Featured Employees

This June, Renee Paquette, one of Andrews & Co.’s employees, has taken the opportunity to backpack in Peru with the organization, Operation Groundswell (OG).

Operation Groundswell (OG) is a non-profit travel organization geared towards youth.

Renee will be working personally alongside local indigenous organizations within the Peruvian Amazon to defend indigenous rights, and help strengthen their communities.

Two of the organizations she will be working with are:

Radio Ucamara:

• A community radio project representing the Kukama people in Nauta, Peru. Their goal is to preserve the traditional culture by running a language school that teaches children the traditional Kukama language in effort to preserve its use within the community.
• The goal is to help increase the impact of Radio Ucamara through increased community outreach and promotion.

Curuinsi:

• Organization comprised of indigenous youth who fight in defence of indigenous rights, they strive to keep their cultural practices alive and aim to strengthen their communities by supporting young community members who wish to obtain professional university degrees.
• The goal is to help improve the existing meeting and cultural space in order to give them a usable space to live and work

Renee is excited at the fact that she will be part of an experience that shares her values and mentions: “I feel extremely privileged to be able to visit this wonderful country while also being able to be a part of the resolution to their local challenges. This will truly be an adventure of a life time and I look forward to sharing it with all of you.”

Check back in July for updates on Renee’s volunteering efforts in Peru.