Lindsay Greene, BSW student
Peru: May 13-July 25, 2014

The summer of 2014, as a result of the Social Work Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award, Florida States’s Global Scholars program, and support from the College of Social Work, I was fortunate to be able to travel to Huancayo, Peru for two months to both volunteer at and conduct research on a government child care program which targets impoverished areas of Peru.

As a result of economic growth and social programs established by the Peruvian Government to target those in poverty, the country has been successful at reducing the amount of people below the international poverty line in its country. Unfortunately, though, the people living in the more rural regions of Peru have the highest rates of poverty and although some progress has been made they are still lagging in terms of Peru’s recent prosperity. Currently, the international level for extreme poverty is measured by the World Bank as $1.25 a day. Just over half of the population in Peru today is living in extreme poverty by global standards.

The Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes is one of many childcare programs which has been established by the Peruvian Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion in the rural regions of Peru in order to help the children in these areas reach their developmental potential. Through collaboration with the Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes and the guidance of my faculty advisor, Dr. Neil Abell, I was amply supported in crafting a culturally informed and non-invasive research project. With this project, I was able to live and volunteer in Huancayo, Peru while I conducted a preliminary evaluation of this child care program.

Through qualitative methods of participant observation, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with the caretakers at Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes I gathered data about the program with which to evaluate its efficacy at accomplishing its intended objectives with the children. With a list of non-threatening and ethically approved questions and the help of a translator I was able to conduct seven interviews with employees of Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes with which to draw data from.

My program evaluation is the first assessment of the Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes goals and, once completed, will be translated and returned to the organization for them to, at their discretion, make improvements to the program.

The experiences of this summer have also helped me in looking towards the future and clarifying some of my career goals. Volunteering and researching abroad has confirmed for me a passion in working internationally and promoting social justice, as well as an appreciation for diverse cultures. Following my graduation in Spring 2015 I plan pursue my MSW. With an MSW I hope to be most effectively prepared to serve clients both stateside and internationally.