Why should you volunteer in Peru?

The ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines make traces of ancient culture visible to us. The breathtaking panorama of the Colca Canyon and the stunning nature in the Amazon National Parks, such as the Manú, leave every visitor amazed. Life in cities like Cusco, Lima or Arequipa is a life between tradition and modernity, between typical markets and modern shopping malls, between managers and shoemakers. During a volunteer service in Peru, you can immerse yourself in this interesting and diverse local life, deepen your knowledge of Spanish and gain a great deal of intercultural skills.

In larger cities you can visit sights such as churches or museums, go to the cinema, theater or concerts. Every town has typical markets selling exotic fruit and vegetables as well as handmade souvenirs - be it the Alpaca pullover or the colorful scarves and blankets. One quickly forgets the time while strolling through the market and marveling at the variety and colorfulness of the range of busy dealers.

The Peruvians are kind and hospitable people! Sometimes, especially in the highlands, people may be more reserved or shy, but living in Peru as a volunteer gives enough time to get to know each other and build mutual trust. Take this opportunity to learn as much as possible about your host country and its people.

What do I get as a Volunteer in Peru?

If your dream is to volunteer abroad, Peru offers you the opportunity to make this dream a reality. As a volunteer in Peru, you can help in projects where your help will have a great impact. Many non-profit organizations in Peru depend on volunteers from abroad to keep their charitable projects alive. A voluntary service abroad is in any case a meaningful work experience abroad, regardless of the project in which you ultimately work as a volunteer. Both a commitment to children, sick people or indigenous communities as well as animal or conservation projects offer you the chance to volunteer, to do good and gain valuable experience abroad.

As a volunteer in Peru, you also gain intercultural experience. The contact with the locals brings you closer to their way of life and, the cooperation in the often international teams of volunteers from different countries, makes you fit for the later working life in our globalized world. Certainly you will excel with your CV among other applicants, if you can already prove work experience as a young person abroad!

Volunteer travel not only lets you mature and grow personally, it also gives you the opportunity to get to know another country. In your home country, you would never get so close to the culture of the people in Peru nor would you have the opportunity to get in touch with people from different social strata. Such a cross-cultural exchange is absolutely enriching, and the memories will be with you throughout your life.

What Volunteer Projects are available in Peru?

Volunteer travel in Peru can be done in a variety of areas. Most of the projects are social projects with children. But there are also volunteer projects in the health sector, where you help in the care of the sick and people with disabilities. Our volunteer environmental projects support the efforts of local organizations to increase awareness of environmental issues and environmental protection. Helping with animal welfare projects in Peru is also a great way to give back to society protecting our fragile wildlife and endangered species.

Of course, with such a large selection of volunteer projects offered in Peru, it is not easy to decide which project to support. To help you with your decision, we advise you to think about a few things and answer the following questions before deciding on a project.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you interested in? Do you have special skills? Do you want to work with people or animals? Want to help children, the elderly or people with disabilities? Do you prefer to be in a city or in nature? Can you imagine living in remote areas? Do you want to live by the sea or do you prefer to live in the mountains, or even the jungle? The answers to all these questions will help you to find the right project for you. Of course we will also advise you. Please contact one of our experienced staff.

To help you with your decision, you will also find detailed information on each project on our homepage. The detailed program description includes not only the tasks and activities but also important information about the respective voluntary service. You can compare your ideas with the details of the volunteer project and see if the project suits you.

Where are the Volunteer Organizations in Peru located?

Our volunteer projects in Peru are spread all over the country. The projects with children are located mainly in or around major cities in the Andean highlands, such as Cusco or Huancayo. The climate in the Andean highlands is usually very pleasant, although it can be very cold there at night, but there are pleasant temperatures during the day and it is usually sunny. Animal welfare projects can be found in the Andean highlands as well as in the Amazon jungle. The jungle is a fascinating world of its own with indescribable biodiversity. It is definitely a very special experience to be able to live and work there. Our environmental projects in and around Cusco give you the opportunity to get to know this beautiful area better.

From Cusco, where many of our project locations are, it's not far to Peru's best-known attractions. For a trip to Machu Picchu, Cusco is the perfect starting point, as many tours to this famous Inca city start in Cusco. But also, for trips to the Nazca Lines or to Arequipa Cusco can serve as a starting point, as from here buses and tours in the southern parts of the country start.

Do I need Spanish skills to become a Volunteer in Peru?

English skills is an important requirement for any stay abroad, but when traveling to or staying in South America for a longer period of time, you should also be able to communicate in Spanish. We advice to have at least basic knowledge. Although you will probably be able to talk in English with other volunteers without any problems, the local people do not speak English.

Language is also an important means of gaining access to people's culture and way of life. So, if you want to take out as much as possible of your stay in Peru, we suggest that you take a Spanish language course in Peru. If you already have some previous knowledge, you will probably need two weeks of language course to get settled in your host country. If you start from scratch you should plan about 4 weeks to reach a level where you can communicate with the local people in most situations without any problems.

We offer Spanish language courses for all levels in the following cities in Peru:

• Study Spanish in Lima
• Study Spanish in Cusco