Program Reviews

I have volunteered with the light and leadership initiative on 2 separate occasions about 1 year apart. My experience there both times was amazing. Its very clear every day how much of a positive impact is made on the children and the community as a whole. The organization has truly pure desire to help the people of huaycan. They are very transparent about where your money goes when you pay to be a volunteer and live at the volunteer house. There are no inflated fees and hidden attempt to make profit as in some other organizations.
The people in the community get to know you after a while and frequently say hello and converse with you when you are walking around the neighborhood. Living at the volunteer house is also a great way to have a home base while getting used to exploring different areas of Peru. I made great friends at the volunteer house and we took several trips together to different parts of Peru on our days off. When my time as a volunteer was finished on my first visit, I spent the next month backpacking around Peru and felt very comfortable doing so because I had already spent several months living at the volunteer house in Huaycan and became very accustomed to how to get around and do things in Peru. There is definitely a lot of work involved in being a volunteer. Its not just a vacation, but there is plenty of time to have fun also. If you go with desire to work hard and give your best to helping the children and the community you will likely have, as I did, a life changing experience.

Translated by Go Overseas:

The community of Huaycán has a very interesting history, of which the Initiative of Light and Leadership has begun to be part. It has been 10 years since this NGO has been in the community and over time it has been able to educate children, youth and women in different aspects, empowering them to improve their quality of life and the community.
Being working for a year hand in hand with international, local volunteers and community members has been a wonderful experience. Seeing the impact of educational programs and volunteers in the community is very satisfactory, as well as seeing the growth and development of volunteers from their arrival until their last day is very rewarding, as well as being a great opportunity for cultural exchange.

Original:

La comunidad de Huaycán, tiene una historia muy interesante, de la cual la Iniciativa de Luz y Liderazgo ha comenzado a formar parte. Hace ya 10 años que esta ong está en la comunidad y a lo largo del tiempo ha podido educar en diferentes aspectos a niños, jóvenes y mujeres, empoderándolos para mejorar su calidad de vida y la comunidad.
Estar trabajando durante un año de la mano con voluntarios internacionales, locales y miembros de la comunidad ha sido una experiencia maravillosa. Ver el impacto que tienen los programas educativos y los voluntarios en la comunidad es muy satisfactorio, así como ver el crecimiento y desarrollo de los voluntarios desde su llegada hasta su último día es muy gratificante, además de ser una gran oportunidad de intercambio cultural.

Huaycan is a developing economy whose residents have just as much pride in their homes, families, schools and community as anyone else in a wealthier part of the world. LLI understands this and works directly with the community, lives within the community, and deeply respects those within it, as well as the knowledge they hold. Their love for Huaycan is obvious, as is Huaycan's love for LLI. Volunteering with LLI is a very worthwhile experience for anyone who wants to step outside their bubble and experience what developing economies experience as their citizens work towards improving the lives of themselves, their families, their neighborhoods, and the community at large. If you're brave enough to question whether the world you see is but a subset of the larger world, LLI will help you appreciate how much bigger the world really is.

I worked at a fashion organization near Lima, Peru called Huaywasi. Huaywasi works with 7 local artisans that do different crafts and we support fair wages and education for the woman. At Huaywasi I was a business development intern and I was able to explore all the different aspects that go into running a business. For example I would create social media posts for Instagram or Facebook. I also did a lot of photography and editing for their Shopify website and I learned how to manage the website through Shopify. The team is very small so my opinion and ideas were really appreciated and we all worked well and collaborated together. All of the volunteers are amazing people so it was easy to fit right in and feel comfortable. I would recommend this experience to anyone, even if you are not particularly interested in fashion, this organization has opportunities for everyone to help out.

My time with Huaywasi has been an amazing, joyful experience. I am currently a Fashion Merchandising major at my university and throughout my time in my program I have been leaning towards the sustainable and ethical route in the industry. This program really solidified that sustainability and non-profit is what I want to do in the future. Meeting the artisans and visiting them in their homes and getting to know them personally really allowed me to see what non-profit brands do for their artisans. I was also able to apply my classroom knowledge into the really world workplace. From design to marketing, Huaywasi is a small brand that allows you get an overall perspective of how a brand is run. My input was always heard and validated, plus, it is a really cool experience seeing your ideas help a brand and actually being put into action. I would recommend this to all fashion students who are looking for a once in a lifetime adventure and experience.

I spent 4 months as the Assistant Manager of the Women's Program. With multiple classes a week and many other events going on, I was always busy and was always given work that was relevant to my skill set. The atmosphere at LLI is incredible. Everyone is so supportive, energetic and encouraging and I met some amazing people who I will be very sad to leave behind. The impact of the NGO is positive with measures in place to make sure goals are being met. Also a big thing at LLI is ethical volunteering. They take a lot of time to train people regarding cultural sensitivity and awareness and you can rest assured that your volunteer fees are going towards your room & board and paying local Peruvian staff. I could not recommend LLI highly enough.

So there is a wide array of subjects that can be taught here, which makes the experience so much more than it already is. I study sports back home so I was able to help out in sports classes with kids and even teens. Therefore I learned a lot about how to set up lesson plans, how to structure them, how to communicate with kids and lastly how to conduct a sports lesson.
Another great thing about LLI and the volunteer house is it s a very dynamic environment. You have volunteers coming and going, with different backgrounds and cultures. You get to learn a lot about them and where they are from and everyone gets along really well. Plus on weekends if you re travelling solo you might find other volunteers that you could go do a weekend trip to Huacachina, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu or Paracas. Options are endless and these weekend trips can really make your experience more dynamic and fun.
I would recommend this program because you learn a lot, be it social skills, communication and teaching in fun ways that the kids love.

I spent two months in Huaycan, Peru and these two months were so special. I was working in Detroit, MI at a textile studio and wanted to travel and expand my knowledge on Latin American textile history and current practices. I became interested in textiles partly because I learned about the issues around human rights and the environment. I was interested in Huaywasi because I knew they personally worked with 7 artisan women. Knowing about the hands of the person behind the things we buy is so important and I loved that Huaywasi felt the same way. As the Fashion Design and Business Development Intern I was able to directly work with Huaywasi's artisan partners on designs, but I was also able to gain professional experience with marketing, content planning, and publishing my writing for blog posts. Jill, the current Huaywasi manager, was a blast to work with and made the feeling in the office so bright.

Some things to know about this internship/volunteer position is that you need to be self motivated. You may be working in the office on your own a bit, as well as traveling to Gamarra, the textile district in Lima.

My opinions felt valued in this position and my ideas for content, or designs was taken seriously.

LLI was such a good place to volunteer. Despite my basic level of Spanish, I still was able to do interesting and important work. The teens are so polite and welcoming and are great to have a conversation with. They are also well behaved and seem to enjoy being in classes with you, which makes it a lot easier to teach! The best part was being able to run my own event for the teens on Mental Health and Psychology, as it allowed me to incorporate one of my interests into the work I was doing. The food has been amazing and very accommodating for vegetarians and the accommodation was safe and clean. The other volunteers were all so welcoming, and while I didn't get much chance to travel personally as I was saving money, there was always opportunities to go with the other volunteers to explore Peru! I felt like if I ever needed help with anything I could get it. Thanks for everything!

I volunteered for the Light and Leadership Initiative for one month as an art teacher. The experience was great and really rewarding, leaving me with the desire to continue voluntary work in the future. This organisation allows relative freedom with relation to teaching approach and style within their set guidelines. The result enables teachers to explore creative ways of teaching concepts, without having to follow rigorous and dull curriculums. Overall I had a wonderful time volunteering with the kids at LLI, though the organization is still pretty small, its positive presence within the community and amongst young people is easily noticeable. LLI's values, clear goals and sensitivity to those the organization works with makes it an admirable charity with a lot of potential to create waves in Huaycan!