Teach English to Kids in Peru!

I want to thank The Light and Leadership Initiative for placing education for kids and teens in Huaycán Peru and for letting me be part of the teaching, playing and reading for some time as a volunteer! It is important to me to volunteer in a place where there is a positive impact on the community and I strongly felt and saw it happened with LLI. Children in program and their families get enormous help for their living and education that increases wellbeing in the community. This was reflected in their cheerfulness and happiness, enthusiasm and insights in classroom and in sport field and in participation in many activities and not to mention in encounters when exploring the community.

I was taken good care from very beginning and was given excellent information beforehand and was greeted so warmly. I was given a clear arrival instructions and was taken care on arrival. Orientation was warm and super good. LLI leadership members had always time to talk and advise with warm and unhurried way. They also gave feedback and excellent teaching tips and hints to provide quality teaching and creative and motivating games. Living in a volunteer house gives you safety, new friends, exchanging thoughts with staff members and other volunteers and possibilities to plan your free time together. The safety in a house, trips and classrooms were taking in consideration absolutely well. I was told clearly about program fees which was rather low comparing to some others.

My time at LLI helped me develop professionally more than I expected. With LLI I realized it's not a question me to be good at my work but it's important how students receive my input in teaching or how I pass the joy of motivation and learning. In addition I gained so much by learning new insights myself, improving my knowledge of the culture, following work of Artisans' handcraft and simply sensing a genuine caring of others - both volunteers and people in Huaycán. My favourite part about my volunteer stay was when students had an idea or a new insight how the math problem was resolved in homework hour and when they were describing a story or drawing a picture according a book when reading in a library!

I'm sure you appreciate the opportunity to explore the brilliant web sites of LLI in advance! I miss lively students - everyone has his own personality -, fabulous friends, lovely happenings and delicious food! Happy time, highly recommending volunteering at LLI.

I flew from Madrid (Spain) to Lima and my first expectation was to stay two weeks in Huaycan volunteering in LLI, but after those first two weeks I decided to extend my time here two extra weeks as I felt that my time here had been too short and because the daily work performed by the volunteers had a real positive impact on the community.
I supported some primary positions (English, Art and Reading classes in the Kids Center) and also had time to help before (planning, scheduling...) and also during different events for the teens, such as the Olympics, science events, game shows, movies... I really enjoyed my time here, despite being -unfortunately- so short I tried to make the most of every day and I felt the affection and care not only from kids and teens, but also from the rest of volunteers. It is really like a small family and I am so pleased to have been part of it.
I really recommend everyone to volunteer with LLI, their work supporting Huaycan community is fantastic and they positively impact on kids education and their future development. That is why everyone here -parents and participants- show their gratitude for their time with them, which makes LLI an excellent initiative to invest your time.

I am about three months into a year-long volunteer experience with LLI, and I already feel like I've grown more than I expected to before arriving. Personally, I am learning to be present and enthusiastically engage with people and circumstances totally different from those that I'm used to. And professionally, I am gaining so much from working with LLI! As the Teen Program Manager, I am developing my organizing skills, identifying and working to meet the needs of the community, and having the invaluable opportunity to work with a multi-cultural staff made up of people from various countries. The responsibility given to me could feel overwhelming, but since I've gotten here LLI has done a great job of finding the balance between giving me the space to make mistakes so that I can learn from them and support me along the way. I can't even imagine how much personal and professional growth I will have made after an entire year in this wonderful community with this exceptional NGO.

My experience at LLI is being wonderful. As the manager of the children's program, there are many responsibilities, but also opportunities to learn.
Sometimes it may seem difficult to live and work with the same people all week long, but it is much easier when it comes to people who are so professional and at the same time so valuable. The perfect combination of family, friends and co-workers
Huaycan can be a little overwhelming at first glance, but it is certainly a neighborhood that you can fall in love with easily. Its people, its community, the shops in the street ... everything widens your soul and teaches you something new.

LLI has definitely been one of the best volunteer programs that I have been part of! I really enjoyed my time in Huaycan volunteering because with LLI I felt I was doing something important. The programs really fill a need in the community and volunteers are really needed and appreciated. Huaycan is a good place to really immerse yourself in the peruvian culture and also work with people from all over the world. I got so many new friends and met amazing kids and teens volunteering with LLI. I would totally recommend this program for anyone interested in volunteering in Peru!

My time at LLI was such a dynamic experience. I lived somewhere utterly unique, I gained english teaching skills, I explored Peru and I made life long friends. Best of all, I felt truly a part of the LLI family, that between it's working volunteers and the program participants themselves, made for the most awe inspiring of human environments. My 4 months as an English teacher was not without challenge, and you need to be prepared to work hard, but with the ever enduring support of Lara and the exceptional people you will meet at this NGO, you'll find yourself growing as a person exponentially. On a practical front, the housing is perfectly sufficient, the wifi luxurious, Dina's food is delectable and personal freedom is more than adequate. This is such an interesting corner of the world, and the relationship you forge with not just Huaycan itself, but the kids, the Lima region and broader Peru and your fellow volunteers will stay with you long after you return home.

One of my favorite experiences was when I was socializing with some of the teens in the teen center that LLI created. We were having a karaoke night and the songs we played were a mix of American and Peruvian culture. But everyone enjoyed it all! We were singing in Spanish and in English and having such a great time! Moments like that are so special and enjoyable and I always looked forward to spending time learning about culture and making new friends.

Volunteering with LLI was my first experience volunteering abroad, and it was nothing short of amazing. Although I was only able to stay short-term, I gained so much from my time there. Working with the kids is unbelievably rewarding, and I grew to love and appreciate Huaycan and the Peruvian culture. My fellow volunteers were wonderful humans from all walks of life who each brought something special to the table. From singing songs in English class, to playing soccer with some of the locals, to group dinners in the volunteer house, I cherish every memory from my weeks I spent with LLI. The program is extremely well run and does everything to make you feel comfortable, whether you're staying two weeks or a year. I hope I have a chance to go back in the future.