March 4 2014


Girl Guide Florence Hardy recently visited the Seaford Rotary Club to talk about her experiences on her working-trip trip Peru last year.

Rotary Club President Michael Logan reports: “To raise the necessary funds Florence undertook car boot sales, bingo nights, cake sales and bracelet making. She also approached local organisations, including the Club and we were pleased to be able to help her, both by giving her a donation and by letting her have a free pitch at our Car Boot, Craft & Produce Fair.

“While the team was in Peru they worked at the Kiya Survivors Rainbow Centre, where, as well as working in the classrooms with the children, they painted and re-decorated the school. This included a giant snakes and ladders board on the playground, colourful spots on the stage to help with positions when they put on school plays, snakes leading into the school and train tracks in between each classroom. A memorable moment of the trip was seeing the joy on the children’s faces when they came in when all of the painting was done and it was a great feeling to see what a difference all their hard work had actually made.

“The team spent two weeks of their trip working with the children and Florence said that it was lovely to get to know them. She was amazed at how willing they were to play with members of the team and get involved in the activities they had planned. But the most inspiring aspect of her trip was seeing how, despite the physical or mental disabilities facing the children at the centre, they still managed to be the happiest group of young people that she had ever met.

“The trip wasn’t all work though; during the weekends she did activities including a horse back tour of the Sacred Valley, a hike up to some Inca ruins and a personal highlight of the trip for her was climbing up Machu Picchu. Before they left Peru they spent a weekend in the Amazon area and then went to Florida where she spent the last four days of their trip at Camp Choee and got to know about American Girl Guiding cultures.

“Florence concluded by saying that the trip to Peru had been one of the best experiences of her life, and she thanked all of the people who supported her for giving her the opportunity to go on the trip.

“Florence has been selected by the Club to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) week in April, and she had the opportunity to meet the other two young people who are being sponsored by the Club for RYLA this year, Marianne Best and Ella Edwards. The Club wished them a successful and fulfilling week, which will involve them in team building and leadership experiences”.

Pictured left to right: Club President Michael Logan, Florence Hardy, Marianne Best, Ella Edwards and RYLA coordinator Peter Posgate.