The Location
For the Eco-Tour portion of this Volunteer Adventure, you will work on the outskirts of the quaint, culturally rich village of Chota in northern Peru. With its easy-paced lifestyle and sleek, white-adobe buildings topped with red tile roofs, Chota is a beautiful highland town that rests peacefully on the banks of the Chotano River at 7,815 feet (2,382 meters) high. Chota’s picturesque valley contains traces of early civilization, evidenced in the ancient Incan ruins and relics of the Spanish conquistadors that dominated the area throughout the 16th century.

During the Community Outreach portion of the program, you will work in the historic city of Cajamarca. Situated at the base of the ancient Cumbe Mayo ruins, this beautiful Andean city is the cultural and economic hub of the Cajamarca region. Peasants dressed in red ponchos with authentic straw hats and linen saddlebags wander the bucolic countryside while the main square features colonial monuments that provide a glimpse of the city’s 3,000-year history.  

The Situation
Smoke from enclosed fires causes a death every 20 seconds worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In developing countries, this type of air pollution is the fourth biggest killer. The rural highland region of Peru is the setting for our eco-project because of its high concentration of poor residents. In fact, almost nine out of every 10 impoverished Peruvians live in the Andean highlands. The lack of opportunities in the highlands has also initiated a migration to urban areas like Cajamarca. But even many urban families continue to struggle and lack everyday necessities, existing well below the poverty line.


What's Being Done
In 2004, volunteers began building much-needed cooking stoves for rural Peruvians in highland communities. These stoves have dramatically improved the local people’s health and well-being. To maximize their assistance, volunteers then began replenishing the trees that had been cleared for crops and used to burn in cooking fires. The cooking stove’s design requires less wood, which alleviates future pressure on the surrounding forests. In the city of Cajamarca, our local partner runs a school where orphans and street kids can learn different subjects and skills, as well as participate in fun activities.

What You Can Do As a volunteer on this project, you will meet a local Peruvian family that desperately needs a cooking stove. Volunteers will work in teams to build brick and mortar stoves, specially designed for mountain conditions and equipped with pipes to carry the smoke outside. The second part of your work will involve tree planting and educating the community on environmental sustainability. In the city of Cajamarca, you will help street kids learn life skills to aid their survival, such as helping them bake biscuits to sell on the street to feed their families and themselves. Your time in Peru will bring smiles to the local people and substantially improve their lives and their spirits.

Airport Pickup and Orientation:
Volunteers will fly into Lima on Saturday night. International flights typically arrive between 10 pm and 1 am. Once you arrive, a transport provider will pick you up and take you to your hotel. You will be transported back to the airport on Sunday morning to catch your flight to Cajamarca. Sunday flights to Cajamarca depart from Lima at 11 am.

Volunteers will arrive in Cajamarca around 12:30 pm and will be met at the airport by the local coordinator. You will have Sunday afternoon to explore the historic city, and then spend the night in a hotel in Cajamarca (included in project cost). On Monday you will meet your guide in the hotel lobby between 9 am and 10 am. At 11 am, you’ll catch the bus to the accommodations at the project site in the Peruvian highlands, outside the village of Chota. The bus ride is seven hours through winding, beautiful mountain roads.


Accommodations:
During the Eco-Tour portion of the project, you will stay at a lodge in the heart of the northern highlands. There are four furnished rooms; one is a dormitory-type room that accommodates eight people and the other three are shared rooms, with two to four beds each. There is a 24-hour hot shower, a tiled bathroom, and flushing toilet. All meals are provided and volunteers will have access to the kitchen. The lodge is a one-hour hike from the project site.

During the Community Outreach portion of the program, you will stay with a local host family in Cajamarca. There are two to three volunteers per host family, with shared, same-sex rooms. This accommodation is clean, comfortable, and includes a daily breakfast. The project site is a 15- to 20-minute walk from the host families.

In-Country Support:
We work directly with our partner organization to provide support during your time in Peru. You can expect help from project coordinators, field guides, fellow volunteers, and the staff of both Volunteer Adventures and our partner organization. We also provide a 24-hour cell phone number for emergencies.

Additional Activities and Excursions:
Cajamarca’s main square, the Plaza de Armas, is famous as the site of the execution of Atahualpa, the last Incan ruler of Peru. It features ancient churches and cathedrals, a 350-year-old fountain, historical museums, and thermal Inca baths. There are also many breathtaking hikes throughout Cajamarca and the surrounding area. Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca trail, leads through the lower Andean region of Cajamarca in northern Peru, from Chile in the south to the Ecuador in the north. The impressive trail cuts through the verdant countryside offering spectacular views of ancient temples, steep cliffs, Eucalyptus groves, and snow-capped peaks.