Women's Shelter and Childcare in Cusco

I volunteered at Juana de Aza from August 2019 to February 2020. My main responsibility was to take care of the children who were all between zero and three years old. since I worked in the morning shift from 9 to 3. I quickly learned to love Juana de Aza! What made it special were the people there - the children with their mothers. Although it took some time to break the ice, once the children started knowing and trusting me, and once the mothers started chatting to me, I was excited every morning to go to work and often stayed until night to tuck the children in. I loved how vibrant the women’s house was, despite everyone’s past and hardships. I loved coming to work in the morning and knowing that the children were excited to see me.
I even loved doing the dishes after lunch because that gave me the chance to chat to the mothers. With time, I was also given more freedom. We started doing crafts with the children, teaching the older one’s how to braid bracelets, or taking them on walks around the city center; I accompanied the mothers to go grocery shopping as well as to the doctor and had the opportunity to teach them a bit of English.
All in all, Juana de Aza was the highlight of my stay in Latin America. To me, the bonds I have managed to build to both the children and the moms are sacred. Nothing can top the moments when you talk to the mothers and it feels like you’re talking to a friend – just light hearted and untroubled -, when children jump into your arms or when your favourite child falls asleep on your lap. Some of the established bonds are still so deeply important to me that I have been determined to return to Peru since I have left to continue to be a part of the mother’s and children’s lives.

Although Juana de Aza was what made my stay in Cusco so very memorable, this is not to say that I did not fall in love with the country of Peru. Cusco, first and foremost, is a beautiful city. Surrounded by mountains and characterized by its beautiful history and architecture, I could not have picked a better city. Because I stayed with a host family I never felt alone and always had someone to turn to for advice. This was especially important to me during times such as Christmas – instead of celebrating Christmas by myself and missing my family I was able to experience a typically Peruvian Christmas. It also helped me to get to know a lot of Peruvian traditions, such as the tradition of wearing yellow underwear on new year’s for good luck. My host family was a vital part of me feeling safe and comfortable in Peru, but I quickly found that it was easy as well to meet locals as well as international volunteers and travelers. Cusco was the perfect city for a volunteer – there were many cafes and restaurants as well as clubs and a vibrant dancing scene. I would always recommend to start dancing Bachata or Salsa as this was the easiest way for me to meet people. Further, Cusco has a perfect location for weekend or day trips, including Machu Picchu or the Rainbow Mountains.

My stay in Cusco was everything – not only did working at the women’s house reshape my plans for the future, but I have also fallen in love with Peruvian people, culture and nature.