Peru: Children of the Andes with Discover Corps

My family (me, my husband, and 3 kids ages 17, 14, and 11) took a 2-week trip to Peru in August and used Discover Corps to organize several days of service while we were there. It was an incredible experience that we will never forget, and one of the highlights of our entire trip. Miguel, our host and guide, was so informative and kind and made us feel like family. We loved spending time with him and the children in the community -- doing arts and crafts, flying kites, eating meals, and teaching them English. We also got to visit an orphanage and a local NGO where women produce dolls that are sold around the world. It gave us an incredible perspective on the country and our lives as well. When my daughter sprained her ankle, Miguel took us to the clinic in the main city, and we got excellent and expeditious care. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. It was just what we wanted, and I highly recommend this trip and the organization.

The experience of volunteering in the community while staying with a local knowledgeable guide who is well connected in the community is priceless and totally unforgettable. I highly recommend it to any family or group of friends that want to have an experience of a lifetime. You’ll meet new lifetime friends and make a difference in kids lives. Excursions to various points of interest were thoughtful and well managed. Bring your hiking boots have a fantastic time!

I was the first to arrive so stayed at our host's family home. His family was very friendly and accommodating. As I got to know them over the days there, I found them to be very interested in trying to improve the lives of the people, especially for the children, in the community where homebase was located. I went over Christmas because I wanted to experience Christmas in another country. My first evening in Cusco we saw several churches and Nativity Scenes. The next day we went to Homebase. Our host had the children come to us there at homebase so we could interact and teach English in a relaxed setting. We were invited to a baptism and then invited to the family's home for a meal, which I found meaningful. Our host was very accommodating to us, frequently changing schedules based on circumstances and our limitations (I had trouble adjusting to the altitude). This was my first trip to Peru, so everything was new and exciting to me. I do plan to return to visit my "Peruvian family" again.

The trip to Peru was fantastic. I travelled with my 11 year old daughter and we both loved the experience. Our local hosts could not have been more welcoming, making us feel a part of the family from the minute we arrived until our last hugs at the airport. We stayed in their family home in Andahuaylilas which was magnificent and just around the corner from their home in Cusco so home cooked local fare meals were the norm for the trip. Our volunteer project centered around teaching English to children ages 8-15. The kids were on holiday the week we were there so it was as much camp as school and I am not sure who had more fun, them or us. Teaching conversational English rounded out just spending time together and getting to know each other. The trip to an orphanage was nearly as inspiring as the Andes themselves. We were guests in homes of local women who work in a doll “factory” with an affiliated preschool.

The experience was rounded out with the trip to Machu Picchu and other historic sites. The trip was a perfect mix of a little touring and a lot of local living. I hope to get the chance to travel with DiscoverCorps again and to make it back to Peru to visit our new extended family.

Upon arrival to Cusco I felt fully embraced by the host family. They welcomed us into their family and home. We immediately became immersed into the Peruvian culture, from the poorest of people to those who are working to make Peru a better place for its citizens. We managed to cover a great amount of territory in just two weeks time. Our host family made sure we saw all of the sites and never left our side without making sure we were taken care of.

I felt like we were embraced by the host family as part of their family circle. Our days were a mix of exploring cultural heritage sites like Saxay Waman and Machu Pichu, learning doll making skills and visiting a doll making factory project where the owners goal is to empower local women to make a living for themselves and their children. Profits of the project are used to grow the project and build a school for the children of the workers and the local community. We learned to bake bread with the family's grandmother. We hiked up the steep side of a mountain cliff with a local Shaman to make an offering to the mountain. The ceremony involved a bon fire to burn our offerings, giving the mountain an entire bottle of good wine! and then a sweet offering. Since we were all from the US, the Shaman chose Coca Cola! Even a Shaman can have a sense of humor. The size of our group was small, 5 of us; and that was perfect for this immersion journey of the heart and spirit. Each one of us left with a full heart and memories for a lifetime. One of the best experiences ever!

Discover Corps Peru was a great program which went far beyond our expectations. It offered the unique combination of doing a service project in the community, lots interaction with the local people, as well as seeing some beautiful tourist sites, such as the famous Machu Picchu, Inca ruins around Cusco, beautiful cathedrals and

It took us off the beaten track to places not often seen in many overseas programs, such as walking up a mountain with a shaman to make an offering at an altar to Mother Earth, visiting an orphanage, or seeing the Q'ewar Project that empowers women through making dolls sold all over the world. The proceeds are used to fund and build a Waldorf School for local children.

Our hosts Miguel and Julio and their family were wonderful--flexible, accommodating and supportive.