I haven´t been quite up to date with these things, so I´ll start again at now, and fill in the gap as I have time, and it is an interesting gap.

Anyway, I got back to Cusco from Machu Picchu yesterday, and I have begun the volunteer service portion of my stay in Cusco. Having gotten the overview and insight into the are over the past two weeks, it´s time to give something to the community.

I had a few options for where I wanted to work. When I had originally started the trip, I had specified I would like to do some sort of construction work (manual labor) or something with an environmental focus (some hardcore tree-hugging). I guess this may not have been exactly in line with what my coordinators had in mind, as I would find out when I got here.

I was first brought to a local school in a predominantly poor population, where mostof the kids are on vacation, except for those who need extra help to pass examsin Febuary. So I was introduced to a math class there, where I publically promised to come in and help tutor a few days, and attend a class party after exams. At least that is what I gathered from the speech that their teacher made.

I was told that there were a couple of different orphanages that I could work with in the area, and also some tree planting in the outlying areas. That afternoon, we went to visit oneof the orphanages, which apparently, I would be of great help to. This home was actually only started this past September, I believe, as a response to another home run be the church, where the children were being treated very poorly.

A woman called Nieve took it upon herself with a few partners, to bring the matter to court, and managed to begin a new home, and take with them some of the less fortunate children. Right now, Nieve has a home in the southern part of Cusco, with about 10 people between the ages of 15 and 20, who are almost all completely deaf. There are also 2 babies under 4 months old who have recently come under the care of the house.

I felt that working at Hogar de las Estrellas would be the best use of my time, as it is just getting started, and seems to be somewhat understaffed, and is still going through some legal troubles. I would start the next day.