Peruvian Women Access to Education Trip

Hi!

My name is Sofia, I'm 15 years old and living in Bucharest, Romania. This summer I hope to travel to Peru, as part of a 15 day Rustic Pathways program, where I would learn about the issues surrounding access to education and opportunities for Peruvian women, as well as gender equality and women's rights. The goal of my trip would be to help the local women and young girls, a well as raise awareness towards these issues which seem to be completely ignored by the international community.

While in Peru I will visit a dormitory that provides access to secondary education for girls, a home for women and children who have escaped abusive households, a vocational training center for young mothers, a women’s textile weaving cooperative, The Sacred Valley Project dormitory that provides girls from the rural highlands of Peru with education, skills and resources to become leaders in their communities, and throughout the journey I'll learn how nonprofits operate and the challenges that they address. Afterwards, I will also be heading some of the main sights in Peru, as a conclusion to my trip.

I'm very passionate about women's rights and equality, as I have grown up and lived my entire life in a very unequal, unstable, post communist-era country. If I had the opportunity to attend this program, I would not only would I be helping the wonderful women and young girls of Peru, but I would also be documenting the trip in order to raise awareness towards the issues that arise in their society. I hope to do this by filming a short documentary with some of the locals I will meet, as well as by writing a few articles addressing their situation and how we, the international community can help. I am able to do this as I have written and published a book and am currently working for several publications. One of my articles for Affinity Magazine, a social justice website, has received 22 million views.

The 6560 dollars I need for this trip would pay for:

1. The program cost - $4595.
2. Internal flights and travel (Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Lares etc.) - $465.
3. Return flight from Bucharest to Miami (where I will be meeting the rest of the group) + return flight from Miami to Lima (where the program begins) - $1500

Any extra money that is raised will go towards food and other necessities throughout the trip.

If there is any money left at the end of the trip, I will donate it to a women's rights organization in Peru.

I hope you will contribute to my campaign, no matter how small the donation, because with each dollar you donate I am one step closer to achieving my dream, and we're one step closer to raising awareness and helping less fortunate women in Peru escape their situation.


Photos: (c): Rustic Pathways