**this page was supposed to be between Rich's Independent School and Shalom center page**
Casa Hogar Luz Alba =Light Of Down- Arequipa City
- (J-D May 10th-May 30th)
- All information from web site and letters
- http://www.travellernottourist.com/
Luis Antonio Chavez & Jay Chavez (Co-founder and Manager)
Thanks for visiting our website, here you can learn about Perú, how tourism effects the people here, our organisation and the projects we are working with.
You can also get more information on the tours we offer (with a donation included that goes towards our project work) and the volunteer programs we have available.
OUR VISION AND MISSION
Our VISION for the future is to build an organisation which is self-sustaining and also able to sustain the projects we choose to support whilst raising awareness and attracting donations and volunteers.
Our MISSION is to give foreigners visiting Peru the opportunity to be involved in the true peruvian reality and Peruvians the chance to lift themselves out of poverty and believe in the chance of a better world, and then create it.
- Within this mission we also have certain criteria by which we run our organisation, these are:
Our primary concern are the needs of the children we work with - We work hard to ensure that volunteers who work with us can have a rewarding experience, using the skills and passions they bring with them to enrich the lives of children living in poverty (without having to pay large sums of money).
- We are a non-profit organisation. All donations are used directly in projects or for legitimate organisation needs. The minimal administration fee we charge is used to employ the staff we need to run the organisation efficiently (on reasonable wages).
- We take volunteer complaints/comments/suggestions seriously and work with our volunteers to ensure that we are continuously improving the organisation.
- We provide a safe, supportive environment for our volunteers whilst simultaneously allowing them to experience the reality of poverty in Peru and help to relieve it.
We take our name from the premise that there is a distinction between the terms "Traveller" and "Tourist". It has become a widly held belief within travelling communities that aTraveller is someone who considers the environmental and human impact of their journeys and actively strives to reduce the negative and increase the positive influence their presence has on the place they are visiting. In contrast to this a Tourist is someone who does not consider or care about their impact, does not engage with the locals in a meaningful way and may cause a lot of harm through their thoughtlessness. Please note: We don't mean any offence by applying the above labels, we just needed a reasonable way of explaining the differences between the two groups. Obviously, terms such as Eco-tourism and Responsible Tourism kind of confuse the issue. We apologise if anyone does feel offended.
The Orphanage (Casa Hogar Luz Alba)
The orphanage was set up (and is run) by a charity organisation called Instituto de la Caridad Universal del Perú (The Institute of the Universal Charity of Perú). Their Mission statement is:
To help, in co-ordination with the government, the civil population which is socially, economically and morally deprived in the Arequipa region of Peru and the towns surrounding it, and specifically the children, especially those under the age of 8, who are most deprived of all types of attention (love, security, adequate nutrition, education, health etc). At the orphanage they offer integral care for those children under the age of 8 who have lost one or both parents, been morally and/or materially abandoned (eg by being left alone in their homes or whose parents do not care for them adequately) and/or who are at social risk (because they have parents who are drug addicts, alcoholics, delinquents etc).
VOLUNTEER FOR JUST $50!Many volunteer organisations charge their volunteers extortionate amounts and leave them wondering where it all goes. We charge a one-off payment of just $50 (unless you are taking part in the "Volunteer for a Day" project, see below) which is used to pay the local staff a reasonable wage and for legitimate organisational costs (paper, electricity and internet use at the office etc).
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
We have 3 volunteer flats, all near the centre of Arequipa.
Charlene, UK
"What an amazing experience! The children are so loving and happy - this experience has made our trip! They are all very hardworking and proud of their work and also very keen to learn English. Jay and Luis do a great job - so hardworking - a real inspiration to everyone. We are all thinking about a change in career! Thank you for this chance and for making us feel welcome - you will all be remembered for your amazing work with these amazing children."
Alexandra, Switzerland
"It was a great experience for me to work with the children. For me was the organisation here perfect. I enjoyed the time and you (Jay and Luis) do a great job.....always happy and friendly!! Thank you for this time"
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