Peru trek for city woman

A CITY woman is planning to fulfil her dream of working with impoverished children and rescued animals in Peru – and she is going to share her adventure with the Highland News.

In June, Louise Borland is to make a three-month trip of a lifetime to the South American country where she will divide her time between in an all-girls’ orphanage and an animal sanctuary.

As if that wasn’t enough, the plucky 26-year-old, who is being backed by the HN, will also make a five-day trek on the Inca trail for charity in honour of a friend who is battling breast cancer.

But whilst Louise, who lives with her mum Marion at Lawyer’s Way in Kinmylies, wants to raise as much money herself, she hopes Highland News readers will help her out too.

Louise, who is juggling two jobs to help fund the trip, explained: “This is something I have always wanted to do.

“The costs are not excessive, but I want to make sure I can leave money to the various causes when I am over there.

“I need to raise about £1,500 to get me through the weeks that I am there. I will be planning a whole host of events before I leave to help with that. I also work for my dad and I will soon start a second job working with elderly and disabled people to give me some more cash, but I will also have to find the money to pay for the flights which are around £1,500.

“I will be able to raise all the money, but my dream is to leave as much as I can with the charities when I am over there.”

When Louise, who went to Charleston Academy, is out in Peru, she will keep Highland News readers updated with a weekly diary of her experiences.

“I will be working with the girls’ orphanage for six weeks, then I will have two weeks to myself, but in that time I will be doing the Inca trek to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. After that I will spend four weeks working with an animal orphanage.”

She added: “I am looking forward to it, although my mum thinks I am going to come home with the children from the orphanage! I imagine it might be tough, but I just hope I can help some of them. That is what I want most, to be able to help them.”

Speaking about the Amazon Animal Orphanage, she said: “I don’t know exactly what I will be doing but I have spoken with the lady who runs it and as I have a keen interest in butterflies she may get me involved with the butterfly farm.

“That depends on how good my Spanish is by then. I know the basics so we will see how it goes. I will just have to learn it when I am out there.”

Louise, who is also doing an events management course, is no stranger to raising money for charity.

Last year she raised more than £1,000 by staging an Oxjam gig for Oxfam which featured five local bands.

This year Oxjam have asked her to go for the position of regional manager, and on her return from Peru she will organise another a musical extravaganza.

l If you can help Louise contact her through Facebook by searching ? Fan-raising or email her at fan-raising@hotmail.co.uk