April 2012
Lacey Worel
Position
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Organization and communication:
Safety:
My overall experience at Helping Hands was wonderful. The children of San Gabriel Kindergarten and their families are truly incredible people who I think of as great teachers. Like nothing I had done before, I left feeling challenged and inspired to continue. While there, I worked tirelessly. Sometimes I felt I was helping to move the organization along and other times I felt frustrated. As a resident of the United States, my world view and the way I approached problems seemed to be very different from my Peruvian counterparts. This was a huge learning experience for me. It forced me to see a different perspective and bend my rigid type A personality to fit the pace of life in Andes; a tool I value deeply. Things I thought were important ended up being trivial and vice versa. My ideas were supported and simultaneously challenged. I would hope this learning was reciprocal and helped the founders to, in general, better understand the needs of Western volunteers. This means ensuring they feel productive, can work towards clear goals, feel valued for donated time not just money and, above all, feel they will leave the project better than it was before. Organization and communication were difficult components of my experience but we made it work. Email communication was spotty but sufficient. I found my own living accommodations and was very pleased with my choice. I also felt very safe but did take precautions to guard against petty theft. In retrospect, the challenges I faced at Helping Hands were just what I needed to grow as a volunteer. I'm very grateful for the experience, for Helping Hands and for Omprakash.
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