The Sacred Valley Project

While in Peru, I spent some time volunteering at The Sacred Valley Project, a non-profit organisation, in Ollantaytambo. This project was started, because there was a need for accommodation, educational resources and meals  for young girls, who were in danger of being raped and abducted on their long journeys to school. The Sacred Valley Project provides about 16 girls with a safe space and they don't have to walk hours from their remote, mountain communities to school every day.

The Sacred Valley

Unfortunately, the girls only have 2 small bathrooms, so, we built them another one while we there and also painted their walls. The new bathroom will have 3 new showers, one new toilet and a big sink, and there will be room for more than person at a time. We met each girl, learnt their names, played games with them and even got to help them with their homework, so, this project has a special place in my heart.

At the inauguration of the girls' bathroom, we hung a bottle of champagne from the door frame and Rolando, our leader, broke it - which is seen as a blessing of the bathroom, and always used to be done with chicha, a local drink of fermented corn. It was really sweet; one of the girls said a few words and they were so appreciative. After that we said our goodbyes and hugged each other and the cook, who also said a few words, went around hugging each one of us and putting confetti in our hair. Nayda, one of the girls, shyly approached me and thanked me for helping her with her English homework.

 

The Sacred Valley Project is important, because it is ensuring that young, indigenous girls in Peru have the right to education and equal opportunities to boys from the same communities.

You can learn more about the project on their website: http://sacredvalleyproject.org/

It's Christmas tomorrow and in the spirit of giving, I decided to start a fundraising page for the Sacred Valley Project. Any donation, big or small, will go a long way toward improving the educational prospects for these Peruvian girls. If you can't make a donation at this point, help me reach my goal by sharing the link to my page on Facebook and Twitter! Or, even better, send an e-mail to friends you think might be interested in contributing and include a link to my page! Here's the link: https://impact.rusticpathways.org/fundraise?fcid=581090


Photo credit: Rustic Pathways

A year of saying yes!

As the longest chapter of my gap year comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the lessons I've learnt over the last 3 months, with 16 new siblings.   

At Machu Picchu 

I've learnt to say yes, whether it be to singing on the bus at the top of our lungs or dancing on an aeroplane, where noone else can hear the music we're listening to. A quote comes to mind: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be crazy by those who couldn't hear the music." I definitely think I've got a little crazy in me now!

I'm convinced that I've faced my fear of heights after rappelling down a 150ft waterfall and ziplining across valleys in Costa Rica. Glass elevators seem like child's play after that! 

I've learnt not to take life so seriously and to go for the more adventurous options - like crossing a stream on one wobbly plank instead of finding a safer route, or trying strange foods like guinea pig and alpaca.

An adventure? Alpaca my bags!

I've learnt to go with the flow - this is a hard one for me as I like to be in control, but when you don't know where you'll be in 5 days time or how you're getting there, it's hard to be. 

                                       

I've learnt to sleep with the noise of 12 adopted sisters in bunk beds (a very useful skill to have), and learnt to do so whenever I have the opportunity, because you never know when you may need to get up at 3am to hike Machu Picchu or catch a boat to the Amazon. This lesson was challenging for me too. I remember struggling so much with sleep in the first 2 weeks, because of the jetlag. Back then, I couldn't even fall asleep with the lights on!

Sunrise on the Amazon

I feel like I've come a long way since my first few days in the Dominican Republic, and even though I'm sad to leave Peru, I'm excited to go home and start 2016 with a bang, and saying yes to more things.

Sunset over the dunes in Huacachina, Peru