Evvy Struzynski, writing for The Gainesville Sun, profiled a group of women who traveled to Peru with Globe Aware for one week where they helped dig and build a well and teach children English.
The entire article is here, enjoy:
Water for San Pedro de Casta
Gainesville women ‘vacation’ in Andean town for a cause
Published: Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.
The ideal vacation is rarely one where water is a precious commodity. Resort destinations don’t usually advertise vacationers digging a well, educating school children and traveling on a treacherous, one-lane road in the only vehicle in the village. But for some, to sunbathe on a beach just doesn’t cut it.
Three Gainesville women recently returned from a “volunteer vacation” to San Pedro de Casta, Peru, where they worked in rustic conditions for one week helping dig and build a well and teaching children English.
But their work just scratched the surface, and on their return, the women decided to host a fundraiser for the 999 residents of the small village. “Bring Water to San Pedro de Casta” is scheduled from 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 4 at the United Church of Gainesville.
Beth Karbe, an acupuncturist and herbalist, said she and her friends worked from dawn to dusk and stayed in a hotel with little water and no heat in the Andes Mountains.
“If you could call it a hotel, it was more like a building,” she said. “There were no showers and the toilet only flushed every three or four times.”
San Pedro de Casta, which is at an elevation of 12,000 feet, is only 50 miles east of Lima, Peru’s capital, but it takes 5 ½ hours to get there due to its remote location.
Karbe said she discovered the volunteer vacation after her first trip to Peru, where she traveled on her own to an orphanage that housed 50 young children. On her second trip in August, she traveled through Globe Aware, a U.S. based non-profit organization that arranges supervised volunteer vacations all over the world to “promote cultural awareness and sustainability,” according to its mission statement. This time she traveled with two other Gainesville women, Judy Keathley and Carol Barron.
About 30 percent of San Pedro’s residents are children, and about 80 percent of them are malnourished, according to Karbe. The lack of water means little grass for cows to feed on, which in turn causes the animals to fail to produce milk.
The absence of water creates other difficulties as well, such as sanitation.
Two members on the trip were sick with dysentery, and had to walk a mile to the well to get fresh water, said Barron, the director of construction for Alachua County Habitat for Humanity.
“It was primitive and very intense,” she said. “The people there that were 40 looked 65 because they’re so dehydrated.”
Barron said that for more than 50 percent of their trip there was no running water, and for the other half of the time the water was freezing.
Karbe said the now dry town was previously a lush plateau, but climate change and global warming has resulted in water becoming scarce.
Karbe said the women were unsatisfied with their progress by the end of the week and wanted to help more.
“As hard as we worked, we didn’t really accomplish that much.”
So to compensate, they’ve planned a fundraiser with a goal of raising $22,000 to bring an irrigation and water system to the town.
The “Bring Water to San Pedro” fundraiser includes wine and cheese, a silent auction and live performances of Peruvian music. Tickets cost $35, or for those who are unable to attend the event, a monetary donation can be sent electronically to the Bring Water to San Pedro de Casta Project at the Internet link, Globeaware.org/sponsor-volunteer-vacationer and enter “Bring Water to San Pedro” in the field.
The cost of the trip — not including airfare to Peru, which the women paid for themselves — covered food, guides, travel costs within the country, tools and their gift to the area — a water heater for the local school.
Karbe said there are no volunteers scheduled for travel to Peru for the next year, likely due to the rustic living conditions.
“Every time I turn the water on to brush my teeth, I’m grateful,” Karbe said.
Copyright © 2011 Gainesville.com
Danielle Serrano, writing for EmpowHER – Women’s Health Online, shared how helping others provides a net-benefit to you. Enjoy:
Increase Health by Helping Others
Created 10/17/2011 – 06:27
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”
One of my favorite Buddhist quotes reminds me that happiness never decreases by being shared.
Sharing and spreading your happiness does nothing but increase happiness in your community and make the world a better place. Happiness and good deeds really are contagious.
Speaking of contagious, ever wonder what kind of health benefits come from those fuzzy feelings that come from helping others and spreading your joy?
Well let me tell you, my friend!
Numerous studies have found that volunteering has a huge impact on lowering rates of depression, especially for folks over 65. More specifically, a Duke University study concluded that individuals who participated in volunteer activity after having heart attacks experienced less despair and depression, which is often liked to mortality in post coronary artery disease patients. So ultimately, these happy, uplifting feelings can increase longevity and save your life!
In addition to reducing depression, volunteering has also been found to help chronic pain sufferers. A Boston College study examined how pain, depression, disability, and self-efficacy were affected through volunteering. Results showed that pain, depression and disability improved through volunteering, concluding that chronic pain may be alleviated through volunteering.
Volunteers report having an increased sense of connectedness through helping others — an important aspect to spiritual health and wellness. In addition to an increased feeling of connectedness, helping others gives you a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life.
So often in the news today, our attention is brought to harsh and negative realities. Helping others makes it easier to focus on the positive aspects of life, thus increasing happiness that can be easily spread.
Start small by holding open a door, smiling at a stranger, paying the toll of someone behind you, or simply going out of your way to help a friend in need.
Or go big by planning a volunteer vacation. My good ol’ mom racked up enough miles to fly to Thailand and build houses through habitat for humanity, a life-changing and rewarding experience.
You don’t need to leave the country to volunteer, help others, and feel good! You can get an overall increased sense of well being, better mental and physical health by helping others in your community today.