All about happiness

Why does HOOP exist? Sure, it’s about improving education. Yes, we want to help our students and families create better lives for themselves. And yes, we absolutely want this generation to be the last to ever experience poverty in Flora Tristán. But what HOOP is really all about, is happiness.

 

Every single person on the planet wants happiness, so it must be important (right?). But how do we get it? Well, better education can help by leading to better futures, more financial security, better health, and better opportunities...

But of course, it’s not that simple. And to make happier societies, it’s useful to know where we’re starting from on the happiness spectrum. But how do you work out how happy a society is? It’s not straightforward, but the 2015 World Happiness Report has given it a go. As well as getting serious about happiness from all possible angles, the report ranks countries based on the happiness of their people.

So the big question is… is Peru a happy country? Well, on the world rankings, it comes in as the 58th happiest country, about a third of the way down. But when you compare it to the rest of South America, Peru is the least happy country on the continent. So what’s going on here? After all, our friends over in Venezuela come in at 23rd – happier than France, Germany, Spain and Japan.

But happiness isn’t a competition; it’s something we’re all entitled to. So to help shed light on this joyful but elusive human condition, I asked some of my ever-happy co-workers and friends here in Arequipa about happiness in Peru…

The response from two born-and-raised Arequipeñans, plus a long-time resident here, is that yes, Peruvians are generally happy. But at the same time, no, they’re not. One friend explained to me the happiness balancing act taking place in Peru. An optimistic bunch, Peruvians can appear to be content with their lot. But the flip side is that despite many people living in adversity, there is a general air of acceptance – if you can’t change things, why not at least be content with what you’ve got?

It’s an attitude that’s hardly going to have the population jumping with joy. And the kind of long-term, sustained happiness that people aim for comes from things like financial security, good healthcare, good education and a good social support network. These are the kinds of measures included in the World Happiness Index, and they’re the kind of things more readily available to a privileged section of society in Peru.

So to say Peru is a completely happy country wouldn’t be true – after all, what country is? But you only have to live here for a few months to see that there is plenty of happiness around. After all, all Peruvians share an unreserved love of dancing. Every taxi driver in the country will glow with excitement if you start talking about Peruvian food. And if you get a chance to go to one of the many carnivals or festivals, it won’t be long before you’re sharing a drink and a laugh with a group of strangers you just met.

These moments of happiness are great, but improving overall life-long happiness is the bigger goal. And if HOOP can help the Flora Tristán community achieve that then, well, we’ll be pretty happy.

Words and images by Tom Hornbrook

Our first HOOP Hero!

Every so often, someone steps up and proves themself to be a real hero. At HOOP, this could be someone who has made sacrifices to personally help the Flora Tristán community, or someone who has gone to great lengths to support HOOP through fundraising or simply spreading the word about what we do here in Arequipa. So, to celebrate the heroic deeds of some of HOOP’s best and most dedicated supporters, we’re delighted to be launching our new HOOP Hero Award for people who have made significant contributions to the Flora Tristán community.

Our first winner is so awesome that if you gave him the power of flight, it would probably only be his fourth or fifth best superpower. He has made sacrifices in his medical career to set up HOOP as an official charity and has gone to remarkable lengths to help give the people of Flora Tristán better opportunities in life. He has even published a book to spread the word about HOOP in his home country (oh, with 100% of the profits supporting HOOP!).

I am of course talking about Li Shang-Ju from Taiwan. I don’t want to go into too much detail about all the great things Dr. Li has done, since (as such a great hero) he is super humble. Li has accomplished some inspiring feats for HOOP. He once sat outside San Fransisco church here in Arequipa writing down the names of HOOP’s kids in Mandarin on paper to raise awareness and donations from passers-by. He also hosted a Taiwanese camera crew in Flora Tristán to document his endeavors, and once travelled to Lima to seek support from the Taiwanese Embassy and a Taiwanese company, which is now donating a whole new building to Flora Tristán.

Fellow HOOP co-founder, Teresa recalls some of his other heroic deeds: “Li started the HOOP Scholarship Program and raised the money for it on his own. He would prepare and teach the first three scholarship students before and after school or even during the weekends to make sure they weren’t falling behind. If we couldn't solve a math problem, we would sometimes take it home, figure it out in the volunteer house and then Li would go to school in the early morning to explain it to one of our kids before their class started. No one is as respected and loved by the community as he is!”

As songwriting legend Bob Dylan once said, “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with freedom.” Li understands this and has shown it through his heroic powers of kindness, dedication and an infectiously positive attitude. So we are delighted to announce him as our very deserving and gracious recipient of the first award. Thanks, Li, you’re our HOOP Hero!

Volunteering = Happiness

All over the world, millions of people are working hard and giving their time for others - for free! Why? Well, they’re probably passionate about helping others, and they probably want to make a meaningful contribution to their community. But really, beneath these virtuous and benevolent motives, is a very simple equation: VOLUNTEERING = HAPPINESS.

Micha, from Austria - another happy HOOP volunteer!

There are tonnes of academic studies, including one from the brainy people at the London School of Economics, showing that people who volunteer are happier than people who don’t. And it’s got nothing to do with your personal background or how wealthy you are… simply, whoever you are, volunteering has the incredible power of making you happy!

What the research whizzes can’t work out though, is a scientific reason why volunteering should make you happy. So to help them out a bit, I asked some of HOOP’s friends from around the world why volunteering puts a smile on their face.

Julianne Ezra, from England (but an Arequipa resident of two years), thinks enjoying yourself is essential for volunteering. “Earning money is out of the equation so the focus is on enjoying the experience which immediately makes you a better volunteer - you're not just sharing skills, you're sharing happiness. And that's got to be the best thing about it, knowing you have positively affected someone else.”

Chris Kondas with Kenzie and the kids at Cancha time

Chris Kondas, from Ohio in the USA, is a bit of a volunteering veteran (which you can read about here), and volunteering makes him feel so good he feels bad! “Sometimes I feel guilty because I feel so good after doing volunteer work or something for someone who wasn’t expecting it. What you take from the deed is far greater than what you leave.” Well, that’s definitely going to vex the people at the London School of Economics when they read this. But I’ll be sure to give them Chris’ details so they can do some research on him. 

One of our local HOOPsters, Christian Collazons, thinks the happiness that comes from volunteering is simply a good feeling from helping someone else. “I really like HOOP’s slogan, ‘Breaking the cycle of poverty through education’. That’s the only way we can help people to live better lives.”

But there are big personal rewards to volunteering too, says Bianca Berti from Austria: “Helping kids learn English might give them a way out of poverty and it also enriches my own personality through working with the children and seeing their progress and also their struggles.” And our Program Director, Alison, agrees: “You give back and you’re rewarded when you see the difference you’re making with the kids, and how appreciative the families are that teachers come from all over the world to teach in their community. It’s very fulfilling!”

Carol Mitchell from England, who has years of volunteering experience (including setting up an NGO in Uganda!), says: “Volunteering tends to give you back a hundred times what you offer. It develops you, stretches you, relieves you and allows you to really experience things from other perspectives rather than just trying to imagine what life might be like for other people. And then you can translate your newfound experience into other areas of your life making them richer too… But you will never be a know-it-all no matter how long you volunteer, so it keeps teaching you new things all the time.”

If you’ve ever volunteered, you’ll know the happy feeling you get from being part of a valuable and meaningful experience. You’ll also know that you don’t need a PhD in psychology to understand the link between volunteering and happiness. It’s just a simple fact of life. So be happy. Volunteer J

Five Reasons Why Volunteering is the Best!

We volunteer first and foremost for the people, but let’s face it; the other benefits aren’t half bad. Volunteering can be an absolute life changer in a number of ways and here are just five of them.

The chance to learn a second language.

Volunteering in Arequipa means there are lots of opportunities to learn Spanish, a language which is desirable to a number of employers since it is the second most spoken language in the world. Oh and it’s also immensely rewarding to learn! You will be able to wow all your friends and family back home with your newfound skills.

Meeting people from all walks of life



You will make friendships and meet people that can change your life! Working alongside people from all ages, nationalities and walks of life is great for escaping from your comfort zone. HOOP is such a diverse NGO; we have had volunteers of all ages and nationalities and are proud to have received so much positive feedback from former volunteers.



 Meeting the kids of Flora Tristán is also such a breath of fresh air. Sometimes people back home take an education for granted, but the kids who turn up have such an enthusiasm for learning.

Two of our former volunteers who married in Flora Tristán! 

 

The chance to make a serious impact

We volunteer because the thought of helping someone else is truly rewarding. Giving your all to a community such as Flora Tristán and knowing you are making a difference is one of the best feelings in the world. Words can’t fully describe the experience, you just have to come and see it for yourself! The families’ appreciation is so sincere.

It’s a great opportunity to be an inspiration to children at an important time in their developments. We all have that one teacher who we remember as being particularly inspirational, this could be you!

Developing career skills



You can learn a number of things whilst working with HOOP that are great for putting on the CV. From helping with fundraisers, to assisting on the communications side; there are so many ways you can leave your mark with HOOP and wow potential employers with your Arequipa experiences. One of the really fun things to do here is participate in the pub quiz which can do wonders for people who might be looking to improve their public speaking.

HOOP volunteers at a previous fundraiser

Experiencing a new culture!

It’s so much fun to wake up somewhere each day that is completely different to home. Each experience is new and exciting and will stick with you forever. You also get the chance to try lots of exotic new foods, fruits, drinks that you have never before had access to! If you choose to volunteer in Peru then you are highly unlikely to be disappointed with the food. (Peru has been voted as having the best food in the world on a number of occasions now)

So what are you waiting for?