Projects Abroad Volunteer Programs in Peru

I had a lot of fun during my voluntary work in Peru, I worked at a small school near Cusco in a small town called Calca. It was a quit town but in the neighbor cities there where many things to do and see. Such as Machu Picchu, Cusco city and all the beautiful ruines which where build by the inca's. During the week I worked at the school, I helped the teacher with all daily activities, I also teached english to the children and with lunch I was taking care of all the kids, not always easy since they do not have the same manors as we know most children have in western countries. Then during these weeks I set up a program with another american girl to improve the children behavior by rewarding them for doing things good and behaving like expected. This showed us that we can change a thing and we really helped the teacher with it, now her work is less stressful. During my time in Peru all the teachers in the Cusco region went on strike. So I also did one month of community work. This was fun we painted and cleaned an orphan house for abandoned children together with all the volunteers. We also had play days with the kids from the boys school and showed them a lot of fun things! It was a wonderful experience, I learned spanish, I learned about myself and about what an amazing culture Peru includes. I would advice anyone to go there!

Critical Feedback:

I wished for a spanish course before I went there just small things and sentences which could help me out more in the beginning fase of my period there.

My trip to Peru was one of the most amazing experiences ever. I fell in love with the country and it's people, language, traditions,... My volunteer job, as an english teacher was wonderful and so rewarding. The kids were absolutely adorable, and deserve so much more. But I didn't approve of the Projects Abroad organisation, and was very disappointed in them. They cost a fortune, which is not necessary, so I really wonder where my money went. And they were trying to impose occidental views and ways of learning/living without taking much consideration of the locals point of view and problems. The other volunteers were too ethnocentric, and practically never tried to integrate the local communities or take part in local activities (eat a menu, ceviche, lomo saltado, drink chicha,...), they mainly just stayed together. On my own, I met the most incredible and caring cusquenos, and dream to go back and see them again, and do some volunteer work of my own, because I know there is plenty to do there, and way more to discover.

The Rainforest Conservation project in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest on the banks of the Madre De Dios River was a wonderful experience which I will never forget. Day to day activities included bird-watching from different platforms of varying heights in the Rainforest (the highest being atop the Caopy Bridge which was 42 metres above the ground!), going out on a caiman hunt at night in a boat with other volunteers, collecting butterfly eggs in the Butterfly House, cutting grass with machetes to feed exotic Tapiers and preparing food to feed the different species of monkeys, exotic birds and jaguars in the Animal Kitchen of the Taricaya Ecological Centre's Lodge.

Projects Abroad is great if you have not volunteered abroad before. There is a lot of support in the home office and staying with a family is a really great way to learn the culture. I volunteered at a special needs school and the teachers and the students were wonderful. I prepared activities, which the office can help you with. Peru is a wonderful country to go to and I would recommend it to anyone.

Working with exotic animals was a huge experience to be a part of. Most individuals only see jaguars and monkeys in zoos, but getting to work and feed them firsthand was an amazing oppurtunity.

Some difficulties of living at Taricaya Lodge was the food. The cook serves these huge meals that makes you feel like there trying to make you fat before they eat - the children story Hansel and Gretel. It is similar to food that you would eat at home, but some of the tastes are different because things are locally grown and not shipped as you would get at a grocery store. Taricaya Lodge tells you that they provide water which they do - to an extent. The water is murky brown and upon arriving at the lodge staff warn you of the danger of drinking it and that you can go buy some at Amazon Planet if you are not comfortable which is a ten minute walk away. The people that you are in contact with before your departure to Peru really need to inform you that you need to change money over. Other like myself only changed a little money to Soles(local currency) because we did not believe that we would be leaving the Taricaya to buy anything - we ended up have to drink our water sparingly which in a humid climate is not that healthy.

Taricaya Lodge sets daily routines for everybody that they write on a board every evening. You change activities daily, but the staff will take into account something that an invidividual does not wish to do.My most favourite activity was animal feeding - you prepare all the animals meals and than serve it to them. The monkeys were the funniest to serve because they like to climb on you in their haste to get to the food before everybody else - The baby howler monkey, for example sits on you while she eats.

My only advice is to do everything at least once - your in the Peruvian rainforest, step out of your shell because you only live once and 5 years down the road you'll regret not getting in that cage.