Light and Leadership Initiative

I have volunteered with the light and leadership initiative on 2 separate occasions about 1 year apart. My experience there both times was amazing. Its very clear every day how much of a positive impact is made on the children and the community as a whole. The organization has truly pure desire to help the people of huaycan. They are very transparent about where your money goes when you pay to be a volunteer and live at the volunteer house. There are no inflated fees and hidden attempt to make profit as in some other organizations.
The people in the community get to know you after a while and frequently say hello and converse with you when you are walking around the neighborhood. Living at the volunteer house is also a great way to have a home base while getting used to exploring different areas of Peru. I made great friends at the volunteer house and we took several trips together to different parts of Peru on our days off. When my time as a volunteer was finished on my first visit, I spent the next month backpacking around Peru and felt very comfortable doing so because I had already spent several months living at the volunteer house in Huaycan and became very accustomed to how to get around and do things in Peru. There is definitely a lot of work involved in being a volunteer. Its not just a vacation, but there is plenty of time to have fun also. If you go with desire to work hard and give your best to helping the children and the community you will likely have, as I did, a life changing experience.

Translated by Go Overseas:

The community of Huaycán has a very interesting history, of which the Initiative of Light and Leadership has begun to be part. It has been 10 years since this NGO has been in the community and over time it has been able to educate children, youth and women in different aspects, empowering them to improve their quality of life and the community.
Being working for a year hand in hand with international, local volunteers and community members has been a wonderful experience. Seeing the impact of educational programs and volunteers in the community is very satisfactory, as well as seeing the growth and development of volunteers from their arrival until their last day is very rewarding, as well as being a great opportunity for cultural exchange.

Original:

La comunidad de Huaycán, tiene una historia muy interesante, de la cual la Iniciativa de Luz y Liderazgo ha comenzado a formar parte. Hace ya 10 años que esta ong está en la comunidad y a lo largo del tiempo ha podido educar en diferentes aspectos a niños, jóvenes y mujeres, empoderándolos para mejorar su calidad de vida y la comunidad.
Estar trabajando durante un año de la mano con voluntarios internacionales, locales y miembros de la comunidad ha sido una experiencia maravillosa. Ver el impacto que tienen los programas educativos y los voluntarios en la comunidad es muy satisfactorio, así como ver el crecimiento y desarrollo de los voluntarios desde su llegada hasta su último día es muy gratificante, además de ser una gran oportunidad de intercambio cultural.

Huaycan is a developing economy whose residents have just as much pride in their homes, families, schools and community as anyone else in a wealthier part of the world. LLI understands this and works directly with the community, lives within the community, and deeply respects those within it, as well as the knowledge they hold. Their love for Huaycan is obvious, as is Huaycan's love for LLI. Volunteering with LLI is a very worthwhile experience for anyone who wants to step outside their bubble and experience what developing economies experience as their citizens work towards improving the lives of themselves, their families, their neighborhoods, and the community at large. If you're brave enough to question whether the world you see is but a subset of the larger world, LLI will help you appreciate how much bigger the world really is.

I worked at a fashion organization near Lima, Peru called Huaywasi. Huaywasi works with 7 local artisans that do different crafts and we support fair wages and education for the woman. At Huaywasi I was a business development intern and I was able to explore all the different aspects that go into running a business. For example I would create social media posts for Instagram or Facebook. I also did a lot of photography and editing for their Shopify website and I learned how to manage the website through Shopify. The team is very small so my opinion and ideas were really appreciated and we all worked well and collaborated together. All of the volunteers are amazing people so it was easy to fit right in and feel comfortable. I would recommend this experience to anyone, even if you are not particularly interested in fashion, this organization has opportunities for everyone to help out.

My time with Huaywasi has been an amazing, joyful experience. I am currently a Fashion Merchandising major at my university and throughout my time in my program I have been leaning towards the sustainable and ethical route in the industry. This program really solidified that sustainability and non-profit is what I want to do in the future. Meeting the artisans and visiting them in their homes and getting to know them personally really allowed me to see what non-profit brands do for their artisans. I was also able to apply my classroom knowledge into the really world workplace. From design to marketing, Huaywasi is a small brand that allows you get an overall perspective of how a brand is run. My input was always heard and validated, plus, it is a really cool experience seeing your ideas help a brand and actually being put into action. I would recommend this to all fashion students who are looking for a once in a lifetime adventure and experience.