Climbing rainbow mountain, making it to the top and having that panoramic view of the Andes mountains was a gift to me and a mental image I will never forget.
1.- Whats was a daily schedule at the program, hours volunteered?
Mon-Fri, kinder from 8:30-1:00, and hospital from 2:30-5:30.
2.- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?
- Host Family: How kind Maria Elena was, how much of a mother she was to us, and not a director. She did this go through love and care.
- Program: There is a kid with Cerebral palsy in the hospital, and he is able to talk and say some words, which is a wonderful sight to see.
- Country: The places we visited really made me think. It opened up an entire new culture for me and just put my life in perspective.
3.- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?
- Host Family: Maria Elena made life very very easy for us, nothing challenging at all.
- Program: There was nothing really challenging, the work was obviously hard sometimes but that’s all part of the process.
- Country: The trip to Machu Picchu, it was a more economic trip so it added a lot of obstacles into the journey. It wasn’t a bad challenge, I like to call it an adventure.
4.- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations, money, internet)
If you’re staying for more than 3 weeks, it is worth it to get a cellular data plan, the plans are very economic here and it’ll be worth it to keep in touch with family and Maria Elena.
5.- Other things volunteers should know before coming here (besides Spanish):
- Host Family: In the beginning it’s not family, it’s just a host and other valunteers getting by, but I can assure you that by the end of your trip Maria Elena will be like a mom to you and the volunteers will be like brothers and sisters.
- Program: Get good sleep, working with children is exhausting, unless good sleep is on your side.
- Country: Peru is a country where the people appreciate everything. It’s a country where the people are so much more humbled than us Americans.
6.- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):
If you bundle all components of the trip and program, it all becomes clearer. This trip, no matter how much of a samaratin, introvert, extrovert, rebel or close minded person one is, it will leave an impact in you for the rest of your life. Our group has all kinds of people that wouldn’t really mix in the US, but here with the same interest we became a family. It’s a beautiful sight to see, and most of this happens because of the care that Maria Elena puts into us. Would I recommend it? Of course. Would I work with ABV again? Already planning for next summer.
7.- How would you describe your accommodation: meals, security, friendliness, quality others:
- Meals: We are like royalty everyday in the house, Maria Elena really knows how to feed us. We had delicious bread, with her homemade jam (best jam I will ever try), peanut butter brought in from the states, and wonderful Peruvian plates.
- Security: The house has 2 doors with 2 different locks on it; and the neighborhood we live in is a safe one itself. We’re right next to the University. It should not be one of your worries. Watch out for pick picketers in condensed areas though.
- friendliness: Maria Elena became our 2nd mom, and she even called us her hijitos for the trip. This place became my home and the people became my family.
- Quality: 10, what happened throughout this trip was priceless, it exceeded the value of what is good quality.
7.1.- Score the following from 1 to 10:
- Quality of meals: 10 if under 5, what was the issue:
- Quantity of each meal: 10 if under 5, what was the issue:
- How clean was the house: 10 if under 5, what was the issue:
- How safe was the house: 10 if under 5, what was the issue:
8.- How was the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country: Airport, orientation, introduction to the program, schedule of the program, friendliness, solving problems?
Everything was incredible. The service and Maria Elena’s attitude was amazing. She literally became my mom for these three weeks.
9.- Whats was a daily schedule at the program, hours volunteered, activities you did?
We volunteered from 8:30-1:00 in the kinder. In reality we left like at 1:20 to help out closing. Then we went to the hospital from 2:30 to 5:30. The schedule for the hospital is until 5 but feeding the kids takes an hour and starts at 4:30. That was basically the schedule for 3 weeks.
10.- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:
- Accommodation: We went out to eat in a Peruvian restaurant with Maria Elena, and she ordered us the most delicious food ever.
- Program: Every time I leave the classroom in kinder to go home, the kids all gather around me and do everything they can to make me stay, and it’s the most beautiful and adorable thing ever. How loving the people are here.
- Country: Climbing rainbow mountain, making it to the top and having that panoramic view of the Andes mountains was a gift to me and a mental image I will never forget.
11.- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling? Emails, chat online, calls, volunteer guide:
Maria Elena kept in touch with us for a long time before we actually flew, she has such a large interest in the people that she’s gonna be working with.
12.- What do you think about the reservation system online?
My mom organized everything, but I remember coming home from school on day and the reservation was already made, that quickly. It seemed like the process was nice and smooth for her.
13.- Who did you find Abroaderview website?
I was just looking for a nice non profit organization that accepts younger people into their program. A broader view was the best option out of all of them.
14.- Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Of course, anything to help other people choose ABV, this program is amazing and it’s life changing, people deserve it.