Best trip ever! 1000% recommend. I love Jenny. I had so much fun and ate the best food ever and saw so many cool things. I volunteered in a hospital and had a blast and drew blood and took vitals and spoke Spanish. I didn’t need to be fluent in Spanish so that’s nice. I’m going to go again because I loved this program and my host family was super nice. We had the best people to stay with and they made us the best food and snacks. The tea is super good and the views are insanely cool. I like the transportation too.

Volunteering, Sol facilitated a meeting before our 1-week trip to Cusco of 3 moms & 17 yo sons, where we specified we wanted a private Machu Picchu tour. Jenny is the site coordinator and made herself available to meet virtually, where she answered dozens of questions. Jenny picked us up from the airport & took us to the host family, Elizabeth & Carla, who were very hospitable. We felt we made an impact working with these kids. Jenny accompanied us on our trip to Machu Picchu & it was a neat personal touch with breathtaking views! The host bedroom was clear, but cold showers in a shared bathroom. Peru doesn’t allow TP in the toilet, which was the biggest adjustment.

En mi caso, he estado 4 semanas en el Centro de Salud de San Sebastián (Cusco). En general la experiencia en el proyecto ha sido absolutamente maravillosa. Desde el primer momento hemos estado arropadas y protegidas. Mención especial a la familia con la que nos hemos alojado, el trato ha sido absolutamente excepcional. Han estado pendientes de los voluntarios en todo momento. Dejamos un trocito del corazón en Cusco. También ha sido muy enriquecedor poder compartir alojamiento y experiencia con otros voluntarios de otros países.

Cusco es además un lugar excepcional para visitar y poder hacer turismo los fines de semanas. En el centro de salud también se ha apreciado mucho nuestro trabajo.

English version:
In my case, I have spent 4 weeks at the San Sebastián Health Center (Cusco). Overall the experience on the project has been absolutely wonderful. From the first moment, we have been covered and protected. Special mention to the family we stayed with, the treatment has been absolutely exceptional. They have been attentive to the volunteers at all times. We left a piece of our heart in Cusco. It has also been very enriching to be able to share accommodation and experience with other volunteers from other countries.

Cusco is also an exceptional place to visit and go sightseeing on the weekends, and our work has also been greatly appreciated at the health center.

Ho partecipato ad un programma di volontariato in Perù, a Cusco. È stata un’ottima esperienza, la consiglio a tutti coloro che vogliono mettersi in gioco e vivere un’esperienza completamente diversa dal quotidiano. È stata una bellissima esperienza anche perché riesci ad entrare in contatto con la cultura locale perché siamo accolti in una famiglia, sarà un’opportunità per conoscere da vicino la cultura, i piatti tipici… la cucina peruviana è ottima, ho provato piatti buonissimi!!
Inoltre ci sono un sacco di posti da visitare e da scoprire, il Perù è un paese molto bello e ricco di storia. Cusco è il cuore dell’impero Inca, durante i fine settimana ci saranno tante occasioni per scoprire il paese.

English:
I participated in a volunteer program in Cusco, Peru. It was an excellent experience, I recommend it to all those who want to get involved and live a completely different experience from everyday life. It was a wonderful experience also because you are able to come into contact with the local culture because we are welcomed into a family, it will be an opportunity to get to know the culture, the typical dishes up close... the Peruvian cuisine is excellent, I tried delicious dishes!!
Furthermore, there are a lot of places to visit and discover, Peru is a very beautiful country rich in history. Cusco is the heart of the Inca empire, during the weekends there will be many opportunities to discover the country.

It was a very grateful experience. I’m so so happy to decided to travel to Peru, to know Cusco, which is a beautiful city, and to work with children. I thank VS for the opportunity and the family that welcomed me and made me part of it. I carry them all in my heart. Whoever has the chance to go, don’t hesitate because it has been a great experience. VS has many projects for all kinds of preferences and needs. Each person can choose what they are most passionate about and they really end up being moments that make one a better person.

The company only cares about the money you pay but not about the real human exchange that is the most amazing thing in any volunteer opportunity. Until you pay they are super nice, after it, anything you request does not count. The program says I would have tours on weekends so I would go to the project with kids in the week but they decided to buy a tour in a Thursday without consulting me and so I found out when I arrived in the country and didn’t give me any option for a change since it was booked already. So, what is the problem to miss a day with the kids? For them really didn’t seem an issue but the name of the company is volunteering solutions so I thought it would come in first place. The headquarter of the company is not friendly, the local people in Peru that supports the program, the best ones you will find but unfortunately they don’t make the rules.

I had an amazing time in Cusco volunteering in the Escuela Católica del Pacifico. I had a wonderful relationship with the English teacher and it was such a rewarding experience. The students were so sweet and we had such a good time using our English.

In addition to having a wonderful time teaching, I had an amazing family who treated me like one of their own. My mother was an amazing cook! I will always have a second family in Cusco.

I also had time to visit many of the historic areas, two fun zoos/animal sanctuaries, Machu Picchu and more. It was amazing!

Fiquei 1 mês e 3 semanas viajando. Desse tempo, 6 semanas foram no Peru, e 4 pelo programa. Então posso dizer que pude conhecer a fundo a cultura e a cidade. Também posso dizer que do tempo que estive viajando por conta e de quando iniciou o programa, mudou muito minha experiência. Com o programa tive a oportunidade de conhecer muitas pessoas, amigos e a querida host family. Conhecer culturas e pessoas diferentes de todo mundo foi mágico. Temos tempo de sobra para turistar. Com relação ao programa médico, posso dizer que depende muito da si mesmo, sua força de vontade, interesse, conhecer o idioma e o serviço/médico com quem trabalha. No início me senti um pouco perdida, mas aos poucos fui conversando e procurando pessoas do serviço que estivessem disponíveis e interessados para eu acompanhá-los.
No geral, posso dizer que foi memorável conhecer outra cultura tão próxima e ao mesmo tempo tão diferente da minha.