While in Cusco, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to volunteer at a local charity called My Small Help. My Small Help (MSH) was set up by a group of friends in the UK and Nepal who believe strongly in upholding basic human rights for children. The philosophy of MSH is that if more and more people give their small help, every child will be able to have their basic rights. In its first three and a half years MSH has provided education sponsorship to over 60 children and has built facilities at a school in Nepal, which has affected the lives of hundreds of poor children.
Leander Hollings, founder of My Small Help, was living in Peru when devastating floods hit the Cusco region in January 2010. After an appeal for funds to help the flood victims MSH partnered with Peruvian organisations to help distribute emergency aid and developed a medium term plan to develop a sustainable business to help one of the identified communities get back on their feet. MSH became a Peruvian registered charity in March 2011 with a mission to help those living in poverty, or with a disability, access a brighter future primarily through providing access to education and skills training.
One of the projects that MSH runs in Cusco is the Cookies Program which we took part in over 2 days. The project helps the family of Anita, one of the disabled children that My Small Help supports. The project involves the production and sale of cookies, made by the mother of Anita. Volunteers also then have the job of selling the cookies to tourists in Cusco, and the money made then goes directly back to Anita´s family, allowing for further production of the cookies, as well as providing financial support for the family.
Due to Anita´s disability, her mother Elizabeth is required to work from home, as Anita needs almost constant care. The cookie project therefore gives the family the opportunity to boost their disposable income, without imposing on Anita´s need for care. Another imposing factor on the family is Anita´s high medical expenses. With no external help, the family has to make do with what they have, whilst constantly funding Anita´s expensive medical requirements.
In total we spent two days volunteering with the Cookies Program. We met Anita, her two sisters Elizabeth and Magdil and her mother at their school. We then went across to their house to begin the cooking process, helping speed up the process with our excellent cooking skills. We were absolutely blown away by the three children. They are some of the nicest and most polite children we have ever met and made us feel right at home each day we visited, making us posters, jewellery and food. Once the cookies were made and numerous One Direction songs were sang in the kitchen, it was time to hit the hostels to sell as many as possible. The cookies sold well which made the few days volunteering extra rewarding.
If you are interested in taking part in any of the numerous projects available in Peru with My Small Help, please check out www.mysmallhelp.org and drop them an email at: . A few hours of help goes a long way to improving the day to day life of the family and we would highly recommend it to all backpackers visiting Peru in the near future.
In total we spent two days volunteering with the Cookies Program. We met Anita, her two sisters Elizabeth and Magdil and her mother at their school. We then went across to their house to begin the cooking process, helping speed up the process with our excellent cooking skills. We were absolutely blown away by the three children. They are some of the nicest and most polite children we have ever met and made us feel right at home each day we visited, making us posters, jewellery and food. Once the cookies were made and numerous One Direction songs were sang in the kitchen, it was time to hit the hostels to sell as many as possible. The cookies sold well which made the few days volunteering extra rewarding.
If you are interested in taking part in any of the numerous projects available in Peru with My Small Help, please check out www.mysmallhelp.org and drop them an email at: . A few hours of help goes a long way to improving the day to day life of the family and we would highly recommend it to all backpackers visiting Peru in the near future.
