Youth Club going to Peru

Brady Grove, Times Reporter

The Strathmore Youth Club is planning an international trip to Peru next year to take in the culture and experience another country, and to leave a positive, lasting mark on a community by participating in a construction project.
“It’s a really neat opportunity for the kids to see a different culture and to do something that supports somebody down there too,” said director Shannon Zieman.
The trip takes place Feb. 15 to 26 for the Youth Club leadership kids who are in junior high and high school. The youth were given the option of going to Peru, Columbia or Guatemala and chose Peru after a month of research.
As of now, the club will take 18 youth but hopes to reach 30. According to Zieman, they expect the cost to be approximately $2,500 each.
The Youth Club is fundraising for the trip; one initiative includes Milkshake Mondays in conjunction with Humpty’s starting Aug. 14, in which Humpty’s will donate $2 from the sale of every milkshake.
On the trip, club members will stay with families in the community of Cusco, living as they do. Different activities will be available, such as Spanish, dance lessons and visiting Machu Picchu. The youth will be given basic Spanish lessons before they depart.
According to program coordinator Hannah Magee, most of the people the youth will interact with will be able to speak English, limiting the language barrier.
However, the Youth Club wants more than just to experience another culture and take in the sites. They want to give something back to the community they are staying at by participating in a construction project. The exact project hasn’t yet been decided, but they suspect it will be a school or hospital.
“We are working on that right now but we are hoping to do something a little closer to our hearts (such as) a youth centre,” said Magee. “It will be based on whatever the community’s need is at that time.”
According to Zieman, Youth Club members will be doing projects around Strathmore to help prepare them for the Peru trip.
Youth Club parent Jon Havens and his girlfriend Cathy Hartley are going on the trip as chaperones. Havens’ son Aidan, 17, is one of the leadership kids at the club. Havens has a construction background and is hoping to take a primary role in whatever project they participate in.
“It’s an opportunity to give back and I have the skill set they are looking for,” said Havens, who added that he hopes his son Aidan will come to appreciate what they have in Canada and learn more about the world and different countries.
Aidan has worked at the Youth Club for about a year and is really looking forward to meeting the people and seeing how they live.
“I wanted to experience a new country because I’ve never really travelled before,” said Aidan. “It will be a whole new outlook on life for me.”