The Location
Volunteers will live in Cusco, a colorful, picturesque city in southern Peru that was once the center of the Inca Empire. The surrounding region boasts a diverse landscape of jungles, mountains, plateaus, deep valleys, and canyons.
The Situation
Peru is one of the largest, and poorest, countries in South America. Many Peruvians lack a proper home, and malnutrition is widespread, particularly among children. Poverty, domestic abuse, and alcoholism have left many children in Peru without families, depriving them of the parental love and care they need. The orphanages in Peru support and protect children, but most are underfunded and need all the help they can get.
What’s Being Done
In coordination with local construction companies, our Build a Better Peru Program provides much-needed repairs for orphanages and the homes of poverty-stricken residents. As a volunteer, you will work with these companies on various construction sites. From laying concrete to installing windows, your work will make an immediate difference in the lives of countless Peruvians.
 Airport
Pickup and Orientation:
When you arrive in Cusco, a volunteer coordinator will meet you at the airport. The coordinator will get you settled and provide a brief tour of the facilities and resources available to you. Your official orientation will begin the day following your arrival.
Transportation:
Volunteer Adventures will arrange transportation for
the following:
 Airport
pick-up and drop-off
All
transfers required by the program
All
local transportation at program locations
Accommodations:
Basic and Standard: You will stay at the project’s volunteer lodge in Cusco. Volunteers sleep two to each bedroom and share bathrooms. This lodge provides three meals per day as well as room cleaning. Volunteers will have hot water, although there may be times when hot water is turned off entirely for three to four hours.
Complete: Those who choose the Complete package will stay with a host family. Volunteers will have their own rooms and will usually share a bathroom with family members. Families will provide three meals per day. All of our host families are carefully screened and must meet Volunteer Adventures' requirements before being accepted as a host family.
Language Classes:
Volunteers enrolled in the Standard or Complete packages will be taking Spanish classes at our partner language school in Cusco. For more efficient placement upon your arrival, we ask that you take our to determine your language proficiency. If this is not possible, we will test you upon arrival at the school. You will be placed according to your language level in a group of 12 or fewer students, learning conversational Spanish for two hours a day. If you enroll in the Complete package, you will take an additional hour per day of private instruction.
In-Country Support:
During your time in Peru, you will receive support from volunteer coordinators as well as field guides and fellow volunteers. We also provide a 24-hour cell phone number for emergencies.
 Additional
Activities and Excursions:
Cusco is a major destination for adventure and cultural travel. If you have free time during or after your volunteer stay, you will have the opportunity to take part in excursions at your own cost. The following are some examples of activities you can enjoy:
Paragliding
Archeological
tour
Whitewater
rafting
Bungee-jumping
Machu
Picchu (overnight)
3-day
trekking adventure
3-day
jungle tour |
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