My name is Catherine Contant and I'm 16 years old. I live in Saint-Lin-Laurentides and I've just started Grade 11 at Collège Esther-Blondin. I would like to tell you about the most wonderful experience I have ever had: my trip to Peru. Along with my Spanish teacher, a parent and 15 other students, I spent 17 days doing volunteer work in Peru between February and March 2005. We went to Ferreñafe, my teacher's hometown; this was the village that had been selected to receive our assistance. Each student was billeted with a local family for the length of our stay in Peru. My host family was made up of a mother and father, a 15-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy and a little girl aged three. They quickly made me feel like a member of the family. I've never seen such hospitality! We were treated like kings, despite their humble means.

Here are my friends from Ferreñafe (left to right): Diego, José (my Peruvian brother), Jey and Jhon.

Living with a Peruvian family was not always easy… Although we weren't billeted with poor families, living conditions there are not at all what they are back home. Since running water is available only after 5 p.m., we had to take our showers sitting in a washbasin and using a pitcher. You may laugh, but I really came to like this new way of washing! I had an amazing time, and my Peruvian hosts were fantastic!

The main purpose of our trip being volunteer work, we planted trees and ran some activities at a college, where we spoke about Canadian culture. We also helped out in an orphanage. We entertained the children, fed them, etc. They were all so endearing, although a bit shy at times. The orphanages there are very different from those here at home. There are three nuns looking after 25 kids, most of them still in diapers!!! We also organized games for youngsters in the village's poorer districts, which have no electricity or running water. We organized activities on hygiene, health and cleanliness. I have never seen such happy children!!!! The activities were simple, but they were enough to put a huge smile on the faces of these children, whose lives are a lot harder than ours.

Lastly, my experience taught me a lot of things that words alone could never express. Still, these lessons will remain forever etched in my heart. I hope that one day, others have the same chance!