A new generation of change agents..

When you picture a group of high school students on a school trip what do you imagine? I have worked in Peru for The Becky Fund for over five years and had some life changing experiences. In June of 2011 a group of girls from Carmel High School arrived in Peru, and inspired me.

This group worked all year long raising money to build 2 greenhouses in the remote community of Ccachin in Lares Peru. They held over a dozen fundraisers and attended meetings every week. They appreciated every moment of their trip because they had worked so hard to get there. The girls and their chaperones spent 5 days in Ccachin physically working on the greenhouse. their work consisted of digging trenches, carrying rocks for the foundations and 40 pound bricks for the walls. Our final departure from Ccachin was delayed because they wanted to spend one more hour carrying much needed adobe bricks to the work site.

Long bus trips, altitude sickness, food poisoning, sleepless nights on the floor, bug bites, and cut hands worked together to try to dampen the spirits of the Carmel group, however these discomforts could not even weaken the smiles on their faces.

I am greatful to have been a part of such an empowered group of young people. This experience was not given to them. They earned it. Congratulations girls.

-Aaron Ebner