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Hi, my name is Jillian Green. In August 2003, I departed the U.K. to spend my gap year doing voluntary work in the Hogar de Cristo orphanage in Chimbote, Peru. I will be away from my home for one year, and this is my web site about my gap year adventure.
My name is Jillian Green and I am 17 years of age. I am from Paisley in Scotland. In August of this year, I left Paisley Grammar School after completing my 6th year.
At the end of 2002, after a visit to my school by Project Trust (A registered charity organising gap years and based on the Isle of Coll, Scotland), I applied for a gap year information pack. I completed the application and after a weeklong selection course, I was accepted as a suitable candidate.
During the selection week, I made many friends from other parts of the U.K. and Europe. The project that I particularly felt I was suited to was in Peru and I had my fingers crossed that the Project Trust management felt that I had what it took to undertake the project. The project involved mainly work of a social care nature, but did involve teaching the girls English.
Within a few days of returning home from the Isle of Coll, my letter arrived with details of my project and I had been chosen to go to Chimbote, Peru to work in a girl’s orphanage.
To help me carry out my work, I went for some intensive Spanish lessons at the Mackintosh School of Languages in Glasgow.
I am hoping to use my skills in English, Geography, Languages and Music (I play flute, piano and a little bit of guitar) to assist me in my work and travels while I am in South America.
I particularly enjoy travelling and am looking forward to visiting places such as Machu Pichu, Ecquador and of course the famous Andes Mountains. One of the other things I am really looking forward to is trying the local delicacy – guinea pig!
It is Project Trust’s aim that their volunteers do not take work from local people, but they share their knowledge and skills with the whole community. I therefore think that I can make a valuable contribution during this coming year within my project and the wider community and look forward to the many and varied challenges that this brings. I am eager to discover Peru, not as a tourist, but through being able to become actively involved with the local people and their way of life.