David Ludwig left the United States in August 2006 in order to spend 6 months to work in an orphan in Peru. He takes care of children of all ages. He tells of the wildly playful children of the Juan Pablo II orphanage, where he sometimes feels like a clown for their amusement.
Here is what David thinks about his experience in Peru with United Planet:
“The city is 11,000 feet above sea level, and the clouds are not so far above it. ... It's almost as if heaven needed to keep a special eye on the place so it raised it up to reaching distance.”
David Ludwig sent a series of e-mails about his adventure in Peru. Rather than being the observations of a casual tourist, his words wax deeply philosophical.
David, traveled there as a working volunteer while on a one-semester sabbatical from his role as student at Union College. He chronicles his adjustment to the thin oxygen, the unexpectedly "Siberian" nights.
Here is what David told about the daughter and the cooker of his host family:
"She is 4 years old and undoubtedly the most adorable creature I have ever laid my eyes upon. The woman was not much taller, being only 4 feet or so. She grinned at me, showing a few missing teeth. She seems only a little older than me."
Another little girl there captured his heart, and many shots of her are among the 485 or more photos he took. "Oh, by the way, I've decided that I'm taking Mildred home with me. A girl this sweet should be able to grow up with a family and decent education."
David spent the rest of his time ambling with fellow international volunteers and Peruvian natives.
As featured on CNN, United Planet is a leading international, educational, humanitarian, and peace-building, non-profit organization with members and volunteers in over 150 countries The mission of United Planet is to foster cross-cultural understanding and friendship, support communities in need, and promote social & economic prosperity among cultures in order to unite the world in a community beyond borders.
United Planet Quests provide a meaningful opportunity for both skilled and unskilled volunteers to make a difference in communities in need in around fifty countries worldwide from 1 to 52 weeks, while immersing in and learning about the culture and language of the host country.
Quests enable participants to broaden global perspectives and cross-cultural understanding;
For more information regarding United Planet and its initiatives, please visit the organization’
We hope that this experience interests you as we are convinced it is of interest to your readers to see how much a member of the Endicott, New York’s community cares about making a difference in a country such as Peru.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,
Cecile Chappey
Project Coordinator
UNITED PLANET
