Breaking the cycle of poverty in Peru

Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru (HOOP) is one of our a newly registered NGO located in Arequipa, Peru. Brad was one of the first to be involved with the project and was happy to tell us more about this unique opportunity to help breaking the cycle of poverty by empowering the Flora Tristan families through enhancing their education.

Brad, thank you for your time. We from Volunteer World are very excited to work with such a motivated and dedicated NGO. As stated before, you are trying to break the cycle of poverty through education.

How did HOOP develop this idea and how are you trying to archive this?

Hi Steffi, I am glad to have the possibility to explain our project in more length.

I am personally very passionate about HOOP Peru and hope we can motivate many volunteers together with Volunteer World.

HOOP Peru originally started in 2008 when an English program was established in the Flora Tristan community on the outskirts of Arequipa. The program gradually evolved into an official Hoop Peru school with over 130 kids attending today.

Recently, HOOP Peru started a new exciting chapter with more resources at our disposal meaning that we will be rapidly expanding our programs over the next few years. Our current priorities are developing the Flora Tristan community, and ensuring strategic educational programs where students of all ages can advance their education, health, self-confidence and better their quality of life.

That sounds very impressive and we can see from your project description on our website that you have been very successfully so far. Could you maybe tell us a little bit more about what makes working with HOOP Peru a unique possibility? Why should volunteers come and work with you?

Now is an exciting time to volunteer with HOOP Peru as we have just started our new chapter with additional resources at our disposal that will allow us to help the people in Flora Tristan in a greater capacity. The most rewarding reason to volunteer with HOOP Peru is because of the amazing Peruvian people you will work with in the Flora Tristan community. The children and parents are a true blessing to work with as they are so open to bettering their quality of life.

Food and accommodations are very cheap to live a good life, while you volunteer here.

Besides volunteering being a rewarding experience, you will also have time to make the most of living in the stunning city of Arequipa (the White City). Arequipa maintains a perfect average temperature around 21 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) each month of the year with over 300 days of sunshine and is surrounded by three mountain ranges over 5800 meters, including volcanoes.

Living in Peru is very special for so many different reasons from the amazing culture, stunning natural scenery, incredible people, fantastic food (ceviche) and the vast history. The history of the Inca Empire has made Peru a major world tourist destination that attracts people from every corner of the planet. Some sites in Peru include the majestic world renowned Machu Pichu, the famous Inca Lines, the world’s deepest canyons Colca and Cotahuasi, the Amazon jungle and the Andes mountain range that stretches the country.

Peru is not just another country in the world but one of the most amazing places to visit on earth. Not to mention, the prices of food and accommodations are very cheap to live a good life, while you volunteer here. As you see, there are many reasons why you should volunteer in Peru.

That sounds truly amazing. The job you are offering is to be a “Lead teacher” for one of the classes at the Flora Tristan English School. What will this job, as well as other jobs with HOOP Peru be like?

For all our job hold that HOOP Peru´s main project is located in Flora Tristan, a shantytown (pueblo jóven) located on the outskirts of Arequipa.

In Flora Tristan, our international volunteers run after school programs each week day such as our pioneer program teaching English.

HOOP Peru’s Mother and Toddler group started in October 2012 and currently has around 15 toddlers ranging from ages 1 to 3 years old. The Mother and Toddler group encourages early childhood development by providing kids with various educational activities.

The homework help program was implemented in order to offer our children more support with their education after school. After the students finish their HOOP Peru English lessons, our bilingual Spanish-English teachers together with our local volunteers run homework help sessions that are open to any students who require assistance with their school work.

Monthly workshops are held at HOOP Peru Flora Tristan school by practicing student psychologists. The workshops address a variety of issues such as relationships, health and raising children. The main focus of these workshops is to help the parents develop social skills and teach them how to positively discipline their children and increase their personal self-esteem.