Kelly Invited to Peru

Kelly Moore (shown during earlier trip to Nicaragua) has been invited once again as a UN Delegate, this time to Peru, as part of a team from the Friends of the World Food Program to observe and take part in UN World Food Program field operations in the Andes Mountains for 5 days, March 15 to March 20. The group will be observing and assisting, in particular, pilot programs of the UN Millenium Development Goals www.un.org/millenniumgoals Of the 8 goals, they will be able to observe pilot programs which include 7 of these goals.

This will be an ongoing blog to update Kelly's adventures during the trip so stop back to stay in touch if you want!

He leaves Sunday, March 15. Below is a post from Kelly as he prepares to leave and from the World Food Program's Communications Assistant.

Happy Travels to all and stop back here for updates!

Note from Kelly: Next Stop Peru

It's still amazing to me that I get to go on this journey to Peru. The itinerary is stunning, and we'll get to see so much, and learn so much, and hopefully, help so much.

Today there came a moment when I realized that everything I'm attempting to get done here that doesn't directly apply to going to Peru, is done. I've basically stopped in the middle of several projects because what lies ahead really deserves my complete attention.

Almost everything is packed, everything tested and road-ready. I arrived at a moment today of calm, knowing that, while the maelstrom of preparation activity continues, the journey has already begun. I'm on my way to Peru.

I'll get to meet people I never knew before that I would get to meet, and learn a lot from them, and hopefully contribute a lot to them so that, as a global community, we grow closer and stronger and better.

Next posting will be from Peru. Till then,

Kelly

Notes from Friends of WFP

This Sunday evening, I will be arriving in Peru to spend 5 days traveling through the Andes with a group of Friends of WFP staff and volunteers. Over the course of the week, we will be visiting a variety of WFP programs to learn about what the agency is doing in the field. As I prepare for the trip, I wonder what it will be like and how the experience will affect me. Above all, I am simply thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in something like this. I lived overseas in the developing world when I was a child, but since third grade my travels have been confined to the United States and Europe, with only a couple exceptions. I’m not entirely sure how to write my thoughts down, so I’ll just start out with why I’m excited to go on this trip.

I am excited to experience a new culture. Although I have lived in Latin America, I have never been to Peru before.

I am excited to get to know some of our advocates on a personal level. I have met some of them briefly, but after we travel around the Peruvian countryside together, I can only imagine how much better I will know them.

I am excited to see WFP’s work in action, so I can truly grasp how important WFP assistance is to so many people around the world. At Friends of WFP, I read about what WFP is doing on a daily basis. I have access to a wealth of stories and photos of people who benefit from these programs, but I don’t think anything can replace seeing WFP’s work firsthand and actually meeting and interacting with the people who know what WFP truly means. I think the trip will bring me much closer to the people we help as employees, volunteers and supporters of Friends of WFP.

Guess what one of the best parts of this trip is? You will be able to follow along with us on our travels, I hope! Assuming we are able to access the internet from Peru – I have my fingers crossed – we will be blogging from the field in Peru as we take photos, meet WFP staff and food recipients, and learn about how WFP is making an impact in peoples’ lives. Stay tuned for more information about our trip

-Jessica Lennon
Communications Assistant
Friends of WFP
http://friendsofwfp.typepad.com/friends/