What inspired you to found Semillas Life?
The province of Puerto Inca is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Unfortunately, the local people are polluting it too much, largely due to the lack of opportunities in the community.
Most residents are farmers, and their income is very low. Therefore, they resort to illegal activities that are destroying the Amazon Rainforest, such as illegal logging or illegal gold mining with strong polluting chemicals.
I always wanted to manage a project that would have a social and environmental impact. When I saw this problem in Puerto Inca, I immediately thought this was my opportunity to start Semillas Life.
We started as a project in July 2018 and became an official NGO in December 2022.
Describe a typical day at work.
I am in charge of creating new projects, coordinating activities and partnerships with Peruvian and international organizations, finding qualified volunteers and interns, updating the website and social media, and coordinating with Semillas Life employees and volunteers about our activities in the local communities.
Why do you do what you do?
I do it because I want to give something back to my home country and Mother Nature. I also greatly enjoy being surrounded by nature. Every time I am in Puerto Inca, I try to enjoy it as much as possible. Semillas Life is part of me and makes me feel alive every day. I do this with much love from the bottom of my heart.
Environmental Education Program with volunteers and local children
What is your favorite part of your job?
One of my favorite parts of this job is when I see local people getting involved in our projects. In the beginning, they were kind of skeptical about our work, but now they have accepted us and know that we are there to help the community. Every time they do their traditional activities, they invite us to participate. Our volunteers, interns, and I enjoy these local celebrations a lot.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My education and international background help me a lot with my current role at Semillas Life. Studying in the US helped me meet people from different cultures and backgrounds. For this reason, it is easier for me to handle different situations inside and outside our organization.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I often face is managing the expenses of our organization. Unfortunately, in Peru, it is very difficult to get financial support from the government or private companies. Sometimes we have to put some projects on hold. Fortunately, the financial contribution we get from our volunteers/interns helps us to continue with our projects.
What are some current projects you are working on?
At the moment, we are working on multiple programs. The Education Program focuses on teaching English, German, and environmental conservation. The Eco-Tourism Program promotes local tourist attractions. The Wildlife Conservation Program assists the local natural reserve in the preservation and investigation of local biodiversity. Finally, the Health Program brings doctors or pre-meds to help in the local health centers.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Always do your research about the place you are visiting. Learn a little in advance about its people, climate, tourist attractions, customs, traditions, and political/social issues the local community is facing. Always stay calm when you face unexpected situations.
And don’t forget your passport!
Visiting a local bar with volunteers/interns
What makes your organization special?
Our organization is special for many different reasons. One of them is that by participating in any of our projects, volunteers/interns are helping in the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest, which is the lungs of the planet. Another thing that makes us special is that our volunteers/interns can enjoy the beautiful nature of the Amazon Rainforest while working with us.
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
By supporting our projects, volunteers/interns get the unique opportunity to experience the region’s stunning natural diversity and experience the beautiful local culture beyond the usual tourist path.
At the same time, volunteers/interns help us achieve our goal of giving back to our local community. We co-operate with a range of local people, and most of the financial contribution made by our volunteers/interns goes straight to the people in our community, such as our employees, farmers, taxi and tuk tuk drivers, restaurants, and tour guides. It also helps to cover the expenses of our projects.
What hopes do you have for the future of Semillas Life?
One hope I have for Semillas Life is building a technical school for the youth in the province of Puerto Inca. Unfortunately, teenagers do not have a place to study when they finish high school. They have to move away to big cities to continue school, which only a few of them can afford. Most of the local teenagers stay in this province without educational or work opportunities.
Are there any developments with Semillas Life that you would like to share with us?
Well, most of our programs have long-term goals. One of the most important projects is the Education Program. We are working with local children because they are the future of these communities. We are trying our best to teach them different skills, such as the English or German language. We are also teaching them environmental education.
This program means that the new generation is growing up with a different way of thinking and is becoming more eco-friendly. We are witnessing how the children are teaching their parents about environmental issues. For us, this is a sign that in a few years, the new generation will protect their land, which encourages us to continue working with them.
What makes Semillas Life easy to market to potential participants?
We have been working for 6 years in the province of Puerto Inca and have received so many volunteers from around the world. I think our experience working with international volunteers makes it easy to market to potential participants. They can find many positive reviews on our website and social media from previous volunteers who have participated in our projects.
Camping trip with volunteers/interns.
What is your organization’s mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
It is very important for us to promote the development and progress of the less privileged communities in the Peruvian Amazon. We believe that working together with these communities to develop different skills and create new job opportunities will not only help to reduce poverty but also decrease the activities that are harming the Amazon rainforest.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that volunteers take away an experience that will last a lifetime. The personal and professional growth of each volunteer/intern when they participate in any of our projects is very important to us. We do our best to ensure that each volunteer/intern has self-confidence so that they can do a good job during their stay with us. At the same time, we are sure this will help them in future challenges in their lives.
If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
This is a tough question for me, but I would go to the educational program. Education is the key to creating new skills for the people in these communities. Many local people do not have access to good education because teachers are not as qualified. Therefore, I need to focus on education to reach our goals.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
Participants often ask about wild animals and how dangerous they are. My response is that wild animals are afraid of humans. As soon as they hear humans, they run away. Another common question is whether Puerto Inca is safe for solo travelers. My response is that in all these years working in this area, we have never had a single problem with any of our volunteers/interns. This place is safe.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
I think it is important to travel and learn about other cultures to broaden our perspective on the world around us. Discovering the positive aspects of different cultures helps us become better human beings. Traveling and learning about other cultures also makes us value what we often do not value when we are in our comfort zone. Going out and exploring the world is deeply enriching on a human level.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Of course, learning a new language is very important. In my case, it opened a lot of doors in my professional and personal life. It would have been impossible for me to start with Semillas Life if I could not speak English because I have to coordinate activities with our international volunteers. Now I am in the process of learning German.
Doing a reforestation project with local children as part of the Environmental Education Program
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel for me means exploring a community, learning as much as I can about it, and helping people if possible.
For example, one day I was traveling as a backpacker and visited a small restaurant close to the beach on the northern coast of Peru. I asked for the menu, and it was only in Spanish. I looked around me, and 60% of the customers in the restaurant were foreigners. The server–a young teenager–did not speak English either.
I asked the owner why she didn’t have the menu in English for foreign customers. With a very sad face, she told me that she doesn't know English and has just started her small restaurant. She was a really good cook, but she didn’t know anything about customer service. I took a photo of the menu in Spanish, and the next day I returned to the restaurant with the menu translated into English.
She was so happy and invited me to stay. I stayed about 3 months in a little room she provided me inside her restaurant. I helped her grow her little restaurant, and now it is one of the best restaurants in Lobitos, Peru. I feel very good about myself every time I get in contact with this woman. She always thanks me for what I did for her. This is one of the most meaningful travel experiences I have ever had.
Then, I traveled to Puerto Inca and created Semillas Life.
What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located?
One of the issues I see in the world of international education is how lucrative it is for many organizations around the world. They charge so much for hosting international interns, making it difficult for many to afford these opportunities. It is even worse when local communities receive little to no benefit from these programs.
