Volunteer Life

What first comes to mind when you hear the term volunteer, or rather volunteer abroad? I don't know, but I ran a google search of that term, and you can click the links and see for yourself what that might look like. Certainly lots of organizations work directly with locals or community members, tackling issues such as clean water availability, poverty, hunger, and education. Plenty of student volunteers come to do service-learning (or learning service rather) with ideas in their mind about making a life-changing experience for the people their going to serve.

Personally, I know that's what I had in mind for this summer a while back when I signed up to teach a music class at the Healing House in Peru. But in learning more about my duties as an intern and going through ten-week pre-departure training through the Omprakash EdGE program, I realized that's not quite what this is all about. I'm so lucky to get to teach my own weekly music class to the local kids and in that learn more about the kids and myself as a future music teacher. However, my success with that project isn't really determined by "making a difference" in the life of "at least one kid." Sure, I'd love to make that happen, but I'd say my efforts will undoubtedly be rewarded by a more realistic idea of what it means to put together a small children's choir. In doing this, I'll learn more about the age group I'm trying to reach and the culture and community they come from. So, this summer I hope to learn more about life in Cusco and how to overcome some of the challenges of a new music teacher.

Still, my music class project is just one of my many duties here at the Healing House. Similar to an intern at a law firm or corporate business, I'm also here to help things run smoothly at the House. So that means a lot of my day-to-day work consists of answering the door, cleaning the kitchen, running errands, folding the House laundry, among a score of random odd jobs that need doing. Sure, this work isn't bringing me directly into contact with those I'm aiming to help, but it's just as necessary as our other out-reach initiatives and all of us volunteers are expected to pitch in.

Sorry Mom and Dad, no pictures of me building a well or saving a kitten from a tree this time around. Without further a due, I present to you my own 

Behind-the-Scenes Adventures of a Volunteer Intern

First off, we have this sign at the House to let the others know who's on duty in case they need to ask us to do something or leave a message for someone. Up until this morning I didn't have a name card to stick into the sign, so it was part of my job while I was on duty today to make one for myself. I think it came out lookin' pretty good. What do ya think?

Yep! That's me! :)

I might have mentioned that the first day I was on duty I was asked to paint part of a wall. Well, here it is. This is what you see when you first walk to the foyer. The black chalk-board paint didn't go past where the schedule currently is, but I painted it down that one column for us to have some space to write special event announcements.

We put a chair in front of the black smudge I  made at the bottom of painting.

Yesterday, Julia, one of the women who lives here at the house, mentioned that one of the trees in the garden didn't look so "happy" in it's pot. So, I helped her transfer it from the pot to the ground. 

our small tree and the pot it used to live in

Julia shared a lot of gardening secrets right then and there with me, such as to plant a tree you should dig a deep, square hole, so it's roots can grow into the corners. Also, we put in some broken pieces of an old pot to add some more space in the soil so the plant could breathe.

That stick on the left is bamboo we're using to support 

Everyone here uses the kitchen, so it get's dirty pretty quick. All of us, volunteers and residents, are expected to clean up after ourselves. Still, volunteers are expected to pick up the slack when things aren't in tip-top shape. This is our kitchen, after I did the dishes this morning. 

Doesn't that look spiffy?

I did mention as well that I'm also supposed to fold and put away the House laundry, right?

We dry our laundry old-school.

Well that's all for now. I'll keep you posted as I learn all the ins-and-outs of running the Healing House.

Finally, the sun came out this morning!