Susanna Findlay 1 st February 2015 – 31 st July 2015 Tearfund Project PERU (Warmis)

Introduction on me  My name is Susanna Findlay  I am 18 years old, I just finished my A-levels and am currently taking a Gapyear before going to the University of Glasgow to study Zoology in September  This year I am hoping to travel, learning lots of new things along the way, develop as a person and as a Christian, meeting new people and sharing in new experiences.  From February I will be in Peru, working for 6 months as part of a project run by a charity called Tearfund.  This is a photograph from my orientation week with all the other Gapyear’s, all travelling to different countries.

Introduction on  Tearfund is a Christian charity passionate about ending poverty.  ut_us#whatwecareabout ut_us#whatwecareabout  “WHY WE EXIST  When a community lifts itself out of poverty, everything changes. Poverty does more than exhaust, starve, trap and kill people. It destroys their sense of worth, limits their horizons, robs people of the chance to reach their full potential. Tearfund’s call is to follow Jesus where the need is greatest. We long for new life and a new sense of worth for people. We do whatever it takes to end poverty and rebuild poor communities. We work through local churches, because they're Jesus’ body on earth, ready to care for the whole person - and the whole community - inside and out.”

WARMIS  Tearfund Partner with different charities around the world in order to target the greatest need in each community. In Cajarmarca in Peru, Tearfund partner with a charity called Warmis.  Founded by a group of Quechua women concerned about rural poverty, Warmis is committed to strengthening the ability of people to drive their own integrated development.  Their main work consists of assisting women, children and communities to achieve spiritual, emotional and material development. There is a lot of focus on the local church and working alongside local agricultural communities.  In the past, Tearfund teams have been working with the local church (Portal de Belen), and La Casa de Madera (a church for children); Giving out shoeboxes; teaching English at rural schools; Warmis Saturday groups for women and children.

A team of us (myself and six other girls) will be working for Warmis during the six months we’ll be out there. We will be travelling out there alone and will be living at the Warmis house, which is located above the local church. The Team

Where we’re travelling to - CAJARMARCA  Cajarmarca, where WARMIS is based, is situated in the north of the country at a height of 8622 ft above sea level and has one of the highest indices of poverty in Peru as well as being one of the most populated parts of the country.

The Work  An average week is likely to consist of working in Casa de Madera about 3 times a week, which is a church/ youth group for children in a very poor area of Cajamarca. This involves running the church service, leading worship and spending time with the children.  During the week the team will also be spending time working in a school, teaching both children and adults English. No one can speak English out there (not even the partner charity, so we will need to practice our Spanish before heading out there). However if people learn English they have a better chance of getting into university and being able to get themselves a better job and out of poverty.  At least one day a week will be spent in the countryside. This will include helping out with a women’s session – Bible study followed by practical teaching such as how to make a skirt; the team will also be helping out with the farming a little bit.  Sunday morning will be spent at the Church (Portal de Belen) and the afternoon/ evening will be spent at Casa de Madera.

The Trip This trip is part of a six month project – so I will be in Peru from 1 st February 2015 until 31 st July 2015 (although these dates are provisional). In order to make this trip possible I need to raise £4000 (not including flights). It may seem like a lot of money but this covers all my living and inland transport costs for six months and is all for a good cause.

How you can help  FUNDRAISING EVENTS! If you would like to donate to my trip, please visit my justgiving page: aPERU Thank you so much for your support!

If you want to find out more… Visit my blog:  om om THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! ANY QUESTIONS?