Will's Blog
Tue, 21/04/2009 - 13:00 — PSF
I’ve been here 5 weeks now, and as me and the boss were saying just the other morning, it feels like I only arrived yesterday.
My first week here, we had a super friendly and committed group of about 25 volunteers. For Pisco Sin fronteras, that’s a lot. People came and went, I saw the number dwindle down to 8, and then suddenly back to 25 – we are now 33. One thing I can say is that regardless of who is here, we are always happy, having fun and working hard. And it’s awesome to see people continuously showing their interest and support to a community that many of us would have considered another world when we were back home 6 months ago.
Whilst so many volunteers have come and gone, many projects have been started and completed. I’m pleased to report that last week we finished digging out the trenches for the foundations of a future home. The tonnes of dirt we dug out have been moved to another property where a different family needed to raise the level of their yard, enabling a plumbing connection so they can build a proper toilet and bathroom. We have also poured the cement and made the floor.
Even more pleasingly, in the same neighbourhood, we have finished laying bricks and attaching a roof for a community bathroom that will be used by over 50 families affected by the earthquake. This is a particularly rewarding achievement as the project has taken a lot of time and was very difficult to organise the materials. A photo of the finished product will be added to the PSF facebook group shortly.
As for new projects, we are fundraising and installing a toilet at a kindergarten where the kids currently have no access to hygienic facilities. Additionally, we are designing and installing a playground. Other current projects include another trench dig and other volunteers are making plans to build a second floor on to PSF headquarters.
But whilst seeing so many projects being completed is greatly fulfilling, it’s not even my favourite part of being here. I’d been traveling 6 months before arriving and was really frustrated by the superficial nature of the gringo trail. I found myself spending too much time purely with other travelers, rarely meeting locals and I certainly hadn’t had the culturally enriching experience I imagined when thinking about the trip from back home. Here, everything is different, and for the first time in a long time, I truly feel like I’m traveling.
On every job we have lunch with the families we are working for and there’s always kids hanging around our job sites that we play with on breaks. I’ve spent lots of time with many locals, had great opportunities to practice my Spanish, been involved in many Gringo Vs. Locals football and volleyball games, and I’m sure I’ve learnt more about Peruvian culture than 99% of tourists who come to Peru.
It’s made this an experience something I’ll never forget, and I highly recommend coming here to volunteer as a result.
Thank you Pisco.
Will, Australia
