My curiosity about Flora Tristan started way before I actually landed in Arequipa. When I decided to volunteer for HOOP I was interested to get to know a bit more about the community I would be working in. Therefore I tried to research about it on the internet, but to my surprise I couldn’t find much information. Every time I searched for “Flora Tristan Arequipa” I was directed to information about HOOP or about the woman called Flora Tristan, a socialist and feminist French writer who had Peruvian descendence. Well, I would have to wait until I could see and experience the community myself.
So in my first day as a volunteer at
HOOP I was on the bus on my way to the mysterious Flora Tristan, a place not
even the internet was able to provide me with enough information about. I
confess I was a bit afraid of what I would encounter, however the excitement of
finally getting there was bigger and I couldn’t wait to get off the bus and see
the community and its people. This is what I saw when I first got there, it was
still too little to conclude anything about the community though.
When you come to Flora Tristan expecting to find only suffering and sadness you will find you are totally wrong. The way people are always closely interacting with each other is amazing and it seems to me that it brings true happiness to them. It seems that even the numerous pets that are running around the streets of Flora Tristan are happy and welcoming. The pictures below show the dog Doris, one of the most playful dogs I’ve ever seen, and the funny goat that every once in a while shows up at the school’s front door.
With all the positive
characteristics I mentioned about people from Flora Tristan, all I can say is
that to me it is a wonderful pleasure to be able to help them receive
opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have. I would like to end this post by
saying that the people in Flora Tristan are lovely and welcoming, and they really appreciate what
HOOP does for them. In my opinion the highlight of volunteering in Flora
Tristan is that I both give and receive. I share my knowledge and help to give
hope of a better future to several families, and at the same time, I receive
their kindness and true smiles, which makes me believe that the world is going
to be a better place if we all contribute to it.
Written by HOOP Peru Volunteer Cayruã Fonseca