Program Reviews

Me parece que en mi caso, mi programa ubicado en Anta estaba demaseado lejos para ir y volver cada día... Además, costó un poco que los profesionales del hospital nos adaptaran a la rutina, por no decir que no nos dejaron participar las enfermeras en cosas tan simples cómo limpiar heridas, cosa que una estudiante de 4o esta capacitado! Por otra parte, muchas enfermeras y doctores fueron muy amables y nos dejaban hacer cosas!

I volunteered in a kindergarten in Cusco for two weeks. The experience I had was absolutely amazing. The people at the kindergarten were great and I loved working there and I met many new friends from all over the world. Eventhough I was there to volunteer, I still got to see a lot of the city and go on many fun daytours. My host family, the other volunteers and the staff of Volunteering Solutions were all very welcoming and made my trip even better!

El programa, aunque corto porque el horario es muy reducido, ha cumplido mis expectativas. El contraste cultural ha sido importante pero he realizado muy a gusto mi tarea, ha sido muy gratificante. Quizá en el programa de kindergarden, la profesora podría compartir su programación con los voluntarios.
Tanto el personal del programa como la familia anfitriona han sido muy acogoderes y me han brindado todo su soporte. Vivir en comunidad tan amplia a veces es un poco complicado pero también enriquece la experiencia.

I had an absolutely amazing time volunteering for 4 weeks teaching English in a secondary school. The accomodation and food was great and I loved every moment I spent with my host family and getting to know the other volunteers. My project, although a bit challenging and nervewracking at the start, was so much fun and such a great idea of what it’s like to be a teacher. I really enjoyed it and was very sad to leave! It was also great to have all the afternoons and weekends off to travel in and around Cusco and go into the centre with friends in free time - we did so much and were always busy.
It was such an amazing 4 weeks and I feel like I have a second family in Peru as well as many very memorable experiences :) Definitely recommend it; welcoming lovely family, delcious food, organised, safe, loads to do in Cusco and great fun.

I reallly love the host family that I am staying with. The clinic is a little run down, not many things work but for what we do do, it great. I love helping the people of Cusco. Also, the other volunteers are great this shows good quality in the program. I will tell all my friends about this and maybe they will do it also. I hope to reconnect with this host family in the future, they have been nothing but great. Loving every second.

The the healthcare program in Peru is an excellent way to engulf yourself in another culture and build upon your own healthcare skills and learn new ones. Living with a host family really helped me settle in and feel at home in Cusco and the other volunteers were great. The staff are friendly and easily contactable if you have any problems, the clinic staff love having new faces to talk to and teach. Overall an excellent program that is affordable and worth the trip wherever you decide to go.

First, my host mum Edith is one of the kindest and funniest people I've ever met. I lived in her home well fed with great food cooked by her and her maid, and I slept comfortably in a decent size room with warm blankets. Second, I had the pleasure to work with deaf children from the age of 3 - 8 at San Martin school of disability. The kids are crazy energetic. It was tiring work, and sometimes I do feel like quitting. But I learned to be patient and this would not have been possible if it wasn't for the love I have for the kids. They might be a crazy bunch, but they are so full of compassion and intelligence I just couldn't help but fell in love with them all. Last, Volunteering Solutions is incredibly fast at answering emails. One of their staffs here in Peru, Kelly, is great. She showed us around the center of Cusco and informed us about the bus system, restaurants we should eat at and food that we should avoid.
Overall, this is probably one of the most fun I have had. The program allows us a lot of free time to enjoy and explore Cusco. But this awesome experience wouldn't have been possible without my fellow volunteers. I was able to meet people from Germany, Italy, UK and America (from 4 different states) - bare in mind that there were 9 volunteers living in the same host family as I am.

My experience as a volunteer in Peru was truly amazing. From the second i stepped foot into Cusco and the school I felt safe and welcomed. I enjoyed helping the staff and the children as well as the traveling to get to know the surroundings and the culture of Cusco. With time I was given more resposibilities and I realized that we can actually make an impact in the life of the students.
The host family was great. Very nice and helpful people who stand by your side whenever you need them. My favorite part about Peru was the close proximity to locals and the variety of tasty food offered to us.

I felt very safe with the staff and the people here. I do wish that it was more guided in terms of transportation as we were unaware that speaking Spanish was basically a necessity, but after the first few days we got the hang of it and I quite liked the independence of the program. Our program leader Kelly had to take me to the hospital at one point, and I have never felt more cared for. The staff, other volunteers, and our lovely host mom made us feel very accepted and welcomed. It was a wonderful experience and very affordable for me as a student looking to help without money.

Most of my notes were made on my sheet where I reviewed each week, so I will try to keep this brief. The trip was amazing. For the price, I can't believe what we all got. Stay, food, and the trip included. It is great. We had so much fun. The kids were a handful but were still so amazing. I am going to miss them and hope that one day I can see them again. There were some days where they would spit on me and hit me, and some days where they would sit there and rest their head on my shoulder. Each day I never knew what to expect and I loved it. I felt like I built such a good relationship with them and when I was leaving they wouldn't stop giving me hugs. In all honesty I was nervous and not overly excited to work with kindergarten students just because I know how they can be, but by the end of the program I found myself wanting to stay longer. This program has made me want to do so much more in my community and makes me want to make more of an impact at home.

As for the after volunteer hours, my girlfriend and I had an amazing time. I was able to try Alpaca, guinea pig, lamb, and octopus. I enjoyed it all. The restaurants are amazing and all speak fairly decent english. We also got to experience some nice massages for really good prices. Everything here is priced very well and getting by is a lot easier without speaking spanish than I would've thought. Everything in this country is amazing and I want to come back one day.