Above is a picture from the roof of the house where I live on one of the sunny days last week - when I burnt my face to a crisp! I will add more pics later. I need to resize them or they will take an hour each to upload!
So today I went to check out a volunteer opportunity at a place called Aldea Yanapay. Google them, they have lots of pics on their website.
It´s a community center for kids of low income families in Cusco. I had a hard time finding it because from the outside it´s basically a giant metal door with a tiny metal door on a very dirty street up in the hills of Cusco. I was wandering up and down the street in the rain until a funny little boy was running up to the metal door, looked at me, and asked me what I was looking for. I told him Aldea Yanapay, and he said it´s right here!! I followed him in and got to talk to Yure, the guy that started the whole project. You can read his history on their website. Basically inside, it´s a really cool looking place with a room for games, a room for art, a room with five computers so the kids can learn how to use computers and do homework, and a biblioteca (library) for them to do homework during the school year (they are on summer break right now) and general studying of subjects on their break. They have the kids in the art room for 2 hours at a time, and moving around every 40 minutes in each of the other rooms. What struck me while I was getting the tour was how much love the people that work there have for the kids. They are genuinely connected with them and the kids seem really happy to see them when they come in. The kids themselves were the sweetest. When we were looking in the library, they were kind of staring at my shyly, but when I smiled and waved they had HUGE smiles and waved back. In the art room, they were more outgoing and asked me, ¨Where are you from? What´s your name? Her name is Kelly too!! Do you have a twin??¨ I didn´t have to explain that I don´t, but my sister and I are often confused as twins haha.
Anyway, I still have my lessons with FairPlay through February, and I may seize the opportunity to travel next week to la Selba (the jungle!!) with my friend and his family friends, but I plan to start working there in the afternoons next month and possibly the mornings (or both!) when my lessons with FairPlay end.
Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that this will work out and that I can have a positive influence and learn from these beautiful kids and people. I can also use prayer as I search for a place to live that is safe, close, and not that expensive :).
To my work friends that so generously donated to that card before I left, as well as my family and friends that gave me money before coming here.... I think Yanapay could possibly be a place that could benefit from your donations. I´m going to hold off for a bit, and see what needs they have instead of just throwing money blindly in their direction, but stay tuned!! It seems like a great place that is really making a difference in the lives of these children.
Take care!! Kelly
No comments:
Post a Comment