Aspen Pollock, 9, is spending part of her week doing what few
kids choose to do on Spring Break
– she’ll be in Peru helping needy children on a humanitarian
trip.
Aspen Pollock, 9, is spending part of her week doing what few kids choose to do on Spring Break – she’ll be in Peru helping needy children on a humanitarian trip.
This will be the first such trip for Aspen, who attends Calaveras School, and her mother Razya Pollock, who will accompany her. Their volunteer work is done through the Airline Ambassadors, of which Pollock is a member.
“It’s about a child helping other children,” Pollock said.
Her mother said Aspen will help kids in Peru, teaching them correct oral hygiene and assisting in other areas. There are 30 needy kids in the village who will be involved in the experience, Pollock said.
Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, medicines, hygiene kits, newborn kits, school supplies, toys, children’s clothes and friendship bags are items that will be distributed to people, said Patricia Mogilnicki, who is on the board of directors for the Airline Ambassadors.
Due to a magnitude 8.0 earthquake last August, the village’s bathroom facilities, sewer systems and homes were destroyed, Mogilnicki said. The village people had asked for help from the nonprofit group to rebuild what they had lost. Half of the work is done, and the rest is set for completion this year, said Mogilnicki, who founded the program.
“Hopefully, this will inspire other kids to do other good work at a local level,” Pollock said.
The trip is set for Wednesday through Friday. A doctor and dentist also will be along offering their time to treat people in the village, Pollock said, and there will be 10 volunteers from the United States in the group.
On the first day they will head to Montejato, a village where they’ll assist in painting, playing with the children and distributing aid, according to the itinerary.
There, Aspen and her mother will help by pouring concrete and moving debris out of the way, Mogilnicki said.
The second day they will meet needy children that are involved in the program.
Razya and Aspen have helped raise funds for this program from people in the Bay Area, Mogilnicki said. These kids who are being sponsored don’t have the money to attend school. They sell gum or pudding on the streets to help support their families, she noted.
To sponsor a child’s education for a year, it’s $150, Mogilnicki said.
“This is the best way to break poverty and keep these kids in school,” Mogilnicki said.
They will travel to the village of La Florida, where they will help offer medical and dental treatments for the people, Mongilnicki said, and this is where Aspen will help teach the people about oral hygiene.
Mogilnicki said the Airline Ambassadors will build 250 homes in La Florida. Half of the homes will be completed this August, she said.
The final day they will go back to Montejato for a dedication and celebration of a completed water project, according to the itinerary.
“We want to give hope to these people,” Mogilnicki said. “Peru hasn’t done much for these people.”
