Annie

Volunteer: Annie

Bio:

I'm currently a community health volunteer working in the northern mountain region of Peru. I mainly work in gardens, nutrition, and youth health promoters, but also enjoy teaching english and art to the kids.

2009 - 2011

Contributions from Annie

  1. Peru Food or Pet?

    Guinea pig in Peru are raised as food, and lucky for me, I never had one as a pet. They are prepared normally by either frying them or preparing a stew with them. I prefer them fried, but only without the head. I don't like that part so much. They are normally served at special occasions, such as weddings, baptisms, school graduations, or various festivals in town.

  2. Peru Quesillo

    My neighbor invited me to watch her make cheese one afternoon. Everyday she collects milk from her neighbors, and in the afternoon, she puts all in a large vat and mixes it with the culture and salt. Then she fits it all into molds once it start curdling. This is called "Quesillo" and is eaten plain or on potatoes.

  3. Peru Knitting in the Sierra

    I was invited to a meeting in one of my communities only to find out that the meeting didn't start on time. The women, however, didn't seem phased, as they were all busy knitting and talking to one another.

  4. Peru Tamales & Friendship

    One of the local mothers groups called a "Comedor Popular" invited me to make "tamales" one day, one of the typical food made from corn in the andean area of Peru. What I thought was only going to be an hour tutorial, ended up being a full day affair, and not just about "tamales," but also getting to know the women. In the end, I ate lots of good food and made a few more friends.

  5. Peru Nueva Vida

    I live right next door to the health post and one night, our obstetrician came over to tell us that a woman was giving birth next door. I came over to see if I could help, and ended up witnessing my first birth. The baby was not breathing when it first came out, but my community partner skillfully and confidently brought the baby back to life.

  6. Peru Town Meeting

    I was invited to one of my communitie's town meeting where the town's leader announced the construcion of a new health post in their town. These ladies were patiently waiting for the meeting to begin.

  1. Peru Huayno Dance Off

    A little girl and I were having a dance-off to the native dance of the Peruvian Sierra called "Huayno" one rainy afternoon. The little girl won.

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.