2 + 2 + 12 = finally in Peru!

I finally arrived in Lima, Peru after 16 hours of flights (2 hours to Madrid, 2 hour layover & 12 hours to Peru) and 2 sleepless nights. We made our way to our current home at night, and despite the darkness, the new and old colonial buildings of Barranco immediately stood out! I have come to Peru to volunteer with the charity Progressio as Group Leader and will help carry out a research project in a province south of Lima called Ica. I am soooooooo excited to start! Other vounteers will be working in different projects in Villa El Salvador too. But before we dive into our projects, we are having an orientation to learn more about Peruvian culture and to improve our Spanish skills - I hope to be fluent someday! Lima is a bustling city full of life and energy, which in many ways reminds me of the hardworking and lively Haitian people! I have already been able to draw a few comparisons between the two countries, yet they are very much distinct! What first springs to mind is the devastating effects of the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 and my time in Leogane- the epicentre of the quake. Similarly, I will be living in Ica, which was hugely affected by an earthquake that occurred in 2007. Like Leogane, Ica is an extremely poor town where little has been done in terms of reconstruction despite large sums of money being raised to support a disaster relief effort. It will be very interesting to see, first-hand, what condition Ica is in and to experience the Peruvian way of life, so to speak. I like to think of myself as a realist idealist, and sincerely hope that things will improve both in Ica and Haiti. My research also tells me that Ica has a large African Peruvian population and I am extremely curious to find out more about them, as well as Peruvian culture and history in general.

I am also struck by the strong sense of faith in Peru, which again reminds me of Haiti. I visited the local square a few days ago and was lucky enough to view the beautiful big church that stands proudly in the centre. Catholicism is the main religion here, so it is fitting that I am volunteering for Progressio. I am volunteering as part of the new International Citizen Service (ICS), which enables young people, like me, to engage in international development through working on small projects in developing countries. I am specifically working for the COAST (Community Organisation and Social Transformation) programme. What I particulary like about this great opportunity is that I will be able to experience fieldwork overseas, which is often hard to come by. Moreover, I share the vision and values of working alongside grassroot organisations in projects that are very much driven by local people, rather than enforcing ideas upon communities!