It was lovely to meet all the other scholars and it was amazing that we all bonded quickly. Our coordinators Pau and Jud have been helpful and we have become very close with them as well. I learnt a lot about Peruvian food and have tried many dishes like lomo saltado and ceviche, appreciating Peruvian history through our day trip to Caral, the second oldest civilisation in the world. 

Visiting the organisation I’m working with, Casa Ronald McDonald, was a useful learning experience to understand in detail the challenges that the organisation faces in terms of volunteer retention and the reasons behind that. I was so excited to talk with the volunteers from the organisation who were super friendly and helpful, and it will be interesting to explore the signup forms and retention rates from different teams and houses to seek ways to address the challenges.

One of the setbacks during the cultural fair was communicating with some of the volunteers that we were meeting as my Spanish is still at beginner level. However, I managed to pickup on some useful phrases for the reception and it was lovely to see people’s welcoming smiles with my attempts. Peruvians are very enthusiastic people, always giving hugs so I feel very welcome here and can’t wait for the coming weeks!