Bailey Elder's Peru Service Trip

                                                                                      Help Me Help Them

          My name is Bailey Elder and I am a sophomore at Natick High School. I am grateful and fortunate to have a loving family, food on the table, and endless opportunities ahead of me. As I grow older, I’ve become more aware of just how lucky I am, and how many others don’t have these same advantages in life, just because they were born in a different part of the world.
          In an effort to become more aware of the world around me, and to help those who weren’t born into the same relatively care-free existence, I want to do more than just “be aware.” I want to put my boots on the ground and lend a hand. I want to figure out how I can help kids who have the same hopes and dreams that I do overcome their circumstances.
          To that end, I am thrilled to be able to participate in a Peruvian Service Trip that will improve the food production and infrastructure of communities in Peru, including Cusco and Yuncaypata. Over the last several years, Peru has had a serious increase in poverty rates, leaving more than half of the country's residents in poverty and unable to take care of their children properly. As a result, many children have been forced to beg on the streets just to survive.
          During our time in Peru, we hope to engage with children such as these to help them lead a better life. We are committed to rebuilding and improving the homes of families in need by repairing roofs and completing unfinished houses.
          Another important aspect of my trip is a green house project. Many families survive on near-subsistence farming, reaping a meager crop of potatoes from the thin volcanic soil each harvest. I hope to help families such as these by building greenhouses from the ground up, which will provide villages opportunities to cultivate plants that wouldn’t otherwise be able to grow in the harsh environment. Greenhouses such as these will increase food production, eventually filling the bellies of hungry children and providing jobs for the unemployed.
          While my contribution may be a small drop in a seemingly bottomless bucket, I  believe that any act, no matter how small, can make a difference. And your donation, no matter the size, will help me make that difference. I thank you in advance for enabling me to plug into the world to see where I can help. I hope my time in Peru will serve as a reminder that people in need are not alone. And your contribution will allow me to spread that message. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

If you would like to learn more about my trip, below is a link to a website I have compiled with more information. 

Link: https://sites.google.com/students.natickps.org/httpswww-peruservicetrip-com/home