Placement Change and Training

Around a week ago I got a call from Samina, our desk officer for Peru, to say that our project that we were going to in Arequipa has fallen through due to construction works going on next year and them not wanting volunteers whilst that's going on. It was pretty gutting to hear seen as i'd psyched myself up for going there and was really excited. The new project that we've been given is in Lima, the capital of Peru, in a place called San Juan de Miraflores. We'll be working in a children's home for 300 boys and working in one of the casas with a certain age group. It's run by monks and is therefore very religious so we'll be going to church at least once a day for the evening services and sometimes in the morning too. Full on. I'm not going to lie and say i'm just as happy with this project as our previous one as Lima isn't exactly rural which i'd wanted, so there wont be people wearing traditional dress etc and i'm worried the culture wont be there. Still though, i'm going to make the most of it and i haven't actually been yet so we'll see when i get there. And on the plus side it's right in the centre which will make when we go travelling a lot easier.

Onto training week...

I just got back from our week of training on Coll which was amazing but intense to say the least. I don't think they could have prepared me better for the year ahead. We had sessions on practically everything that will or could happen whilst we're there for example: rape, health, bereavement, how to start a club, sex drugs and alcohol, you and your partner etc. I definately feel so much more prepared to go now than i did before. Plus the ceilidh on the last night was an amazing night with everyone heading down for a little paddle in the sea afterwards (not swimming in case PT are reading this).

I finally got to meet all the other girls that are going to Peru and it really seems like a great group of people who i can't wait to go away with! I think that out of everyone going they managed to pair us all up really well. The partners are:

Lima: Me and Hannah
Chiclayo: Harriet and Rosanna
Trujillo: Frances and Wendy
Iquitos: Alex and Aneesha
Pucallpa: Shannon and Kirsty
Piura: Emily and Louise

It felt weird to leave them all knowing that the next time we're all together again will be on the 26th of August at Heathrow Airport boarding the plane to Lima! It's seriously kicked in now just how soon that is and what a huge thing this actually is. SO exciting.

These are all the Peru girls.
Back row: Shannon, Louise, Kirsty, Emily, Frances, Wendy, Me, Rosanna, Harriet
Front row: Alex, Hannah, Samina (our desk officer for Project Trust), Aneesha

My next blog will probably be from Lima so until then, adios!
Evie x