue helping people that most of the Western World has forgotten or chosen to ignore.

Practically in PSF I was able to learn new skills that I would never have had the chance to learn otherwise.  I felt the extreme satisfaction of constructing furniture and fittings by my own hand that will raise the standard of life for impoverished people.  For this and all the help and support I received I am indebted to PSF (Josh, Paul and Alex thanks again).  To be able to learn new skills and in an atmosphere that is affirmative and anything but condescending is a real joy and I hope to use and further develop all the skills I picked up or practiced in PSF.

Not everything about Pisco life is a joy, in particular the inevitable dose of pisco belly isn’t much fun, but getting over that too was in its own sense a satisfaction.

So as I sit in the departure area in Lima airport (with possibly Pisco-related stomach cramps) I feel an overwhelming sadness to leave Pisco, PSF and some of the closest friends and relationships I’ve ever made.  I feel part of a very special club.  If I’ve had even a fraction of the on the people of Pisco that Pisco and PSF has had on me then I can rest assured that some of the people there better off for the month I spent there.

Thanks again PSF, I will never forget you and all who shared my time there.  Never forget why you are doing what you are doing and I’m grateful you let me share in your wonderful work!

(Carolina eres loca – no cambio po, es porque te queremos)
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