Sometimes travelling can get a little tiring. We wouldn’t give it up just yet and we still love the life but picking up and moving and living out of a backpack can take its toll occasionally. So we decided to volunteer somewhere for a few weeks, unpack our bags, and wake up each day with a purpose and routine. We also really wanted to help out with a project that mattered and made a difference, so when we found an add for volunteers to help out at a small school in Trujillo, a town in the north of Peru we thought it would be the perfect opportunity. The school is Hilo Rojo and it is run by some of the nicest people we have come across in all our travels.
Hilo Rojo is built in one of the poorest areas of Trujillo and many of the kids either can’t afford public school or do not have papers to be able to attend school. The school is tiny, basically two rooms made out of plywood, a dirt playground and a single piece of play equipment in the yard. The walls are covered in drawings and paintings made by the kids and during the day the class rooms are filled with kids of all ages that wouldn’t have an opportunity to gain an education if it wasn’t for this school. It gives them a safe place to go for the day, the chance to learn and play and just be kids.
We stayed in a house in a local suburb with 6-8 other volunteers who were again some of the friendliest people we have met on our trip. We would head out to the school in the morning and split into groups with the kids. Brett and I generally helped with the 3-6 year olds as our spanish was not great and we basically just had to be human playgrounds. The first day we walked in we were greated by 20 little kids all wanting to be picked up or hugged, spun around and chased. In the two weeks we were there I don’t think we sat down without a kid or two sitting on our laps. We would teach them to write and colour and draw and just play. Would go home in the afternoons exhusted and sore from holding a child or two all day but go home feeling like we were doing something worthwhile.
Living in the house with the other volunteers was great fun. We would learn spanish, drink wine, visit the beach and all eat together for lunch and dinner. In the afternoons the local kids would come down and play soccer out the front of the house and we would sit and watch or join in on the games.
We could have stayed longer, it was nice to be settled for a few weeks, wake up with a purpose and everyday we would look forward to seeing the kids the next day at school. Unfortunately we could only stay the two weeks as we had flights to catch but it was definitely two of the best weeks we have had while travelling!
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