Opportunities in Peru

Option 1:

Description : The organization offers primary and elementary schooling as well as "manual work" for older children and adults such as carpentry and dressmaking.
Activities : Working with deaf and mentally disabled children as a class assistant, developing educational materials, assisting in practical projects such as knitting, teaching the children how to wash and iron clothes, cooking, sewing, weaving, horticulture, “how to buy goods from a shop,” etc. Organizing recreational activities.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : low intermediate
Hours of work : 9am - 1pm
Capacity : The institution is able to accommodate up to 10 volunteers
(one person in each classroom).

Option 2.

Description : Kindergarten for 4 and 5 year olds. The school consists of 2 classrooms, a small playground, a principals office (without furniture), a small kitchen and bathrooms where the children can take a hot shower if they like. Around 11am the children get a glass of milk and (occasionally) a cookie. Most kids have a poor background and come from the small communities close to the school.
Activities : helping out as a class assistant, organizing physical activities and teaching very basic English classes.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Schedule : 8.30 / 9am - 12.30 pm
Requirements : Being enthusiastic in working with small children. A plan on what you would like to do with the children needs to be set up before you start volunteering.
Capacity : Maximum of 1 volunteer at a time

Option 3.

Description : a play- and education center where 4 and 5 year old school kids and their teachers come to play and work with the available material. There are different areas, in which the children can play and learn: Communication (auditive and visual), logic and mathematics, personal and social skills and articulation. There is quite a lot of material available which has all been handmade.
Requirements: being creative, patient and liking to work with children
Activities: assisting the children and their teachers in the organized activities
Minimum: 4 weeks
Spanish: Intermediate
Schedule: Monday through Friday 8.30 am - 2.30pm.
Capacity: Maximum 1- 2 volunteers at one time

Option 4:

Description: Kindergarten for 4 and 5 year olds. There are two classrooms, both with (more or less) 35 children. A class assistant is needed to help the teachers. There is a lot of class material on the premises and the school is right next door to the Ludoteca (Option 14).
Requirements: being creative, patient and liking to work with children
Activities: assist the children and their teachers
Minimum: 4 weeks
Spanish: Intermediate
Schedule: 8.30am - 1pm.
Capacity: Maximum of 2 volunteers, 1 in each classroom.

Option 5:

Description : Institute for deaf children and children that are hard of hearing, run by the Catholic Church (nuns). The children live and attend school in the institute from April to December. They go back to their families from January - March. The Mother Superior would like to keep the institute open during this holiday period, if volunteers would commit themselves for this period of time.
Activities : In the afternoons, you would be expected to participate in any of the following activities: helping the children with their homework, recreation, organizing theatre and dance classes, music and sports; depending where your talents lie. Once a week (mostly on the weekends) the children and the nuns go to a farm near Tipón (owned by the church) and tend to the animals and agriculture that basically feeds the institute. You might be asked to participate in these weekly excursions as well.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Hours of work : 2.30pm - 5pm.
Requirements : Patience and a happy disposition.
Capacity : maximum of 3 - 4 volunteers at one time.

Option 6:

Description : An orphanage for girls between 10 - 17 years old. The majority of the girls come from the local mountain villages and often only speak Quechua (local language), with only a bit of Spanish. Therefore, communicating with them may be difficult in the beginning. They all have to learn Spanish in school (they leave the orphanage in order to attend local schools). The older girls, however, all have a good grasp of the Spanish language. Most of the girls had a very bad childhood, therefore volunteers are only allowed to come as teachers for a few hours and teach English classes. In this case the girls won't get too attached and be heartbroken once the volunteer leaves again. Note that consistency is very important at this project.
Activities : Helping to prepare the class material and teaching English classes.
Minimum :4 weeks, preferably longer. During the period of January - April, the orphanage might be closed.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Schedule : a few hours between 8am - 5pm
Capacity : 1-2 volunteers at one time

Option 7.

Description : Childrens home for boys between 8-19 years old. They provide workshops for the children as well, such as carpentry, shoe-making, sewing, etc. Unfortunately, the workshops often lack money for maintenance of the machinery. Therefore at present, only the carpentry workshop is in operation. If you have any particular type of skills that you want to share with the children, they are always willing and eager to learn. A Dutch NGO is helping to build a small study center with enough books, study material and maybe a computer to encourage the children to study.
Activities : Helping out with homework, organizing sport activities and giving English classes.
Minimum : 4 weeks. During the period of January - April, there is the possibility the building might be closed.
Spanish : Intermediate
Schedule : variable, either in the mornings or in the afternoons
Requirements : The institute would prefer men but women are welcome as long as they are aware of the fact that all of the children are boys.
Capacity : 1 - 2 volunteers at one time

Option 8.

Description : Childrens home for girls and small boys between 4 - 18 years old, linked to Hogar de menores Maria Salomé Ferro (Option 7). A Dutch NGO helped building a small playroom for the younger children to play in. A teacher comes in every day to assist the children in the playroom.
Activities : Activities include playing with the younger children, assisting the teacher in the playroom, teaching English classes, helping out with homework and organizing sport activities.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Schedule : 2.30pm - 6pm.
Capacity : maximum 2 volunteers at one time

Option 9.

Description : Shelter for street children. The institute provides a bed in a dormitory for approx. 40 children up to the age of 18. Neither meals nor formal education are provided and the children are expected to go to public schools, either in the morning or in the afternoon. The rest of the day is spent working.

The institute does provide a library (10-12am; 5-11pm), which is also open to the general public. There are also various rooms in which socializing, games, lectures and practical workshops take place such as pottery, carpentry, fixing cars, etc. They also have a computer, TV and VHS for the children to use.

Job description : Participating in all activities such as working in the library, playing games and talking to the children. Teaching the children basic computer skills, conservation of their environment, health/hygiene, English, music (especially if you can play the guitar!), cleaning, developing educational material, organizing camping trips and outings, etc.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Hours of work : 5pm -11pm
Capacity : Up to 2 volunteers at one time
Requirements : You must be able to maintain distance with the children. The institute would prefer men but women are welcome as long as they are aware of the fact that most of the children are boys, with only a few girls.

Option 10:

Description : After school project for poor children. The ages of the children range from 3 -17 years old. At the moment the project lacks a lot. There is hardly anything for the children to play with and no money to buy anything. Once there will be a bit of money they would like to start workshops such as carpentry and sewing. Lately volunteers have been organizing a lot of creative activities and the children are very enthusiastic about that.
Activities : Helping the children with their homework, playing with them, organizing recreational and creative activities and eventually assisting in workshops. Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Schedule : 4.30pm - 7pm, closed on Mondays.

Option 11.

Description : Youth prison for boys between 10 - 18 years of age. The young delinquents have to participate in different workshops, such as carpentry, a tailor's firm, a shoemaking shop, helping out on the land and taking care of the animals. Sports are very important to them and lots of physical activities are being organized
Activities : Teaching English, organize sport activities, theatre workshops, etc.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : High intermediate.
Schedule : Flexible - approx. 4 hours per day, preferably morning hours.
Requirements : being motivated and enthusiastic to teach. Most of all; being aware that teaching English to young delinquents is not always an easy task.
Capacity : maximum of 3 volunteers at one time

Option 12

Description : An adoption agency with (more or less) 26 children. Their ages range from a few months old to the max. 12 years old
Job description : In contrast to other projects where Amauta organizes volunteer work where volunteers mostly organize extra recreative activities, in Amantani volunteers are expected to take over some fundamental tasks so that the two owners can dedicate themselves to other, administrative, tasks. Volunteers have the responsibility over a whole group of children:
Babies - feeding, changing their diapers, basically giving them as much attention as possible. The older children: helping out at mealtimes, organizing physical activities, taking them for walks, etc.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Requirements : Most children are very difficult, don't listen and are hyperactive. You will be responsible for the entire group of children, so if you organize a (physical) activity, everyone has to participate. You should have a strong personality, being able to show a lot of initiative and be aware the children will try to test you. Nevertheless, help is greatly wanted and appreciated!
Hours of work : variable; either mornings or afternoons.
Capacity : Maximum of 2 helpers at one time

Option 13:

Description : Home for elderly people. The home is run by a religious order with very friendly nuns that love having volunteers around.
Activities : Various kinds of work related to the care of elderly people. Personal attention in recreation, serving meals, cleaning, assisting with the laundry, etc. The elderly people love having foreigners around and start smiling once you walk in the door.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Schedule : 9am - 1pm
Capacity : maximum 2 volunteers at one time

Option 14

Description : A clinic run by a religious order that offers free treatment (or treatment for a symbolic fee such as a bag of rice or a bag of corn) to mentally and physically disabled children. Due to the present economic situation in Peru, the government has cut in funding for institutions like this one. The institute is mostly self-efficient in respect that they grow their own corn, potatoes and vegetables (in greenhouses), and have numerous animals that they keep for their own consumption as well.
Job description: Playing with the children and feeding them, giving them as much attentions as possible. Lately volunteers have been organizing fun activities for the children in order to stimulate creativity and necessary skills. There is a possibility to work as a class assistant as well in the special education section, which is in the same building.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Hours of work : Flexible. They do need a lot of help around lunch and dinnertime.
Requirements : The NEED to want to HELP!
Capacity : up to 6 volunteers (3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon).

Option 15:

Description : El Hospital Regional is one of three hospitals in Cusco. It is a modern middle-class hospital with a capacity for 400 beds. La Seccion de Quemados in the hospital is a department specifically for people who have been severely burned. The majority of the victims are children from Cusco and the surrounding villages.
Activities : Volunteers can organize activities for the parents and children, such as creative workshops to keep them occupied. Volunteers with a medical background can also help attend to the patients' medical needs and provide insights on new possible methods of treatment. The daily schedule is flexible. This project is especially suitable for people with experience in this field.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate
Schedule : Flexible
Requirements : This project is especially suitable for people with experience in this field.

Option 16:

Description : Hospital for patients with psychological problems.
Activities : Conversing and participating in various activities with the patients. The director takes the volunteers under his care and tries to teach them as much as possible. Psychology students have been very enthusiastic working at this project.
Minimum : 6 weeks, preferably longer.
Spanish : High intermediate
Schedule : 8am - 4pm
Requirements : Only for Psychologists or Psychology students.
Capacity : Maximum 2 volunteers at one time

Option 17:

Description: A "shelter" were 100 to 150 "cargadores" (porters) can stay the night against a small fee. The porters are all men, mainly from the country (they often only speak Quechua), who work near the market area where they carry loads from one place to another in order to make a living. The men arrive at the shelter around 8pm where they can get something to eat, freshen up and spend the night. The next morning they'll leave after breakfast (around 5am) for another day of work.
Requirements: the organization prefers psychologists, sociologists, pedagogues or students in these fields.
Activities: organizing musical activities, setting up a hygiene workshop, going out on the street to assist the psychologist and/or sociologist or help out at nighttime.
Minimum: 4 weeks
Spanish: Intermediate
Schedule: flexible
Capacity: Maximum of 2 volunteers.

Option 18:

Description : Project for street children, school on the premises.
Activities : Class assistant, assisting in practical workshops such as carpentry.
Minimum : 4 months.
Spanish : High intermediate.
Schedule : 8am - 4pm
Others : Only for people with education in this field
(School teachers, social workers, nurses, etc.).

Option 19.

Description : Alternative schooling - Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary Schools. The schools are made up of children from all social levels that learn Quechua as a second language. You could participate in practical workshops such as carpentry and clay modeling, which are taught by either family members or friends. This means the local community is involved as well. They also learn about conservation of the environment such as recycling, health, medicinal herbs, etc. The families pay according to their means. The school is also financed by Swiss sponsorship.

Job description : Kindergarten (4-5 years old), playing with the children, organizing fun-activities, helping out in the kitchen, etc.

Primary School (6-12 years old). Only for volunteers that want to work as teachers. Another possibility is to work in the school’s herb garden (in the form of imitation Inca terraces). The children are taught to identify and learn the uses of herbs for medicinal purposes as well as the preparation thereof. It will also be possible to organize special classes/activities for the few Down syndrome children that are in attendance.

Secondary School (13-17years old) - Teaching English. The organization also organizes teacher-training courses twice a year (2 weeks in March and 2 weeks in August). If you are a trained teacher, helping out with the training could also be arranged. The organization has a library only to be used by the teachers.

Minimum : 3 months. Between the months of April and December the school is closed. If you are interested in the teacher training; you need to arrive in February or August.
Spanish : Kindergarten; Intermediate, Primary; Advanced, Secondary; Intermediate (since you’re teaching English). You will find other means to make yourself understood so your Spanish doesn't have to be particularly good.
Schedule : Flexible.
Capacity : 1 person in each school only.

List of Volunteer Work Projects

CULTURAL/TOURISM

Option 1:

Description : Perol Chico is located near Urubamba and offers adventurous horseback riding for all levels of riders, from first timers to the advanced, from a 2-hour trek to expeditions of 7 days. Perol Chico is owned by a Dutchman named Eddy who has trained horses for over 23 years. In addition to the horse stables Perol Chico also has a small guest house on the premises. All the horses are pure-bred Pasos, a Peruvian breed with a special and very comfortable style of riding.
Activities : Volunteers will be expected to assist with the maintenance and training of the horses. Housing is provided on the premises, and is within walking distance of Urubamba.
Minimum : Four weeks stay is required, although if a volunteer chooses to stay for a longer period of time, it can be arranged.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Schedule : Flexible.
Requirements : Previous experience with horses is essential.

Option 2.

Description : Non-Governmental Organization, in charge of the environmental politics concerning the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, located in Cusco.
Activities : English/Spanish translations, organizing the library, administrative work, etc.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : Low intermediate.
Schedule : 8am - 1pm or 4pm - 7pm

Option 3.

Description : Organization engaged in the environmental development and conservation of the southern part of Peru offering consultancy and research. Activities : English/Spanish translations, organizing the library, administrative work, exchanging knowledge, etc. Sometimes volunteers will be asked to do research near Machu Picchu as well.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Low intermediate
Schedule : Flexible
Requirements : This project is especially suitable for those who have experience in this field and want to exchange ideas.

Option 4.

Description : Spanish School for foreigners in Cusco.
Activities : Working as a Student Coordinator: attending to the general needs of the students in the office, airport pickups, organizing and participating in student activities, organizing orientating meetings, organizing excursions, etc.
Minimum : 6 months (bed and board may be arranged)
Spanish : High intermediate
Schedule : 10am - 4pm and all the student activities
Others : Possibility of working in the Spanish School in Urubamba.

Option 5.

Description : Museum in Cusco
Activities : Working as a guide.
Minimum : 8 weeks.
Spanish : Advanced.
Schedule : Flexible.
Requirements : Inter-personal relationship skills.

Option 6.

Description : National Institute for Culture, located in Cusco. National organization in charge of the conservation of all Inca Heritage sites.
Activities : Teaching English to the employees of the institute.
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Advanced.
Schedule : 6pm - 7pm

Option 7.

Description: Small zoo on the university ground in Cusco.
Activities: Assisting in all kinds of work, such as construction, repairs, cleaning, informing visitors (especially schoolchildren), assisting zoological students in their study objects, looking for information on the different species to make folders, videos etc. for presentations
Minimum : 4 weeks
Spanish : Intermediate.
Requirements : being interested in the animals and the public
Schedule : variable
Capacity : Up to two volunteers a time

Option 8.

Description: Tourist- and travel agent, specialized in adventure trips such as rafting, biking, mountain climbing, etc, located in Cusco.
Activities: helping out at the office counter (selling tours, giving information, etc), filming and editing videos, making updates for the website, help the guides on excursions, working in the warehouse, picking people up from the airport, etc.
Minimum : 4 weeks. Should you be able to stay for a longer period of time, there will be a possibility to learn to be a rafting guide.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Requirements : Recommended to people who have a special interest in this field and would like to gain some experience in a foreign adventure agency
Schedule : 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, times are variable (depending where you will be working).
Capacity: Maximum number of volunteers is 2.
Others : You will be offered a free trip (climbing, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, etc) each week

Option 9.

Description : Hotel, vegetarian restaurant and cultural center in Copacabana (Bolivia)
Activities : Various, all in relation to hotel work (front desk, housekeeping, etc). Besides the restaurant and hotel they offer creative workshops, such as acrobatics, music and painting fabrics.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Schedule : Flexible.
Requirements: Preferably volunteers that have some experience in the hotel industry. Motivated people or people that would like to gain some experience in this type of field are welcome as well.
Others : Transport to Bolivia is not included
(A bus ticket will cost you approx. $20, duration: approx. 18hrs).

Option 10. (Arequipa)

Description : Travel agency in Arequipa, specializing in trips to the Colca Canyon. Recently a hotel has been built as well.
Activities : Giving information to clients, selling tours, administrative work, evaluating guides, front desk, etc. You will be allowed to go on some of the tours.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : High intermediate.
Schedule : 9am - 1pm / 4pm - 7pmOthers : Opportunity to work in the Colca Canyon as liaison officer. (An air ticket will cost you approx. $89, duration: 30minutes).

Option 11. (Aguas Calientes, near Machu Picchu)

Description : Travel agency/Tearoom (restaurant) in Aguas Calientes (near Machu Picchu)
Activities : Various activities related to work in tourism and restaurant work.
Minimum : 4 weeks.
Spanish : Intermediate.
Schedule : Flexible.
Others : Transport to Aguas Calientes not included. (A local train ticket will cost you approx. $4).

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