Volunteer in Peru

Volunteers interested in Community Development can participate in the following projects:

Eco Build Experience – Cajamarca

Help improve living standards for local families by providing eco friendly maintenance, renovation or construction of their mud homes and community facilities. Even if you have never built anything before, you can learn, as you participate in our program which will use eco friendly Tapial or Rammed Earth construction methods. This green building project is good for the environment and good for the people who will get to use it. You’ll immerse yourself in Peruvian culture in a very unique way!

Life for women and children in Perú is harsh and oftentimes they can barely afford daily expenses, so it is common for them to accept basic and or unhealthy living conditions such as open cooking fires, cold water showers an unsafe living conditions. This is also reflected into the communal areas such as schools, churches, clinics and common facilities.

By providing materials and helping them to repair, renovate or build their traditional Tapial mud homes or communal facilities, and using the donated labour from our participants, we are able to assist the community to achieve this aim.

Our program aims to revive traditional mud home construction, and to spread awareness of its benefits. Besides the unique look and feel, mud houses preserve warmth and cooling much more effectively than their modern concrete counterparts, and they are more appropriate for the Peruvian weather.

Programs from May to October offer the most opportunity for direct involvement with construction of mud house projects. November to April is the rainy season, which means volunteers will assist with restoration and indoor construction in the communal areas, such as schools, churches, health care facilities and community centers.

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Archaeology – Cajamarca

The rural village where our headquarters is located is right next to the Apu Callac Puma, a 3,200 mts above sea level majestic mountain full of hidden archaeological mysteries. This is a great opportunity to participate in the work that local and international archaeologists do here! Be prepared to discover and study artifacts, architecture, and works of art, as well as animal bones and remains from the time of the earliest hunter gatherers and other prehistoric peoples. Your skills will be used to help us consolidate not only the millenary and Pre-Columbian identity, but also raising social self-esteem through the rational use of cultural heritage.

Experience in archaeology is required. There is an additional fee of $40 per week for this project.

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Volunteers interested in Environmental Conservation can choose between the following projects:

Environmental Conservation

Volunteers work with nonprofit organizations on a variety of initiatives that focus on conservation and sustainable development.

Additional details about the specific project will be released soon, so check back or contact us for more information.

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Surfing & Beach Cleaning – Chiclayo

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Volunteers in health education help to increase public knowledge about diseases and their prevention.

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Volunteers interested in Teaching can participate in the following projects:

After School Teaching Experience – Cajamarca

Help kindergarten and primary school kids who attend our after school program in remote rural communities of Northern Peru!

As a volunteer, you will help students to complete homework and build learning skills in a variety of subjects including English, math, reading and comprehension. Our local team of teachers will help with preparation of lessons, and you might teach alone or alongside other international volunteers like yourself as a team.

You can expect to spend 4 hours each weekday at the after school program from 2-6pm, giving you free time in the mornings and evenings after dinner to explore and enjoy your time in Peru.

There is an additional fee of $40 per week for this project.

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Volunteers interested in Wildlife Conservation can participate in the following projects:

Endangered Animal Sanctuary – Lambayeque, Chiclayo

Improve the lives of endangered species native to the coast and jungle of Peru, and support the important work at this sanctuary of conserving the Humboldt Penguin!

Assist in providing animal care at a private animal sanctuary open to all wildlife lovers, and especially perfect for conservationists or students of animal science or zoology. You will participate in the daily care of the animals, and support the sanctuary’s efforts in creating a safe and healthy habitat for them.

Your role will include construction work, reforestation, cleaning, as well as the preparation of food for and feeding the animals at the sanctuary.

Efforts to assist Humboldt Penguins continue, but are challenging. The Humboldt Penguins were unfortunately devastated by recent flooding, and only one penguin survived. As the sanctuary continues to assist the surviving penguin in quarantine and prepare for the possible addition of a new waddle of penguins, your help and support is greatly needed and appreciated.

This sanctuary assists many species of rescued animals, helps to halt the decline of endangered species, and spreads awareness about the issues they face. Animals at this location include, but are not limited to:

• Birds - Variable Hawks, Macaws, Wild Turkeys
• Reptiles - Turtles, Crocodiles
• Monkeys - Capuchins, Howlers, Musmukis, Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkeys
• Coatis, Kinkajous, Agouti Paca
• Sloths
• Peccaries
• Andean Fox
• Guinea pigs, Rabbits, Sheep, Ostriches

This project has a minimum duration of 2 weeks.

This project is located in Lambayeque, Chiclayo and is an additional $220 per week. 

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Canine Veterinary Clinic – Cajamarca

Peru, as with most Latin American countries, is home to an abundance of stray dogs that are without shelter and at high risk of illness, hunger and abuse. With an estimated 30,000 stray dogs in Cajamarca, a centralized government effort to tackle dog overpopulation currently does not exist.

This program partners with a local initiative to manage community canine colonies using sustainable and humane sterilization methods. Operating in cooperation with the Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca Veterinary Hospital, volunteers work with a skilled team of local veterinarians and vet students to provide quality veterinary care and educational services. Some of your tasks, depending on your skills and previous experience, may include:

• Conducting physical examinations
• Preparing patients for surgeries
• Helping with sutures
• Assisting veterinarians during surgeries
• Providing post-operation care and recovery
• Data collection and registration
• Scheduling procedures and coordinating logistics
• Managing fundraising and communication campaigns
• Bathing, brushing, feeding and walking the dogs
• Cleaning the cages

No previous veterinary experience is required. This project provides a valuable learning experience for anyone studying animal science, pre-veterinary or veterinary medicine, or those passionate about animals and maintaining healthy animal populations around the world.

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Cajamarca is where everything started. Known as the “City of the Meeting of the Two Worlds”, Cajamarca will immerse you in Incan and pre-Incan culture while you live in a modern yet colonial city.

Over the course of our Culture Week you will have the opportunity to try various traditional, often ancient, Andean recipes and see architecture ranging from 1000 B.C. to the 1700s. You will gain first-hand insight into the history, the language, and the diversity of cultures, all while exploring the sights that make Cajamarca a gem in the Northern Andes.

Our Culture Week will prepare you for your stay in Cajamarca by giving you a brief insight into the country’s background, customs, language, culture, and history. Moreover, you will enjoy some of the must-see attractions in the area and get the chance to meet and bond with fellow participants.

CULTURE WEEK SCHEDULE

• Monday: Orientation, Peruvian culture lessons, Spanish language classes, tour of the local area, short hike to "White Crosses Hill" to the thermal baths in Banos and an optional massage
• Tuesday: Visit to Granja Porcón, a beautiful area and traditional farm with spectacular views of the Andes, followed by a picnic on the hillside
• Wednesday: Marvel at the ingenuity of Pre-Incan technologies by exploring Cumbe Mayo - perhaps the oldest man-made structure in South America, built around 1500 B.C.E. Here you will see a system of hand-carved canals that carried water over the continental divide, and at one point, sustained the inhabitants of what later became Cajamarca.
• Thursday: Tour around Cajamarca, pointing out some of the main attractions, markets, and historical points of interest including churches from the colonial era, the main square that bustles with constant activity, and the Cuarto de Rescate - "Ransom Room." It was in this site where the last Incan king Atahualpa bargained with Spanish Conquistador Pizarro unsuccessfully for his release, thus ending the Incan empire and opening the door to Spanish influence in Peru. We will also hike up to the top of Santa Apolonia Hill where there is a small church and a beautiful overlook of the entire city. Along the walk you will see some traditional artisanal market places with typical Cajamarquino materials and goods.
• Friday: Trip to Namora to visit the local guitarra workshops and the hat weaving ladies. We will then take a Tuk Tuk to Laguna San Nicolas to walk around the laguna, ride in totora boats and have lunch at El Aventurero restaurant in the afternoon.

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