Location
  • Peru
    • Arequipa
Length
2 to 50 weeks

Program Details

Language
Spanish
Age Min.
18
Age Max
100
Timeframe
Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Host Family Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Starting Price
250
What's Not Included
Accommodation Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Equipment Meals SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa
Mar 11, 2020
Mar 20, 2018
123 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

We are looking for caring and enthusiastic people with a passion for helping others to support at the Casa Hogar New Hope in Arequipa, southern Peru.

The Casa Hogar is a Christian home for boys, girls and teenagers who have been removed from their families due to abandonment or abuse.

Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Gain international experience volunteering in a childrens' home
  • Volunteer your time and skills to help others, from homework help to playing volleyball
  • Improve your Spanish by working closely with the staff and the girls at Casa Hogar
  • Learn about the Peruvian culture and enjoy their delicious cuisine
  • Explore Peru on the weekends

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.75 Rating
based on 20 reviews
  • 5 rating 80%
  • 4 rating 15%
  • 3 rating 5%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.65
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.75
  • Value 4.55
  • Safety 4.8
Showing 9 - 16 of 20 reviews
Line
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

“Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress”.

I spent two unforgettable months volunteering at the Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte girls’ home in the outsides of Arequipa, and as an intern at Volunteers Peru‘s office in Cruz Verde in the center of Arequipa. As an intern, I assisted the manager, Eva Paterson, in various administrative tasks at the office during the morning. These tasks primarily included marketing tasks; promoting and creating better awareness of the organization. In the afternoon I worked as a volunteer at the girls’ home, where I mainly helped out the girls with their domestic tasks and homework . Other tasks included organizing activities and games with the girls and to create a safe and stable environment for the girls at their home.

The Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte is a loving place, where the girls’ are treated well and feel safe. As a volunteer you feel like being part of the small family.

Not every day is alike and not all days are easy at the girls´ home. The girls come from a very different environment and they all carry heavy experiences with them. In other words, there are ups and downs. It is not easy not to get attached to the girls and get a special bond with them, but it is very important to try to keep it professional and take good care of your own feelings while volunteering. If not, it can be quite heavy emotionally. Moreover it is important that you are able to take initiative on your own, since no one is really “guiding” you at the girls’ home. You go on your own and take action on your own. Show initiative and motivation – and the girls will follow.

Volunteers Peru is a small NGO and you therefore become close with everyone involved rather fast. During my first weeks, we were only two volunteers at the project, but during my last weeks we were four volunteers. You easily get new friendships with the other volunteers with whom you can hang out with during your free time.
Moreover, I really enjoyed living in the beautiful city of Arequipa and in general I felt safe in the city. Just take precautions, take care of yourself and use common sense.
As a volunteer you have plenty of time to enjoy and discover the city, due to the fact that you only work part time Monday to Friday. I decided to spent my mornings learning Quechua before going to the office in order to get the most out of my stay.

I highly appreciated the preparation material from Volunteers Peru and the good and fast communication with the manager, Eva Paterson. Any volunteer should read the material and if any questions or in doubt, contact Eva, who has years of experience in Peru and is more than happy to help out.

My experience as a volunteer and as an intern at Volunteers Peru made me grow both personally as well as professionally.
“The best way to find your self is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

36 people found this review helpful.
Mara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience at Casa Hogar

I spend 4 weeks in Arequipa volunteering at Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte with the organization Volunteers Peru. Every day i spent like 5 hours in the house with the girls. Somedays i choose to go in the afternoon with the younger girls (3 -11 years old) where i used to help them with their homework, with the cleaning of the house, and then there was always time for playing! In the morning with the older girls (12-18 years old) i used to help them with their maths and english homework.

Casa Hogar is a really nice place, the girls there are very well treated and as a volunteer you try to help them and give them as much love as possible as it is what they are really missing because of being away from their families.
The girls are very thankful and they give so much love to all the volunteers. As a volunteer you get to know them really well and you create kind of a big sister/brother relationship which is very nice!

About the organization, Volunteers Peru, i can say that it is very well organized and Eva, the project manager, is very nice and looking forward to help you with everything.

During my stay i coincided with other volunteers which was also great as we became very good friends while sharing this incredible experience.

I definitely recommend Volunteers Peru, for anyone looking for a volunteering experience abroad!!!! :)

37 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emilee
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte - Arequipa

Having spent 7 months working for Volunteers Peru with the girls at the Torre Fuerte Home, it seems almost impossible to describe how incredible of an experience this really was for me. There were many days filled with jokes, laughter, piggy-back rides, games in the courtyard, turns on the swings, homework happily completed and chores willingly done. But there were also times of great challenge. And I think that might be the most important thing for any potential volunteer to know - that because these precious little ladies have come from such tumultuous situations in life, there are bound to be moments and even entire days in which they will test the very fiber of your being with their sometimes unpredictable behavior. But the days and the moments in which you can share a laugh, a smile, a victory, big or small, a hug, a high five, a sweet story or even a cuddle will be much more frequent, and will instantly turn your heart to mush. From the moment you walk through the door and they call you hermana to the moment they beg you not to go, and demand to know when you will be back, you will likely find yourself as smitten as I was.
Devote at least 4 weeks, if you can. Give yourself a chance to really get to know these girls and ample opportunity to love on them. It's a decision you will not regret and you may find yourself a bit different of a person when you leave. :)

40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Britta
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great volunteering experience!

I spent 4 unforgettable weeks working for Volunteers Peru at the Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte Girls' Home. The Casa Hogar is a great institution giving home to girls aged from 3 to 17. As a volunteer you will mainly work in the afternoons and thus, spend more time with the younger girls as the older ones have classes until the late afternoon or early evening. The girls are welcoming you in a lovely way, taking you by the hand the moment you arrive at the Casa Hogar and asking you to play with them. This gives you an easy start and is a great experience especially if you are planning to only stay for some weeks and not several months. During holidays we played a lot with the girls and often brought some nice games or puzzles from our office. Eva as the current project manager of Volunteers Peru is very helpful and whenever you have a good idea of what could be done with or for the girls she is more than willing to help you with the realization.

I also really enjoyed living in Arequipa and you can use the mornings and weekends to explore the beautiful city or go on trips. Working for Volunteers Peru means to be part of a great team and spending time with other motivated volunteers at the project. I highly appreciated the great preparation I got before I came to Peru by receiving a pre-departure guide and being able to ask Eva as many questions as I had. I can only recommend Volunteers Peru as a great NGO and the Casa Hogar as a valuable project that is more than worth to spend your time with.

40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Danielle
3/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Good experience if not slightly uncomfortable at times

I worked at Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte for about two weeks; this is a very short time and because the girls are very accustomed to people coming and going, I don't think this was the proper amount of time to fully bond with the girls and feel like I was an integral part of the project. I would suggest participating for at 4+ weeks. The girls have various social, mental and sometimes developmental issues which I don't think I was fully prepared for either. I wouldn't recommend this project to anyone with thin skin or who genuinely isn't interested in helping girls. This project is also run by a very conservative religious organization which might be a problem for those with more secular lifestyles.

What would you improve about this program?
Perhaps better preparation and training as to how the girls truly behave and act around the volunteers.
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Stephanie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful Girls Home With KInd and Caring Staff

I volunteered at the Torre Fuerte Girls' Home last year and the experience was wonderful. All the girls were amazing to work with and the staff was very helpful in creating a memorable experience in Arequipa. My last day of the program coincided with one of the girls' birthday parties at the home and I felt completely overwhelmed with joy to be a part of it that day. I would definitely recommend this program and do it again in a heartbeat.

What would you improve about this program?
We were there for a week when the school was shut down so it's hard to say because the schedule was very different than it otherwise would have been.
42 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Judith
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a lifetime

It was an experience of a lifetime. You get to discover the beautiful Peru and at the same time really feel like you're making a difference for the girls. You're also practicing your Spanish in a fun and useful way. I would seriously recommend this to everyone ! The staff is great, you feel really at home and you get to discover an amazing country and meet amazing people !

42 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Grant
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great, short stay

I stayed at Casa Hogar for a week last year. Because of my short stay, I was limited to doing tasks helping out in the actual home, which was good for both me and the girls that live there. I felt useful and maximized the short amount of time that I could work. I was so happy to help so that the long term program volunteers on their actual goals: providing a better environment for the girls.

What would you improve about this program?
I can't say any improvements would help or hurt since I was only there for a short time.
35 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

We usually require an intermediate level of the language. Volunteers need to interact in Spanish with the girls at Torre Fuerte and basic knowledge of Spanish is not enough to achieve meaningful interaction.

Yes. Volunteers Peru requires that all who volunteer with us be at least 18 years old by the time they arrive in Peru.