Volunteer in Peru with Maximo Nivel - Best Rated Projects

Volunteering with Maximo Nivel was amazing! I worked as a medical volunteer during my time in Peru and was blown away by how much healthcare was lacking in many parts of the country. Through the efforts of the volunteer program, these medically underserved populations were given the opportunity to receive the healthcare and health counseling which they otherwise would not have free access to. The entire volunteering experience was extremely enlightening. Furthermore, as a current medical student, the experience provided me with unparalleled clinical experience in that I was able to assist a variety of patients from various age groups who presented with unique complaints. Thus, from this experience, I gained vast insight and skills in the field of healthcare which will follow me for the remainder of my career.
The leadership of the program was also magnificent. The leaders made sure the volunteering efforts ran smoothly with no major hiccups. They guided us through our services and made sure we got the most out of our time in Peru. The entire experience was well organized and lacking in nothing.
In regards to the living situation in Cuzco, all my expectations were exceeded greatly. The host family treated my fellow volunteers and I as members of their own family. From preparing our meals to joyfully greeting us every time they saw us, the host family went above and beyond in making us feel at home in a foreign country.
Overall, my experience with Maximo Nivel is one I will never forget.

I am a Canadian nurse who went to Cusco in November, 2015. I cannot say a bad word about the Maximo Nivel experience. I signed up for a volunteer nursing placement and Maximo handled everyone once there. I was placed 10 minutes walking distance from the office. The accommodations were lovely. I felt safe, cared for, and comfortable. I had 2 room-mates in different volunteer programs and we became close instantly. My first day of placement a physician came to the office and took us by bus to the clinic so that we knew how to get there and back. We were given a full tour of the clinic and introduced to everyone. The Spanish language classes were extremely helpful and a great way to meet people from other programs. The staff were always available for tips and travel suggestions, probably the friendliest group of individuals you'll ever meet. The office is located 5 minutes walking from the plaza des Armes. I worked in health care and my two room mates worked in child care and we all left saying that as much as we helped them, they changed us for the better even more. Cannot praise this company enough.

I was very overwhelmed when first going to Peru. I had never travelled alone let alone to a foreign country for 2 weeks. Maximo nivel eased most of my anxiety the first day there. Everyone was friendly and helpful. They placed me in a wonderful home where I felt safe and was very well taken care of. They offered a tour of the city the first day there and pointed out places I should try. This was really important because it gave me a sense of the city which made me feel more comfortable. It was also a way to bond with some of the other volunteer who months later I still am in touch with. My first day at the orphanage brought some more anxiety as I had no idea what to expect. Luckily I had Kristina. She showed me how to take the public transportation to my placement. She introduced me to the nuns I would be working with and showed me the ropes. My experience at the orphanage was amazing. It opened my eyes to so many things especially the treatment of those with special needs in countries outside of America. I met some amazing children and even more amazing nuns who take care of these kids given the limited number of staffing and supplies. Maximo nivel is definitely a program I would love to work with again! It was a great experience!

I volunteered on the medical campaign with Maximo Nivel for one week and it was a phenomenal experience. The staff and my host mom made sure we were comfortable, safe, and getting the most out of Cusco with recommendations for where to eat, where to go, and what to see during our free time. The campaign itself was eye-opening. The program was set up very well and I feel that I made a difference even with no prior medical training or experience, and minimal Spanish ability. The patients we worked with were so kind and respectful and I am so thankful that Maximo Nivel has set up these programs to help people who really need it. I would highly recommend volunteering through Maximo Nivel.

Maximo Nivel is such a fantastic organization that is incredibly well organized. I volunteered with them for a week in Cusco, Peru for the Medical Campaign group and my accommodations were beautiful. Everything was well planned out so that we could actually help people and use our time wisely. I loved working with all of the families and seeing a new city. I would volunteer through them again in a heartbeat!

Volunteering abroad was something I always hoped to accomplish on my bucket list. Im a social worker by profession and used to work for a county hospital. I love helping others but slowly began to realize just how burntout I had become. I realized I needed a change and something to bring that spark back into my life and bring back that compassion I once had for serving others. I began researching volunteer abroad programs. Once I had applied and got accepted with a volunteer agency, I bravely quit my job. The experience I had with IVHQ and Maximo Nivel was absolutely amazing. I cant pick one thing I liked most about volunteering with them in Cusco Peru because the whole experience was phenomenal. Loved getting to stay with our host family, meet the locals, meet other volunteers, explore the city, learn a new culture, volunteer and give back to the orphan children and all the other adventures we had in peru. It was a once and a lifetime opportunity and I was so grateful for our experience for bringing back that love for life and compassion I had for serving others.

Initially, I had planned to join a construction project in Peru after experiencing a similar project in Argentina. After a day at construction, I felt that my skills could add more value to childcare and after voicing my concerns to the Maximo staff on the same day, they immediately understood and found me a new project which was to begin the very next day.

I spent three weeks working at Kausakusun which was a 'casa' for single mothers that have suffered from domestic abuse. The mothers receive training on a variety of skills and assistance in looking for jobs and homes. Whilst the mothers were busy in the daytime, it was my responsibility to look after 6-8 children, aged between 2 and 14 years.

The staff at Maximo really took their time to explain to me what the project would be like and gave me lots of pointers on activities I could do with the kids. They also gave me access at all times of the day to their arts and crafts cupboard which was full of resources for my disposal. Coming up with different crafts projects each day was a challenge at times but Pinterest helped and the effort was worth it as the children and I had collectively managed to really brighten up the classroom with all of our crafts.

The staff at Maximo were constantly checking in on my experience and took their time to drop by the project at least once a week as well, which I appreciated.

I studied an hour of Spanish a day and cannot begin to express how happy I was with my progression from week 1 to week 3. My confidence in speaking really soared after just 15 hours!

I also really appreciated the fact that Maximo took their time to 'match me' with other students/volunteers that were of a similar age in my homestay. This meant that I could really enjoy my downtime with like-minded individuals that have most defiantly become life-long friends.

Overall, I found Maximo to be incredibly organised and support in all of my endeavours and I'm very excited about working them again on my next project in Costa Rica!

What a rewarding experience! The students in my class, ages ranging from 12 to 60-something, have a desire to learn/improve their English. But they also are sincerely interested in "giving back." Among laughter and good times, they helped me with my Spanish (as well, of course, as my Spanish teacher from Maximo Nivel!) I'll remember this trip for the strong support of the MN staff and the warm-hearted people of Peru...