Below are excerpts from participating students' reflections on their experiences with the various service partners they worked with while in Peru. They discuss their impressions, including what they have most enjoyed about the projects.
Please stay tuned to our blog and Facebook page for updates from the students throughout the coming weeks.
"So far we have worked with two service partners: Abre Puertas and Corazon de Dahlia. They are similar in that they both provide a space for children to interact with their peers and express their creative outlets after school, but they also are different in many ways. Abre Puertas is located in Coya: a quaint and peaceful little town in the Sacred Valley region. On the other hand, Corazon de Dahlia is located in Saylla, a town known for it's chicharrón, located in a more urban setting." --Marlena Santos
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"Seeing the outcome of the quilt we worked so hard on making [at Corazon de Dahlia] and putting a little piece of everyone in it was also very rewarding. I also liked that the children were interested in learning English and I was able to help them with that. I was very impressed with how quickly they picked a lot of the words up." --Raven Pitarra
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"I absolutely loved working with all of these kids at Abre Puertas and Corazon de Dahlia. As each day went by, I became more and more eager to see them and play with them in addition to helping them in any way that I possibly can. Its funny how most of the coordinators of the organizations were thanking us volunteers for our work; however, I felt it was them that I should be thanking. I wanted to thank them for giving me the opportunity to learn and understand that there is so little I can do that can have such a huge impact on a community and I don't even necessarily need to go as far as Peru in order to give to the community." --Reshma Satish
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"In our first week, we worked with Abre Puertas, which is one of our service partners that was started by a Geneseo study abroad student named Ellen. Ellen has made such a positive impact for countless children and community members. What is so inspiring about her project is that she began doing it after her experience studying abroad. " --Ryan Walsh
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"All of the service partners that we have worked with thus far have truly been amazing. After the very first day in Coya, I remember feeling so grateful for the opportunity to work with AbrePuertas and even more excited for the upcoming weeks. From that day onward, I have had a greater and deeper understanding of the importance of building a sustainable relationship with any organization you work with, or volunteer for. Although it hurt when some of the kids asked if we were coming back next week, it's amazing to know that a similar group of dedicated students will be returning next year." --Rachel Keller
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"I can't believe we are already three weeks into our service learning trip. Working with children of Coya was an experience in which I felt that they really just needed love and support and someone to give them personal attention. They were so appreciative of the time we spent and were so willing to help us in our project to maker a indoor work space for them." --Roseann Puthiyamadam
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"My experiences at the service site in Coya with Abre Puertas were monumentally different than the service project with Corazón de Dahlia in the pueblo of Saylla. The children of Coya in the rural Andes were much friendlier from the start while the niños of Saylla took a day or so to warm up to us. I quickly learned however boy to judge a book by its cover. When I asked a girl where she lived she pointed to an ant sized shed in the hilltops. "How long does it take you to get home?" Two hours was her response." --Angela Papageorgiou
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