ACTSPEDITIONS CULTURAL INSIGHT PROGRAM

Then, Join us in the land of Peru, South America!

This is a unique, one-of-a-kind trip that will give you that out-of-the-world Experience. On the other side of the world, Peru offers you a chance to have an experience beyond “wow” and a close up view of one of the greatest wonders of the world.

We will bring you to Machu Picchu for a view that will last a lifetime. Observe and touch, first hand, the ancient civilization of the Incas.

For that beyond “wow” experience, we will give you everything a sightseeing trip can give… but more. We will allow you to invest your life into the lives of Peruvians. More than that, we will immerse you in the life and culture of Peruvians as well.

A Holiday with a difference!

Cross-Culture Volunteering - this is one word you'll hear in all of our ACTSpeditions. This is also what sets us apart from the usual tour packages. From visits to Peruvian Shanty Towns, dialogue sessions with Peruvian Youths to teaching English & cooking at Orphanges, ACTSpeditions offer you opportunities to make a difference at a global level.

So would I get the chance to go off the usual route?

Of course! What's an ACTSpeditions without pure, adrenalin-pumping fun? For this round of ACTSpeditions, we will include a visit to Machu Picchu, one of the wonders of the world, to just take your breath away before you can finish saying your last “wow”.

What is Included in an ACTSpeditions Package?

2 Way Air Tickets : - Lima, Peru to Cusco, Peru

All Accommodations according to the Itinerary in Peru (hostal accommodation)

3 Day Cucso Tour

Lima Day Tour

Transport to & from Lima Airport

Volunteer Work with Peruvian Community Care Organisations

Spanish Immersion Program in Peru

Cultural Exchanges with Local Peruvians

Shopping tours that only locals know of And more!

Our ACTSpeditions are scheduled as and when a group of recommended size of 2 – 4 is set up. The whole package requires a budgeting of S$3,000 – S$4,500 (depending on cost of air tickets from SIN to LIM at peak periods).

If this email has whetted your appetite and awakened the adventurous spirit in you, do set up a meeting with one of our representatives for a dialogue.

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SUCCESS STORIES

ACTSpedition 2006 - by Keng Suan

Someone once said, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” I think that the motto of the Generation Acts Club International - Sharing Life, Living Life and Investing in Lives – agrees with this idea; that in impacting and influencing the needy, especially children, we leave behind a legacy.

That is why I decided to go on a month-long journey to Peru with the club to know and experience first-hand how Peru is like and to see how the average Peruvian child’s life is like, as well as to participate and contribute in the ImpACTS project that they are currently running.

Other reasons that motivated me to visit Peru were to experience a different culture and to take a break from work to enjoy myself. Since I started working some time ago, I’ve not taken a long break to refresh myself. Those who are working in Singapore will know that working life can be stressful and routine (or routinely stressful!). That lifestyle causes people to be myopic; to see only what is in front of their noses and not to care about what’s going on around them.

Just as I was preparing to leave in Sep 2006, the movie “Singapore Dreaming” was released. This movie captured many questions that modern Singaporeans are asking about of their lives and the meaning and value in living. Do we live our lives only to be more successful than another person? Are we so deep into materialism that we cannot see outside of it, or from another person’s point of view? I guess many people may still be asking these questions of themselves.

In order to know my own values, and myself, I decided that it would require me to get out of the system for a while. I wanted a break from the rat race in order to remind myself that life is more than working for profit and fame and for the “face” it would give.

One of the things that impressed me in Peru was the friendliness of the people. Many Peruvians are glad to strike up a conversation with foreigners, even when their English wasn’t so good (and I hardly knew any Spanish for that matter). In Peru, they greet each other with a cheek kiss and a hug, except for a meeting between guys, in which case they shake each others’ hands warmly. The cheek kiss was something I was definitely not used to at first, but after a month there it became a natural way of greeting other people.  Not to cheek kiss with them would be construed as being rude and unfriendly.

Another thing that I noticed was the relative poverty there. Not many people that I met through the GACI were rich. Many of them were teenagers and young working professionals, about late twenties to early thirties. Although some of them live in nice bungalows (which are quite cheap compared to Singapore), many stayed in small towns in the big city of Lima. These towns would often be dusty, with bits of rubbish on the roads and graffiti on the walls. The houses would be small, two-storey shophouses (like the ones we might see in Chinatown) with zinc roofs. Despite the simplicity of the town, there is always a small garden park that is situated in the middle of it. It’s like a statement of the Peruvian’s love of life and beauty even in the midst of life’s hardships.

I guess I could compare the living standards of Peru to be somewhere close to that of Indonesia. There are many of these poor town areas, and also many shanty-towns around Lima. In the shanty towns, many houses are made of mud-brick houses that have yet to be completed, due to the extreme poverty that the people who are living there experience. Some of these houses lack roofs because the family has no money to buy zinc sheets. This leaves them with little or no shelter from the rain and the cold that the Peruvian winter nights bring.

The Generation Acts Club International members in Peru brought me to visit some of these places where they run the education program ImpACTS. Many of these kids are eager to learn, as they come back to school on Saturday just to listen to us. We use a small school facility in a town called Monthoc to teach. This class consists of children of many ages, some as young as 8 or 9 to some about 15.  I’m glad to see the club providing these children with opportunities to be educated so that they can have a better chance at life when they grow up.

I also went to an orphanage constructed on a hill, surrounded by shanty towns. This orphanage is located at the edge of Lima, in a place called Zapallal, Ventanilla. 600 children live there, ranging from about 4 to about 16 years old. The purpose of the orphanage is to provide shelter and food to the orphans and abandoned children in Peru.

When we entered by car there, we were immediately surrounded by children who were curious about us. Many of them were not wearing shoes. I saw the buildings that they were staying in from a distance – many were mud-brick houses with a simple zinc or straw roofs. Some people have sponsored the orphanage to construct a simple playground for the children. It was nothing like the playgrounds that children in Singapore have, but it was obvious that they enjoyed themselves playing there.

I was also involved in teaching English and life-skills to the teenagers who were involved in the club’s Youth ALIVE! project. Many of these youths come from disadvantaged families so we teach them English for free, charging them only for the price of the textbooks. After English lessons, these youths hang out in the club premises to attend life-skill seminars or just to fellowship. During the week I was there, I witnessed them giving presentations to one another on environmental pollution and drug abuse. They were assessed by some young working professionals who gave them advice on how to present themselves. These skills would definitely be useful in the workplace and enable them to have a better and bright future.

In addition to these charity projects, I also had the chance to visit Machu Picchu, an ancient mountain fort and town constructed by the Incan people. The Inca were a great and mighty nation before the Spanish came and conquered Peru. The Spanish also robbed Peru of gold and many artifacts when they came.  Fortunately they had no way of carrying Machu Picchu off. It was an enjoyable trip and one of great interest to me, because I could see how much effort they put into building an entire town on a mountain. Machu Picchu and Cusco (the ancient city of the Inca and the nearest modern city to Machu Picchu) still manage to reflect the power of Inca architecture and rule today.

I’m really glad that I took this chance to visit Peru and see the way the people there live. I believe that I will always remember my trip there for the impact that it left on me. For one thing, I am grateful that Singapore is successful at growing the economy and that the Singapore government has managed to lead Singapore through many trying times in our history. I contrast Singapore, which had nothing to start off with, to Peru, which has gold and silver mines, natural beauty and good tourist attractions, and I see that there is also much potential in Peru that remains untapped. The Singapore education system is also well funded and regulated (although stressful) and has provided many people with the means to provide for themselves. I count it a blessing to be born in Singapore.

Furthermore, now, I know that there are many people out there who are more needy than us. I’ve also decided not to live life the same way, but to contribute actively to those who need help. It’s the one thing that would make my life more meaningful – to decide to give to others instead of hoarding everything for myself. Many people may consider this crazy, and they might say that I don’t owe the needy anything to do so. However, I have no right to say that I worked for everything I have as well. If I had been born in Peru instead of Singapore, would my life be as successful today? Singapore was built by other hands, not my own, and they owed nothing to me to build it up. So I see that it also makes good sense for me to invest in building other people up even though I have no obligation to do so.

I would like to encourage everyone who reads this to consider going to another less-developed country for a period of time to contribute to the lives there in order to experience an impactful change in their lives and challenge their own perspectives of life. It’s definitely worth it, and it will give your life a purpose which you might not have imagined.

To re-quote again, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

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ACTSpedition 2005 - by Florence Neo

A quote from William Blake says, “A social entrepreneur can see the world in a grain of sand, heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of his hand and eternity in an hour.”

Indeed, I had an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the world when I joined the five social entrepreneurs in Peru for twelve days. I gained an invaluable experience and truly understood what it took to be a social entrepreneur during my short stay with them. In their 20s, they formed a branch of Generation Acts Club International (S) in Peru two years ago. Borne with the club vision, they took up the challenge of developing the youths in Peru and ventured into the foreign land.

I recalled Singapore Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong said in his inaugural speech on 12 August 2004 that the political transition was more than just a change of a Cabinet, it was a generational change. The Government was committed to engage young Singaporeans in shaping the future. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) led by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Acting Minister was formed. MCYS would play a more active role in formulating programmes and working with other ministries to tap the energy, passion and idealism of these young Singaporeans. They would have more opportunities to contribute to society, initiate activities and projects, implement their ideas and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

Truly, the five social entrepreneurs exhibited the passion and idealism of young Singaporeans. The Government reached out to young people like them to remake Singapore. With their vast experience, no doubt, the contribution they gave to the society wherever they were would be immeasurable.

I arrived in Lima on 26 August 2004. On the way to the clubhouse, the world of Peruvians bypassed me through the small window of the car as the taxi driver motored along the road. There were no tall buildings and the houses had no roofs. The roads were dusty. Kids were begging for money. There were sellers on the streets who approached cars at the traffic light. Obviously, unemployment rate was high and poverty prevailed.

The social entrepreneurs adopted a simple lifestyle like the Peruvians. They made enough money as teachers for a living. With the rest of the free time, they devoted themselves to the work of volunteerism whereby they give free English lessons. They were definitely not in lack. Like everyone else, they earned the normal monthly wage of USD300 (S$516). They did not demand exorbitant pay even though graduates like them were over qualified for the job they held. The cost of education in Peru was very high. Most of the parents could not afford to send their children to study. They had to hold two jobs to feed the family, as the cost of living in Peru was expensive too.

The team did not live apart from the Peruvians but live among them. For example, to get to their work place or other destinations, they either walked or took combi (It was what we called bus in Singapore) like the rest. Many Peruvians looked up to them and respected them for what they were doing. The Peruvians could not comprehend why the five Singaporeans would want to leave their country to come to Peru. Many of the Peruvians wanted to leave their country for a better future. The team exhibited a spirit of community living. They were able to relate to the Peruvians from all walks of life in Spanish, which they had mastered within a short time. Handicapped with the inability to speak Spanish, I could barely understand what they were trying to say and I caught myself repeating,” No habla Espanol. Habla Ingles?” I was truly amazed by the compassion and patience that they had when their friends and students shared about their lives and the interaction time extended inevitably.

The ACTspedition helped me to see beyond my sheltered life in Singapore where it revolved around my job, family and friends. The trip caused me to be more thoughtful of what volunteerism and social entrepreneurship were all about. Many of Singaporeans like me were generous in our money and donations given to altruistic activities, however, it was more than that but getting involved in the work itself. This overseas trip had changed my perspective that we should not confine ourselves to meeting the needs of Singapore community but we should play an active role globally.

The dedicated team carried out many initiatives to meet the needs of Peruvians by giving free English education. I had great exposure when I helped out in the two projects.

I participated in the Project La Vida Maxima where free English lessons were given to the university students and working adults. I joined the English class for the university students on every Saturday afternoon. I shared to them about Singapore through the postcards I brought and many of them were exclaiming that it was a beautiful country. I was glad to know two business students from San Marcos University and we were keeping in contact through email. It was a fruitful Saturday afternoon.

The team also offered free English classes to children in the school named Mision Integral in a shantytown in Parchacutec on Saturday mornings. The travelling time to the shantytown took us one hour. The living condition of the people in the shantytown was very shocking and they were so poor that they could not afford education.

One thing I learnt from the team that they would always want to impart good values to their students other than teaching them English.

I would encourage all to be part of the ACTspedition team where you experience living as a team and develop your leadership and survival skills such as cooking. You can learn to think like an entrepreneur as you spend at least twelve days in Peru doing volunteerism for social causes. Be an impact to the lives of the youths in Peru. Your life will never be the same again! Also, three cheers to the social entrepreneurs out there in South America!

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ACTSpedition 2004 - by Sharon Ng

Ever since I came back to Singapore, many people have eagerly asked me “So how do you feel? Tell us about your experi-ence!” Well I have to say that it is something that is difficult to be described in a few words. It is unique, amazing and fulfilling. It is an experience that has become an important chapter in my life. Everything kind of started from zero when I first reached Peru. It was tough initially; to be away from home and alone in a foreign place, the cultural difference and language barrier etc. It was like learning how to walk all over again. Then again, it was through this “re-learning” process that I have came to appreciate simpler things in life.

For the first month when I reached Peru, the GenActs Peru team helped me to settle down in many aspects. I was arranged to stay in a comfortable and affordable hostel that was located just opposite the clubhouse. Briefings were given to me on the culture, weather, surroundings and the kind of voluntary projects that I will be involved etc. The team members then brought me around Miraflores (the town where we were staying) and a few other places where I could go to for meals and shopping. I also met a lot of their local friends through gatherings and home visits. The most difficult part for me was the language barrier. When you are unable to communicate, things could not be done properly, even simple tasks such as ordering food and traveling around on your own. GenActs Peru team helped me enrol in El Sol, a local school specialising in teaching Spanish. Spanish is a beautiful language and I love it! Armed with my amateur “spanglish” (read: Spanish mixed with English) after a month’s lesson, I was ready to take on the challenge of being on my own to explore around. I still remembered the wonderful feeling I had when I first took a bus on my own…yes, as simple as that! That night while lying on my bed, I was still beaming with joy and satisfaction. Other simple tasks “happened” such as making new friends, ordering food by myself in a Peruvian restaurant and making simple conversation with the locals etc. Although there were several occasions whereby the salesperson/ waitress/ bus conductor were impatient with my “slower-than-snail” conversations and less-than-accurate pronunciation, in general most of the locals were friendly and helpful. Despite the little hiccups, it felt awfully satisfying that I was able to overcome the difficulties and get things done.

The biggest challenge was to teach English to the locals with my limited ability to converse well in Spanish. GenActs Peru arranged a few interesting projects for me. I was assigned to teach basic English to a group of students at a learning institution. These students were from the highland with poor family background who were unable to afford school fees. I also volunteered at Panchita, which is an institution from domestic helpers and Hogar De Niños, an orphanage. Hence the age of my students ranged from as young as 13 years old to as old as 50 over years old! As the saying Chinese goes “Huo Dao Lao, Xue Dao Lao”, literally, “One lives through the older years, one learns through the older years”. How true that is…there is no age barrier to learning and gaining knowledge, as long as you are willing to. I was able to understand this simple philosophy from my students. The greatest satisfaction was that after each lesson, when my students came up to me to ask questions and said “thank you teacher” that I knew they had gained some knowledge from me. And I was glad to know that I had passed on good values to them and made their lives a little better!

I gave this write up the title “Making a U Turn” is because the entire experience has made me realise the basic fundamental in life again(which I believe many people have lost it in the rat race in today’s environment). That is to constantly remind oneself not to take things for granted and “re-learn” to appreciate the simpler things in life. Simple questions such as “Why am I working so hard? What is the purpose of making such a decision? How much is enough?”

As the saying goes “Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way”. We are very blessed compared to many poor people in the world and we should be grateful for it. It has also made me realise how important my loved ones are to me and I should not take them for granted. The lessons at El Sol also provided the chance for me to interact and make friends with students from other countries such as Canada, North America, Korea and Brazil. I still keep in contact with them via MSN Messenger and this provided an avenue for me to practice my Spanish after I came back to Singapore.

If you have realised by now, my passage is full of words such as “satisfying, fulfilling, and challenging”. So I encourage all those who have the heart to do similar things like that to stop hesitating and start investing in other people’s life. It doesn’t matter if it is a small or big contribution, as long as you know you have made a difference to another person’s life. And for those who are thinking of traveling to a foreign place to volunteer, go ahead! It is life enriching experiences like that that will be with you forever. When I look back twenty years down the road, I will be proud to say that I have no regrets! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my friends and loved ones who have supported me in one way or another. And of course GenActs Peru and Singapore who had helped to make this trip possible! Gracias para todos! I’m glad I took the step forward…

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