|
PERU
Tentative 2012 Trip Dates: July 5 – 19, 2012
Meet the Peru Team and Alum Leaders
Palmeras, Peru: 2011 Report
We are grateful to report on the many “good endings” that took place in the humble village of Palmeras, due to the strength, dedication and hard work of our Peru team. Led by our dynamic duo, Jeff and Ramona Daun, the team was able to accomplish a remarkable amount despite all that went on during their trip. As a brief recap, beloved team mentor and friend, Jenny Jones, had a pile of lumber fall on her in a freak accident-- equivalent to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fortunately, the Youthlinc staff, team leaders, and Peruvian in-country  coordinators were prepared to handle such a situation, and Jenny was quickly attended to and flown to the University of Utah hospital for her speedy recovery.
The Youthlinc in-country coordinator, Carlos Acosta, was amazing…the nurses and staff at the Iquitos hospital were excellent…the Youthlinc team has been incredible, and the villagers in Palmeras continue to send inquiries on how I am doing. Although not everything went planned, going to Peru was the best thing that has happened to me and I would do it again for the amazing experience that it is.
--Jenny Jones, Peru Team mentor
Even with the accident, the team was able to come together, and really focus on their goals: to show their love for the people of Palmeras through making their lives a little easier. Here is what they were able to accomplish in their 2 weeks in Palmeras:
 Construction
- Each year, the Amazon River floods, reducing the dirt walkways and paths to parasite infested mud pools. As such, the Peru team poured over 800 feet of concrete for walkways. These walkways will help prevent waterborne disease from spreading. “I think we had a huge impact on the people because we completely changed their lives. Before, they walked in the mud everywhere increasing their chance of parasites, disease, and other harmful things.” Desmond James Barker, East High School
One of our last days there we had to carry sand from the dock and it was so memorable because everyone was helping no matter if they were part of Youthlinc or a villager; if they were 2 or 60: everyone was working together. In that moment I felt more like a part of a community that I think I ever had. As I was walking back and forth I realized that every person I walked by I knew and cared about.
--Lily Robb, West High School
- The team started construction on a bridge that would allow the village of Palmeras access to a medical clinic located in a nearby village of Yanamono I.
- The team painted the community center, school, and any other walls they could access! Also, the team painted a beautiful mural.
This trip has blown me away every day. I honestly have never worked so hard, sweated so much, or been so exhausted. But I have also never loved a group of people so much, loved my work with my whole entirety, or felt so completed.
--Ben Harries, Park City High School
Medical Committee
- Purchased furniture for village first aid station
- Provided 200 hygiene kits and newborn kits with baby blankets to the community
- Taught hand washing, first aid, resuscitation from drowning and other lessons that would help improve health conditions for the community
- Stocked up the medical building with simple supplies
- When some members of the team realized that the communities didn’t have access to drinking water due to broken generators, the team raised money to fix multiple broken water systems in the area.
- Administered surveys to determine what the villagers currently do for their medical needs, and what they hope for.
In the beginning of the trip, I was really nervous to reach out to the local villagers, especially with my limited Spanish. However, once I got out of my comfort zone and reached out to some specific women of the village, I truly learned to love them and their families as we worked side by side.
– Anna Solomon; Utah State University
Microenterprise
- Taught four lessons to villagers on loans, repayment, marketing and selling, and record keeping
- Provided funding to pay for specialist from a different area to teach small engine repair courses to villagers. These courses allow young men to learn a trade, potentially find employment and improve their lives, and the lives of their families.
- Assessed the progress from past microenterprise loans to determine how to move forward in upcoming years.
The first day of micro-enterprise lessons, a woman came up to me and thanked the group for doing them. She said she never thought an opportunity like this would come to her village. She said it was a dream come true. I was shocked at how meaningful this small loan was to her. It made me grateful that I could help make her dream come true.
--Kilee Endicott, Timpanogos High
Education and Cultural Exchange
- English courses
- Created and delivered 130 bags full of school supplies.
- Constructed book shelves for the classrooms
- Organized the open and closing ceremonies, with dances, lip syncing to popular music and the singing of the National Anthem
 At the end of the closing ceremonies, I handed out some bracelets I made. I gave one to this young mother I talked with a couple times. After giving her the bracelet I said ‘gracias por todos.’ In that moment, I felt like the language barrier between us didn’t matter and that we understood what we were both feeling. It was amazing– I have never had that happen to me before.
--Shannon Rose, West High School
This trip has given me a whole new perspective, and I feel that this is just the beginning to a completely new part of my life. Service is no longer a pastime, but a priority. While it is harrowing to think of all the needs of the world, this experience has taught me that I am completely capable of making a major difference in the lives of others. Not only that, but the even bigger impact that helping others has on me.
--Anna Vincent, Utah State University
I wouldn't change anything about this adventure: everything has been perfect and so inspiring. It's going to be hard leaving and saying our goodbyes when I feel so close and connected to Palmeras and basically Peru as a whole. I've experienced so many incredible things that I know I will never forget and I will keep these lessons and memories close to my heart forever.
--Jillian Queri, Park City High School
2012 TRIP
Tentative 2012 Trip Dates: July 5 – 19, 2012
In August of 2011 our Friends and Family team visited our 2012 site, Yanamono II—a small village deep in the Peruvian Amazon forest. The team’s diligent work in assessing the village’s strengths, needs and goals, and building positive relationships with the village will be the foundation for successful trips ahead.
For our 2012 Peru Team, led by our dear Britnie Powell, there are many possible projects, as recommended by our 2011 Friends and Family team, the Yanamono II village leaders and the local Rotarians in the area.
- Raise funds for microcredit loans in the area. There is a group of 14 families that is already in the process of starting fish farms—and they are hoping that next year, maybe they can use the microenterprise project to support the fish farm project. Future efforts that would build on the microenterprise lessons taught in 2011 include business lessons, accounting, marketing, help with making a business plan and creating and maintaining a community governing board to oversee the loans.
- Raise funds for vocational training. The 2011 Peru Service team paid for vocational trainings for the another community to learn about small engine repairs. That seemed to be very successful and might be another way to improve the local economy for Yanamono II.
- Offer maturation class, general medical knowledge, classes to train medical assistants about general medical and advanced first aid.
- Furnish and improve the medical clinic by stocking the medical person of the village with medicines so she can sell the medicine for small profit, then reinvest the money to buy more medicine for the village. This would help make their medical clinic sustainable.
- Construct a small water treatment near the school and toilet for the school/community center
- Construct 7 small bridges over creeks throughout the village and walkway from the medical clinic to the community center and port
- Collect closed-toe shoes for the villagers
2012 Peru Team Leader: Britnie Powell
Britnie has been involved with Youthlinc since the beginning. She was on the pilot expedition to Kenya in 2000. Since then she has been committed to continuing service both locally and globally. Britnie has returned to Kenya several times doing humanitarian work, traveled to Peru with Youthlinc on an alum trip, taught English in China, participated in an expedition to Guatemala, and has led Youthlinc teams to Thailand, Kenya, and Cambodia. The work Brit has done in other countries inspired her to become a teacher.
Britnie has a Masters of Education degree and currently teaches 6th grade at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education. At school she also teaches a Service Learning class in which the students do a range of service projects: supporting a local care center for the elderly, environmental projects, organic gardening, teaching science to kindergarteners, helping the humane society, and they have even helped Youthlinc put together hygiene kits! Locally, Brit has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club, volunteered at Cottonwood Hospital, the Battered Woman’s Shelter, has tutored ESL students, made meals for the homeless, and has been a Sub-4-Santa for many years. She likes spending time playing the guitar, reading and riding her bike. She also enjoys adventures of animals. In her classroom she has a pet tarantula, two snakes, two pigeons named Chicken and Dinner, a gerbil, and a handful of other creepy creatures. Britnie is married to Justin (to our Friends and Family Team Leader!) and loves spending time experiencing new places with him. She is stoked to be leading the Peru team this year!
2012 Peru Alumni Leader: Ayrowyn Tanner
 It was never a question whether service would be a part of Ayrowyn's life. Her mother ingrained in her the importance of giving back and helping others, exemplified daily by taking homemade bread and soup to sick neighbors, or raking leaves for seniors, for example. It was never done with expectation, it was just a way of life. So at a young age, Ayrowyn incorporated this same passion for service. In addition, as a family, the Tanners were fortunate with all the experiences and opportunities life presented them, specifically, the opportunity to travel internationally. Ayrowyn's international travel experience offered her exposure to different cultures, experiences, excitements, but also poverty, hunger and pain. These raw images that she keep within her head and heart have instilled a desire within her to work with others to positively impact the world and encourage a lifestyle of humanitarianism - which is exactly why finding Youthlinc was a perfect fit!
For years Ayrowyn pleaded with her parents to volunteer in Africa, they continued to say no, insisting it was far too dangerous. With the help of the Youthlinc program, her dream to provide humanitarian aide in Africa became a reality. She applied for the Kenya trip as a student her last year of college and was accepted. Joining an entire group with the same desire to provide service to impoverished areas in Africa was a welcomed journey for Ayrowyn. The positive attitudes, the motivation and the passion to help others was infectious and addicting. Since her service trip in Kenya, she has found any excuse to remain involved and active in Youthlinc. She is very excited for this next opportunity!
APPLY NOW > |
|
