I originally came to Peru to volunteer at Aldea Yanapay, an after school type center for kids that was located in Cusco. I found the school after hours and days and weeks of researching for a free school to volunteer at. Yanapay was perfect for me, and I really enjoyed my time there! The project is for ages 5-16, and even offers some adult classes teaching English. They have a hostel and a restaurant which both help to support the project. It was my first time really seeing the real life of another country, and how the school systems are run there. The children loved their time at Yanapay so much, that they wouldn't want to go home on Fridays knowing they had a two day break. In Cusco, many kids starting at really young ages, such as five years old, work the streets hustling art work and candy, anything they can to the tourist to get money. Yanapay and other social projects try to keep the ninos de la calle, out of the street and teach them that there is another way of life out there. Some of the children there are just so innocent and sweet that it is really hard knowing that some of them go home to really hard lives. I kept thinking that I wish that there was something more that I can do, however I realized that you aren't going to be able to change the life of every child out there- but you can teach them to be a better person, and to make a better life for their future. A lot of these kids are so bright and have so much potential! These social programs really help to aid the kids in their growth, I aspire to have something similar of my own someday. The volunteers at the school are all like a big family, and help make you feel very welcome! I actually became pretty good friends with a few of the volunteers, and appreciated how friendly everyone was. Here is a link to their facebook page for more information.
xx SLW
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