Peru Youth Outreach Volunteers

By choosing to become a Peru volunteer, you’ll be working with children and young people from a wide variety of backgrounds in one of a number of different placements in the lively town of Cusco, near the world famous Machu Picchu.

Our fantastic in-country team will place you at one of the following projects, all of which are based within Cusco and either within a bus ride or walking distance from your volunteer accommodation.

Orphanage: A wonderful place that cares for children that have been abandoned or abused by their parents and have nowhere else to go. Wherever possible, the staff from the orphanage will work with the families of the children in their care, with the intention of one day being able to reunite the families and give them a happy ending; in some cases this will not be possible but they will always try if there is a chance. The aim of the orphanage is to help heal broken lives as well as equipping the children with a range of skills that will enable them to earn a living – giving them a fighting chance to free themselves from the poverty trap and build a brighter future. Whatever skills and enthusiasm you have will find an outlet in this environment.

Kindergarten – Day Care: A fantastically rewarding volunteer project based in the day care centres of Cusco, providing care to children from disadvantaged families. The centres provide a safe haven for young children, typically aged between 3 and 5 years, during the day whilst their parents are at work trying to earn a living. You’ll be doing lots of fun activities with the children including playing games, dancing, singing, arts and crafts and sports, as well as helping out with basic lessons, homework and even helping them to tie their own shoe-laces.

Teaching: Based in a small school which was set up to provide a basic education for children from disadvantaged families in the Cusco area; it currently has approximately 55 children, aged between 4 and 13 years under its care. This project gives you the opportunity to really help make a difference to the futures of these wonderful children, through helping out with homework, giving lessons to the older children, playtime, assisting with lunch times and arranging some fun activities and games.

Youth Rehabilitation: This really is a unique project and opportunity in Peru which gives young people, who for various reasons are no longer living with their parents, a second chance in life. The young people at the centres are generally aged between 12 and 20 years with many having been in trouble with the law. These fantastic centres are helping to get them back on the straight and narrow, giving them an education, vocational skills and a lot of support and care to help with their rehabilitation and re-integration into society. 

Your role will vary considerably depending on which project you are placed with. However your role will normally be there to assist the staff at the centres who are completely over-stretched and have only limited resources, with the day to day running and activities of the project. You’ll be giving vital support and care to some of the children and young people in the Cusco area who are most in need. New ideas and creativity are always welcomed with open arms, so feel free to get those creative juices flowing! 

To help you get the most out of your Peru volunteering experience, you’ll receive 10 hours of Spanish language lessons depending on your level of Spanish at the beginning of the programme. During your orientation at the beginning of your programme, you’ll be asked to take a written and spoken test with the local coordinators so that they can grade your level of Spanish. If you have less than an intermediate level of Spanish, then you will be given five two-hour language lessons during your first or second week at the programme, normally in the afternoons. This is a great way to really help you with your language skills and allow you to make the most of your time away and your volunteer experience in Peru.

For those who are already of an intermediate or higher level of Spanish, you won’t be required to participate in the language lessons. Instead you will be able to spend the additional time during your first week at your volunteer project.
 

Your days of volunteering in Peru will revolve around the needs and schedules of the particular project that you are placed with, but will normally be based around a typical school day. Some projects operate in the morning or afternoon only, whereas some operate all day; on some projects there may also be the option to spend extra time helping out, but this is determined the individual centre, care home or school that you are placed with. A laid back and flexible approach is a must in Peru, things may not happen right on time as you are used to back home, so it is important to just go with the flow as this is all part of Peru’s charm.

Why not extend your time in Peru and tag on our 4 week Peru Experience and explore more of what this enchanting, mystical and incredibly friendly country has to offer. Most famous for its Inca heritage and fascinating history, there is so much to experience in this amazing country, it’s impossible to see it all in one trip but you can experience some of the true highlights in our Peru Experience – spend 4 weeks exploring Peru as well as having the opportunity to give something back and lend a hand at our wonderful community projects in the vibrant town of Cusco!

For more details on the Peru Experience, follow the link below:

Peru Experience