<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20px;">Hi all! Thanks for stopping by!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">(Update:&nbsp;<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Thank you sooo much for everyone who has contributed! I am so overwhelmed by the amount that everybody has donated so far! I will be going back to HK soon so I hope to see all your lovely faces!</span>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 20.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As most of you may know (or don't), I'm heading back to Arequipa, Peru, for 10 more weeks of community service, as I couldn't get enough of it when I went there for winter break!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As a volunteer, I help out with the kids with their academic growth and education, since there is not enough opportunities given to them. We, as volunteers, are also meant to act as big brothers and sisters for those kids. They are all fun, diligent, and positive individuals (and tiny ones at that) who have big dreams of their own ( one even dreamed of being an astronaut! ).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your contribution, no matter how much it is, makes a difference in those kids&rsquo; lives. <strong>&pound;5 ( 63 HKD or 8 USD )</strong> would be enough to provide a piece of fresh fruit for <em>one kid everyday</em>, for <em>4 months</em>, and <strong>&pound;15 ( 188 HKD or 24 USD )</strong> would provide <em>40 kids a hot lunch</em> every school day for <em>one year</em>. As most of these kids come from impoverished families, nutrition is not guaranteed everyday. So, as long as the kids make it to school, they are guaranteed a large piece of fruit and a hot nutritious meal every weekday.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As for the hike, a group of volunteers and I will start off early Friday morning, taking two hour ride from Arequipa to our starting point at an elevation of 3400m. From this point we will be hiking up to six hours to the Base Camp, at 4610m. The next morning at 2:30am (or should I say night), we will then hike another 6 hours to reach the summit of El Misti at 5825m. The hike wouldn&rsquo;t be pleasant due to the high elevation, but doing it as a fundraising event for the kids is all that matters.&nbsp;</span></p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>