live well. give well.
John Whelan
Local Hero, Lima Peru
Health, Opportunity, Progress, Education are the words that constant circulate through John Whelan’s mind. These words he carries with him In the Hope that each child in Peru will someday have the chance to appreciate them.
John (29) first came to Peru in December 2006 to volunteer at the Hogar St Francis De Asis. From the very first day he fell in love with the Hogar. The Hogar caters for destitute children with debilitating illnesses. During his time at the Hogar John started the idea of SicKidsofPeru. SicKidsofPeru was set up to aid volunteers coming to Peru and to raise funds for the children at the Hogar.
Three years later; after helping over 25 volunteers come to Peru and raising over 65,000 euro for various projects John has decided to start the process of setting up an Ngo “HelpthemHope”. The main objective of HelpThemHope is to set up an education center for discharged patients of the Hogar.
John is currently taking a break from teaching at a secondary school in Lima so he can work full-time on his project. John married the love of his life in 2009 and they recently had their first child.
John is an avid traveler and has traveled to over 20 countries and has worked and lived in six of them. He loves to read and learn about the world’s history. To keep fit he plays football with a local team in Lima. He is also a member of a gym and likes to go swimming. When he gets the time he is a keen writer.
John holds a Bachelor of Business Studies in Services Marketing and also a certificate in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).
John is thankful to all those that have helped him along the way: his wife Karina, his family and friends in Ireland, fellow volunteers and all those that are connected to the Hogar San Francisco De Asis.