Your Stories

When I first saw the advert for Platform2 "Do you want to volunteer overseas for free" I sat there for 10 minutes searching for the small print, but there wasn't any. 

Volunteering overseas has always appealed to me, but the costs haven't.  So this was an opportunity I felt I couldn't pass up on, even if it did mean quitting my job in the midst of a recession.  The Platform2 scheme covered all our travel and accommodation as well as living costs.

The work put a smile on Stacey's face

Peru is by far the most beautiful country I have visited.  The Andes, the desert and the jungle are a few hours on a coach apart with completely different climates and surroundings.  Similarly, a short bus ride can take you from a shanty town to a predominately rich area, making the rich and poor divide quite shocking.

The other volunteers and myself were staying in a shanty town called 'Las Flores', which means 'flowers' in Spanish, although the flowers were few and far between in the community its hospitality more than made up for it. 

The families we stayed with have volunteers all year round, and never did they tire of hearing our stories, our background or educating us on theirs.

Working to improve facilities

Between the various groups of volunteers, we constructed two toilet blocks for the local kindergarten of Pachacutec (a neighbouring community of Las Flores), as well as toilet and washing facilities for one of the local Pachacutec families.

We also worked on an ongoing programme to teach adults and children in the Las Flores community English, sports, music and cooking.  None of our work went unnoticed and the sheer gratefulness of both communities still puts a smile on my face now.

Learning the true value

Living in such basic conditions and surviving on our 50sol (£12) weekly allowance makes you appreciate what you have and also realise that material things and happiness do not necessarily go hand in hand.  I came to this conclusion even though I used to spend my entire monthly wage in Lakeside.

I've seen parts of Peru that I would never have seen and forged some friendships with people that I would never have had the opportunity to meet had I decided to go there as a backpacker or tourist.

Volunteering with Platform2 has by far been one of the best experience of my life and I hope to continue to discover the rest of the world in a similar way.

For more information about volunteering with Platform2 go to www.myplatform2.com