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!

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?

Top 5 volunteer qualities that will help make a difference to the Flora Tristan community

Being a volunteer can be one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have, but it also of course benefits local beneficiaries. Below are five volunteer qualities that that will help make a difference to the Flora Tristan community:

1. Great Motivation

If you are traveling abroad because of your strong desire to help and volunteer, then you will already have a great motivation for work. Your ethics and believes as a volunteer will probably be way stronger than of those who work a normal 9 to 5 job. And we all know that if the teacher is motivated, classes are more fun. HOOP volunteers are tutors, mentors, teachers, guides, coaches and supporters all at the same time, and the children will greatly benefit from a motivated teacher.

2. International Experience

Since most volunteers come from all over the globe to work as a teacher with HOOP, students can benefit a lot from these well-traveled and open-minded personalities. They learn to be more tolerant and broader-minded.

3. Enormous impact on the health and stabilisation of communities

Since the families living in Flora Tristan do not have very good access to health care and public education, it can be quite difficult for them to find out how to improve their own health and education without the help of authorities. HOOP volunteers therefore not just teach the students English, they also teach oral hygiene, nutrition and general higiene, in order to create a more healthy lifestyle for the community.

4. HOOP`s three values

Everyone beeing involved with HOOP is sharing the same values: 

Accountability: We are accountable to our beneficiaries, donors, partners and staff.
Integrity: We act consistently with HOOP`s mission, being honest and transparent in what we do and say, and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions.
Commitment: We work together effectively to serve and empower the larger community with dignity and respect.

5. Critical minds

Most of the HOOP volunteers have already traveled a lot and are interested in foreign languages, cultures and politics. Consequently they are critically thinkers. So many different creative minds can bring a lot of imput to our organisation, along with great, sustainable ideas for HOOP as well.


HOOP wouldn`t be where it is today without the help of all those volunteers that kindly donate their time to us each year and us and the community in Flora Tristan is very grateful for that.

Written and photographed by Charlette Voss

Teaching kids how to think, instead of what to think

Teachers usually go to their classroom very well prepared, knowing that they have to get the students through standardized tests, and prepare them for the standardized systems of either universities or the working world. This often tends to include teaching the children what to think instead of encouraging them to think for themselves though. But in a world where not everything is always perfect, wouldn`t it be more beneficial for students to become more self aware and stimulate them to think for themselves and also challenge opinions?

Encouraging students to solve problems by themselves and not just say there is only one correct answer is very important in order to improve their creative and critical thinking. A lot of children just have to memorize facts, but then they don`t know how to apply their knowledge in real life. Teachers could assist their students to do exactly that though.

For HOOP teachers it is very important to not crush the genius within the child, but to tickle it out of them, because intelligence is not always about the ability to remember and repeat, but also about the ability to apply one`s knowledge on an every day basis. Most of us are wrong at times, including teachers, so sometimes it is important not take the word of authorities all the time, and challenge them when necessary as well.

Sometimes it may also be worth for teachers to listen to their students too, because a lot of the times when you listen to someone else`s perspective or experience, you learn something new as well, even it is is from a child.


Written by Charlette Voss

Classroom Chronicles: Our Teachers` Funniest Moments at HOOP

As a continuation of our monthly communications theme teaching, we would like to share with you the most fun experiences some of our current volunteers had as teachers so far.

Volunteering in an organization with a purpose can be a very rewarding task and leaves an impression of a lifetime. To get a great insight about the fun and joy a volunteer can experience in a non-governemental organization such as HOOP, we asked our volunteers about their most fun moments in the classroom or on the playground.

A big advantage for HOOP students is to have teachers from all over the world and learn about various nationalities. The HOOP students are therefore confronted with a lot of different cultures with many different appearances on a constant basis. Florian for example is a 22 year old volunteer from Belgium and teaches the Kangaroo class. Apparently he is a lot taller than normal Peruvian people. While their average height is at 5.4 ft. Florian is 6.3 ft. tall. For the students that is quite astounding and Florian`s funniest moment as a teacher with HOOP was when his students painted the below picture for him.

Thanks to so many diverse characters, classes at the HOOP school are never boring and even after school is over, kids have the chance to play at the Cancha - the playground near our school. HOOP volunteers are always involved in every game; sometimes even more than expected. Jakob, our volunteer from Germany for example was just resting for a bit when a little boy jumped on his back and screamed in his ear: VOLAR – which means fly. So Boeing 747 Jakob took off and flew with his little passenger over the Cancha. As soon as they landed there were already a lot more passengers waiting to take a ride in this comfortable aeroplane as well.

One of the daily tasks for the students at the HOOP school is to brush their teeth and learn about oral hygiene. But as you can see in the photo above, the toothpaste is not always going where it is supposed to go, so as you can see, there is never a dull moment at our school up in Flora Tristan. The children always keep the teachers on their feet, but that`s all part of the fun of course.

Written by Charlette Voss