Cusco is surely a place worth visiting! Nowhere else in Peru does the Inca Empire feel as present as here. The strange mixture of the old Inka Temples and the Spanish colonial buildings contribute to this atmosphere. Imagine being able to stay here for a couple of weeks and do some good as a volunteer. This will be an amazing rewarding experience!

Project fee from EUR 1,730

Your Role as a Volunteer

You can choose to work as a volunteer at a day care, school or a health centre/rehab centre. It is always short staffed, so you presence is of great help. Most projects are located in central Cusco. The Day-care centre in Cusco is situated in one of the major markets. The children are between two and five years old. Many of them speak the native language Quechua.

School receives no state aid and is run by volunteers. The ages of the children are between four and 15 years and they are divided into different grades. There is also the opportunity to work at an open clinic/rehab centre with a special section for children with disabilities. Your task is to assist the medical personnell, and among other things go on home visits.

Your responsibilities as teachers:

• Teach English, math and reading. Instruction is at three levels: elementary school, middle and high school. You can choose on which level you want to work on.
• Creating a playful environment and encourage children’s creativity through educational games, singing, drawing and more.
• Join or create sports activities for children.

Your responsibilities at day-care/preschool

• Take care of the children who are 2-8 years old.
• Create a friendly and playful environment for children through dancing, playing games, singing songs etc..
• Assisting teachers with instruction in English, math and games, encourage children to use their bodies to develop motor skills

Your responsibilities at a health centre:

• Assist staff in the examination rooms.
• Working with the Maternal and Child Health unit.
• Accompany staff on home visits.
• Helping to develop educational materials on health and participate in various health campaigns conducted in the slums.

If you intend to work in the Health centre you would need some previous experience or knowledge in the field of Health care.

The Project’s Mission

There are areas around Cusco where living conditions are tough and difficult. Unemployment is high and family income is very low. Many cannot afford to send their children to school because they cannot pay school fees. Here you have a lot of opportunities to work and make life a little better for the locals.

Local Partners

Peru project is run in cooperation with a local NGO. The organization has many years of experience in hosting volunteers and can even help with travel in Peru. Thanks to this cooperation, Volunteer travels offer you a well-organized and safe experience as a volunteer. It’s a guaranteed meaningful experience for all those who volunteer and for the local population.

How do I book a trip?

You can book your trip with Volunteer Travels by calling us on (+46) 08-23 93 00 or by booking through our website www.volunteertravels.com by clicking on “Book a trip”. You can also email us on [email protected]. When you have registered yourself we will send you an invoice with a registration fee of £200.00. The registration fee is later incorporated into the trip price and the amount is then deducted from your final invoice. When you have paid the registration fee you are formally registered. You will then receive preparatory information from us in good time to plan your trip.

Your Everyday Life

Orientation

Upon arrival to Cusco you will be met by staff from our partner organisation at the airport. They would also introduce you to your host family. Our partners will also give you an introduction to the various volunteer projects.

Accommodation and Food

All volunteers will be accommodated in local host families. Your accommodation will be arranged in a middle-class family. The standard of the houses there are not the same as the UK or Europe, but you can expect basic needs fulfilled. Houses or apartments in Peru generally have no central heating so it can sometimes be a bit chilly. You would have two meals (breakfast and dinner) with the family every day. Trying new food can be fun and you can try your hand at cooking if you want a change and invite the family to do the same.

About Peru

To travel as a volunteer in Peru is like having two trips in one. You make a trip to an exciting country that has everything: Amazon jungle, Andean mighty peaks, the Pacific with gorgeous beaches and vibrant cities. You also make a historic trip to the great civilizations that flourished in the Andes and then disappeared into the mists of history, leaving behind fascinating relics. Unfortunately, the contrasts are great even on the human level. The gap between rich and poor is huge and the differences between city and country great.

Lima is beautifully situated on the Pacific rim having crackling markets, historical museums and crowds of people intermingled with long beaches and hiking trails that you can easily get to on the weekends. As a volunteer, you work in the poor suburbs and you will be welcomed with open arms!

Practical Information

Flights

Flight tickets are not included in the tour price. You can book your tickets from any local travel agency of your choice.

Your last day is on Friday, after the number of weeks you have chosen to work as a volunteer. If you want to go home right after the end of the project, you should book a trip home for the next day, i.e., Saturday, or Sunday. Be sure to check the arrival and departure on your ticket.

Note When leaving Ecuador, you must pay an airport tax currently at $ 29, not included in the tour price.

Visa

It is the volunteers responsibility to acquire the right visa for the trip. Different visa rules may apply depending on your nationality. Visit the embassy web page of your destination to find out what the visa terms are between your country and that destination.

Insurance

It is your responsibility to make sure that your insurance covers illness, injury and theft whilst you are volunteering. Most travel agency’s sell a travel insurance that is valid for volunteer work, so be sure to enquire about it when booking your flight tickets. Volunteer Travels does however, supply liability insurance and is included in the price. Liability insurance applies to instances when compensation for damages is demanded of you, as a private person, for unintentionally hurting someone or for unintentionally damaging someone else’s property.

Vaccination

You should contact your nearest vaccination centre for any questions regarding vaccinations. They will advise you on which vaccinations are necessary when travelling to Peru.