Sonia and the kids cleaning the beach!
By the time my Master’s came to an end I felt like I really needed some time off and I always wanted to return to Latin America after I had studied in Arequipa in 2009. So I started to look out for Volunteering Programs in Latin America and found WAVES. I got in contact with Tim, who works for WAVES in the States. He was really welcoming and the trip seemed to be easy to arrange so I decided to go for it. And I am so happy I did it! I spent 3 weeks total in Lobitos and they went by extremely fast.
Hands on! No cement mixers here.
The atmosphere here in Lobitos is great, very relaxed and laid back, stress seems to be inexistent – just what I needed after finishing my Master’s. That does not mean that you don’t work though 😉 Work is just really different from what you would be doing in the West. At the end of the day you are really proud of what you did. You can see the results of your work immediately, which is what I love. We are currently building up a second WAVES presence in the village: a surf centre at the entry of the village of Nuevo Lobitos. You see it growing every day basically. We also poured concrete floors every week – or at least every week in which nothing would come into our way, which happens once in a while in Lobitos. One definitely needs to be flexible when working in a Peruvian environment. My own main project during my stay was painting a sign for the Surfshop, which will be standing on the street in front of it. During the summer break there are English and Environmental Classes every day, which the volunteers support. They are a great way to get in contact with the community and the kids. The kids are very sweet and like you right away. Generally, you do get in contact with the community quite easily, especially through the surf shop, because it’s run by locals and it’s located in the WAVES house, in which the volunteers live. These were the opportunities I used to practice my Spanish.
The maestro leveling the floor.
The nights in Lobitos are definitely relaxed. You start off with a very good dinner – all the cooks are very good I find (be prepared to cook for the whole crowd yourself also ;)) – and then finish the day on the terrace of the WAVES house watching a movie or chatting at the chill out area in front of the house with benches and a hammock. Overall, I am really happy that I decided to come and I wish I could stay for longer!
