Mariana Gledhill spent 7 months in 2005 in Peru doing voluntary work, She shares her experiences.

I have said goodbye to everything in Peru. I felt and still feel cut up about leaving my girls. Some of them think that no one loves them as I do. Fiorella will not confide in anyone but me. She thinks that I am the only person in the world she can trust. So many of the kids call me mum and when I left my work for the last time, some of the kids literally had to be pulled off me. It was horrible.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z. spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.

I had better talk about my despedida in my work. Despidida kind of means goodbye party in Spanish. I had a really good one that was combined with the day of the youth and the theoretical first day of spring here (the weather is still sullen though). They turned my work into a disco party for me and we were dancing until 1 in the morning. It was the best despedida that I could of hoped for.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z. spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.

Well, no one won the election bigtime. I am sorry I was so hard on New Zealand… it just seems like a world away now. It really does. So do uni strikes and all of that.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z. spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences. My outlook on the world has changed completely. My country seems better, richer but at the same time, poorer. There is a quote that explains it: Richness comes from appreciating what you have. I think NZ has the richness, but it lacking in the appreciation, thus it might as well not have the richness.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z. spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.

I have kind of finished doing all the gringa-like things now. I have been to Puno and the floating islands, that people make from the roots of totora reeds, and have done for hundreds of years. These make reeds also make their houses and their food.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.

Well, my AFS programme is almost at an end, but I am in Peru for roughly seven weeks longer. God, it seems like it was just yesterday when I got the news that I was going to Peru. I am excited about going home. There are some material things here I miss, like hot showers, milk that is not made from condensed milk and hot water, but what I miss the most is all of you…

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z. spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.
Sorry about the absence of messages. I have been travelling and I have not had much time to write, but I am back in Chincha now, so I have lots of time to write. I had better tell you about Chincha and what it’s like. Chincha is not exactly a city that is going to win beauty contests. Garbage litters all of its roads and there are pot holes everywhere.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.
Buenos Dias. Well I am writing this mail about mothers´day here. And my job, which more or less seems to be about playing mum to 60+ kids. A lot of work.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.
Chincha continues to be enjoyable. have had an adventurous week: been bitten by a dog (not rabid, My host dad is a vet), been put on a diet by a doctor, and tomorrow I am off to the beach with the project I am working on.

Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z spent 7 months, in 2005, in Peru doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.
I have finally been to another zone of Peru (Peru has 3 zones, coast, mountain and jungle). The jungle was great… it´s not rainforest. It could have been once, but I don’t know. The area I went to is used for growing coffee (really good coffee) and bananas.