Lauren - Jul 09

Hi Liz, I had a fantastic time in cusco, at the orphanage and on my adventures! The trek was tough but i had a great time in the end as i went with Helen and some of the teachers who were in cusco.

The information pack i recieved before i went provided all the information i needed and i was well prepared for everything.

 I had the most amazing time in Peru, i spent 4 weeks working with the children in Remar orphanage which was lovely because the children were so happy and seemed so carefree. I also did the adventure package which included a 5 day trek and a 5 day jungle trip which were fantastic, and well worth doing. In my spare time i enjoyed walking around the city of cusco, exploring the craft shops and practising my Spanish with the locals! It was a really worthwhile thing to do and i am proud that i was able to make even a small difference in peoples lives.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

Mike and Liz were really helpful in the time leading up to the trip, all queries were responded to quickly.

* The PoD information booklet:

The booklet was excellent, everything you need to know is in there! It was also helpful that it was in PDF format so you could just have a look whenever and not worry about losing it.

* Relevance and usefulness of training in-country:

Spanish lessons were really good and enjoyable.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Santa Maria Hostel was in a brilliant location, right next to the plaza de armas and the staff were really friendly and helpful (except the reception woman who never spoke to us!)

* Your work placement:

Remar was lovely, the only problem i had was the fact that the children were in school until around 3 and then in the afternoons they had a lot of homework and their tutors came every day except one day a week so it was hard to plan activities, and i didnt spend as much time with them as i would have liked.

* Was the work what you expected:

It was more relaxed than i thought it would be but it was really nice to have more of a friendly role with the children than an authoritative role.

* Quality of support in-country:

Helen was amazing! She was so good to us, organising our trips for us, coming out for meals and showing us around cusco, she made everything so easy and i'll really miss her!

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed:

Yes, they were really helpful.

* Quality of any activities:

Machu picchu was great, as was the sacred valley tour. Everything was well organised and it was lovely to have things planned for us with our input. we also went to lake titicaca which was lovely and good value for money.

* The PoD package and value for money:

It was lovely not to have to worry about expenses such as accomodation and trips because they were already paid for.

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be:

Spending more quality time with the children at Remar without worrying about tutors and homework.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations:

It exceeded my expectations!

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

I would definitely recommend it, as it is such a worthwhile experience and makes you feel like you're really helping. It also changes you as a person and puts everything into perspective.

Scores out of 5

The placement:           4
The service from PoD:    5
The overall experience:  5
Overall rating of the placement and experience: 5
The centre / school / home you worked at: 4
The work / your role: 4
Support: 5
The location: 4
Overall value for money: 4

Becky - Jan 09

Hi Liz, sorry i havnt been in touch very much, i just left Peru and have now arrived in New york.

I really didnt exepect it to be such a culture shock but it really was...Im so sad to have left and am already thinking when i will have the time to make it back to see my little boys..I fell in love with every single on of those kids!!

Thank you for everything xxx

Francesca - Jan 09

I had a fabulous time in Peru. The way i was greeted on arrival was excellent from Edurne. The accomodation was ok apart from the hostel being very cold and there were numerous power cuts which the staff working at the hostel did not seem very helpful about.

However the trip overall was fantastic, i met some amazing people and experienced a very different side of life. The way we were shown around the orphanages by Edurne was fantastic! We had a real insight in to all the oprhanges before chosing one and my time at San Juan de Dios was incredible. An experience i will take with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you all very much for the opportunity you gave me. Overall it was a fantastic experience.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

Very good indeed. Liz was fantastic answering emails very promptly and checking i was ok whilst in Peru.

* The PoD information booklet:

The information was extremley helpful in the booklet and i referered to it on numerous times throughout my trip.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Location was great in San Blas, the quality could have been better. The locks on my door did not work and i had to get in though the window at one point which i did not feel was very safe.

* Your work placement: Excellent.

8 Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed:

Yes absolutely. I had problems arriving and my father contacted mike who was extremley helpful.

* Quality of any activities:

Sacred valley trip was excellent. Mauchu pichuu too was great.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations: Yes.

Did you have any incidents, problems or accidents while on the placement? If so, please give details:

Only the incident in the first hostel where some strange man staying at the same hostel sat outside my room through the night and tried to get in to my room which was very frightening especially as i did not feel very secure in the room. The next morning i reported it to Helen and the police came to the hostel but the man had disappeared. This was all fully reported to Helen at the time.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

Yes. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that PoD enable people to experience.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

Take warm clothes!!

Learn Spanish before leaving.

Put your all in to everything you can possibly do whilst on the trip as it is truly an amazing opportunity.

Fiona - Jan 09

Hi Liz,
 
Just wanted to write to thank you for all your help prior to my departure for Peru. I had a fantastic time in Cuzco and cannot wait to go back. The Boys Orphanage that I worked at was great.

I chose POD due to being able to select my placement on arrival after seeing a wide selection of placements available. POD were quick to phone me after recieving my application and email correspondance was quick always answering any questions I had. The representatives in Cuzco Helen and Edurne were extremely helpful and friendly.

My work at the boys orphanage changed from day to day. Sometimes I taught english on a one to one basis, played games with the boys but more often than not football was the main focus for the day.

The boys were fanatstic fun to be with and welcomed the volunteers. They are aged 6-16 years old. If you are considering a placement like this I suggest taking board games and anything educational for them.

This is an excellent placement for anyone wanting to work with children.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

POD phoned me on recieving my application something no other website did. Email correspondance was fast and answered any questions I had.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

My hostel was fantastic. The staff were great. I paid extra for a room with a private bathroom but it was well worth it. The location was central. I was more than impressed with this hostel.

* Your work placement:

Playing with the boys, keeping their minds active, taking part in sports, taking the boys on days out.

* Was the work what you expected:

You have to be flexible and adaptable as the boys ages range from 6-16 years old. I started off thinking I was going to teach english to the boys as a group but due to the difference in ages this was impossible so had to do it on a one to one basis. Every day was different- some days I spent with the older boys and others with the young ones. I loved the variation.

* Quality of support in-country:

2 POD representatives were in Cuzco and available if ever needed. We had a welcome lunch which was a great introductory.

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed:

I never needed POD uk but am sure they would have been if I had needed them.

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be:

I would change nothing. I loved my placement and my time in Cuzco.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations:

The placement was fantastic.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

I would recommend POD becuase it allows you to chose your placement on arrival as opposed to having to chose in the UK. I wanted to see the placements and get a feel for them and POD was one of the few companies that allowed me to do so. Correspondance was excellent from intially contacting POD right up til my departure date. The representatives in Cuzco were friendly, approachable and helpful.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

Take materials for activities with you.
Plan activities prior to getting to Cuzco.
Research local facilities such as swimming pools, parks, etc that you can take the boys to for days out.

* Any other comments:

Overall one of the best experiences of my life. Met loads of great people. Cuzco is a fantastic place with so much to see and do around it. The nightlife is fun. The boys at the orphanage are in my heart continually.

Scores out of 5

The placement:           5
The service from PoD:    5
The overall experience:  5
Overall rating of the placement and experience: 5
Arrival arrangements: 5
Accommodation: 5
The centre school you worked at: 5
The work / your role: 5
Support: 5
The location: 5

Lucy - Dec 08

I am now in my late fifties. I have wanted to do some voluntary work abroad for many years in fact ever since I qualified as a Registered Nurse back in the 70s. I have been totally overwhelmed by my experience in Cuzco over the last month. I only wish I could have stayed longer to be with the beautiful babies I was able to help in that time. The nurses at this orphanage are amazing but looking after 7 babies every shift (one nurse per shift) is such hard work. I was there to help the nurse and to play and comfort the babies and help feed the babies as much as I could during one shift only. I would have loved to do more. The babies and toddlers that I saw need extra love and attention as this is the most important part of their growing up. I have such amazing memories and I intend to keep in touch with the orphanage and to go back again one day.

I would highly recommend PoD to anyone. Their personal touch both at home in the UK and Peru was so amazing. I felt so at home in Cuzco. There were many placements to choose from but for me I knew the baby nursery was where I wanted to be. This is a project for anyone who loves and is good with babies.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

This was all extremely efficient and friendly and I never felt I was being a nuisance when I called.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Very good and extremely helpful and friendly.

* Your work placement:

Amantani was an orphanage about 10 minutes Taxi ride from centre of Cuzco. It seemed to be well run but could have done with more staff especially in the baby section.The orphanage was struggling slightly on the financial front. From a nursing point of view certain things could have been better but my role was to help and not comment on how things should be done!

* Was the work what you expected:

Yes I think it was and the staff were so lovely to me and appreciated my work.

* Quality of support in-country:

Excellent and so friendly.

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed:

Yes I am sure they would have been but because ground staff in Cuzco so good it was not necessary to involve UK

* Quality of any activities:

Each weekend we did different things and were recommended by PoD coordinators in Cuzco re transport and where to visit. Machu Picchu is a must. Also I recommend Spanish tuition 1-1 which was really good value for money with Fair Play language school in Cuzco

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

The whole trip was expensive for me because I was also paying for my son.!!! We had a great time however and we will always have great memories so no regrets and we were very thankful to PoD for everything

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be:

To have been able to stay much longer.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations:

Yes  and much more

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

Yes I would highly recommend this placement because it was so rewarding being with babies and it DID make a difference to those tiny people without a doubt even during 1 month.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

To go for longer than 1 month.

To take out some bibs and disposable nappies as a gift and to go with an open heart to babies that are full of smiles and laughs when given attention.

Any other comments: I would be happy to be a contact for anyone who is interested in this placement.I will sent some photographs of placement

Scores out of 5

The placement:           5
The service from PoD:    5
The overall experience:  5
Overall rating of the placement and experience: 5
Arrival arrangements: 5
Accommodation: 5
The centre / school / home you worked at: 5
The work / your role: 5
Support: 5
The location: 5
Overall value for money: 4

Lucy & Paul - Dec 08

Hi everyone at PoD

Paul and I arrived safely in Cusco on Monday after many hours of flying and trying to bed down at Lima airport for 8 hours. Your staff on the ground here have been amazing.We feel so looked after. We looked around a few placements yesterday and I immediately new I wanted to work at the AMANTANI orphanage.The director accepted me and I did my first session this morning. It is so overwhelming to see 1 nurse looking after 7 babies.!! It is a bit of a juggling act as I discovered.I hope I can be of help and have decided to do every morning until it is time to leave. Paul went to see the boys orphanage with Andy this morning and has decided to work there five sessions a week. Paul is a great companion as my Spanish is not so good. His is all flooding back to him!!! We have only been here a few days but we are in love with the place already.!!!

Thankyou  to you all.

Ruth - Oct 08

 I chose Peru because I'd wanted to visit Machu Picchu, thought my basic Spanish would be useful, and liked the idea of teaching in a school even though I hadn't done it before. I enjoyed being there for a reason: being in school for part of the day still left plenty of time for sightseeing around Cusco and for getting out and about at the weekends.

The trips to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca were great and I met loads of interesting people everywhere I went. Teaching was more like crowd control than actually teaching much English but  I hope I helped a bit - they certainly loved the Guardian wallchart of the solar system and we enjoyed many repetitions of 'las planetas' together. Cusco in June was fun - the daily processions and the dancing around the main square in the days before the winter solstice festival were amazing.

Helen and Andy were terrific as local coordinators - helpful, friendly, welcoming. I had a great trip and have no hesitation in recommending it to others.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

The PoD team was very helpful. I particularly appreciated the emails form Helen in Cusco a couple of weeks before I left.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Location was great. Hotel was clean, comfortable and safe. Room was freezing at night and the shower was lukewarm at best and often cold (occasionally freezing).

* Your work placement:

A lovely little school, teachers were welcoming and friendly, kids were great and so-o friendly and affectionate. Discipline - crowd control - was the main problem. Teaching of English is by rote from dull textbooks so my contribution was limited by the material.

* Was the work what you expected:

Not really. I took lots of books, wallcharts and other teaching aids with me and thought I'd be able to work more closely with the children. But I quickly realised that the teachers mostly wanted me to help go through lesson books, answer questions etc.

* Quality of support in-country:

Helen and Andy were great throughput my stay. Was nice to get an email from Liz back in the UK too.

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed:

Definitely.

* Quality of any activities:

I arranged my own trips with Helen's help. Dinner one evening with the group of volunteers was an unexpected treat.

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

Excellent value for money.

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be:

Maybe the accommodation - if possible, I'd have been happy in a rented apartment rather than a hotel.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations: Yes!

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

Definitely. Peru is interesting and has much to explore; Cusco is vibrant and very attractive; the level of PoD support is excellent but it's also very easy to meet people - you're never alone in Cusco!

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

Learn some spanish - it really helps to have even basic conversation.

Read a bit about the country and the places you want to visit before you go.

If you haven't taught before, get some tips on crowd control from people who have!

Any other comments: I really enjoyed every moment of my trip. Particular thanks to Helen and Andy.

Scores out of 5

The placement:           5
The service from PoD:    5
The overall experience:  5
Overall rating of the placement and experience: 5
Arrival arrangements: 5
Accommodation: 4
The centre / school / home you worked at: 5
The work / your role: 4
Support: 5
The location: 5
Overall value for money: 5

Jacky - Oct 08

I enjoyed my stay in Cusco very much and would never had done it without  POD. It was a great experience and I would like to thank everyone at POD for making it possible, also Edurne in Cusco who was very helpful.

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application): Very good

* The PoD information booklet: Very good

* Quality and location of accommodation: Good

* Your work placement: Good

* Was the work what you expected: No, better

* Quality of support in-country: Excellant

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed: Yes

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

Very good value for money.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations: Yes

* Did you have any incidents, problems or accidents while on the placement? If so, please give details:

Food poisoning from a resturant. And Ederna was very good.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?: Yes

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

Try eveything, enjoy everything and make lots of friends. 

Scores out of 5

The placement:           4
The service from PoD:    5
The overall experience:  5
The centre / school / home you worked at: 4
The work / your role: 4
Support: 5
The location: 5
Overall value for money: 5

Sally - Oct 08

Your work placement: The kindergarten where I worked was great and everyone was very welcoming and the kids were amazing!  The teaching English was challenging trying to think of new lesson plans but I loved the kids here and they were very enthusiastic!

I did love the work I did, it just wasn't what I intially thought i'd be doing!

* Was the work what you expected:

No beacause I wanted to work in an orphanage but yes in terms of what I did in my placement.

* Quality of support in-country:

Edurne was great and a really lovely! For me I didn't really need any support of help - I'm 32 and have travelled a lot! - but for other people she is a great person to have.

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

I thought it was good value for money compared to a lot of other charities.  I know a lot of my money went on my accommodation and maybe you could offer a scheme whereby the first 2 weeks are offered and then people have the choice whether they wish to find their own accommodation (and therefore pay less for the placement)after this period or stay where they are.  For me it was perfect but I would have liked a kitchen and could have easily moved into a far cheaper apartment with friends.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

I would recommend POD as it think its excellent value for money and i also think the placements you have in place are very good - just would warn people to make sure they end up doing what they expected.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement:

Learn some Spanish before you go.

If you take the Spanish lessons, go to the cookery class organised by the teachers as it's a great way to meet other travellers (not placement related but a good tip!)

Don't take on too much - 4/5 hours a day is enough esp when if you are taking Spanish lessons and it can be exhuasting!

* Any other comments:

I really did have the most amazing time and I know it probably looks like i didn't but i wanted to make you aware of this.
I really enjoyed my placement and would have changed if I hadn't and the children, staff and everyone I met were fantastic! 

Jane - Sep 08

* Your work placement:

Hogar de la Amistad was a great palce to work -I loved the fact that you could plan your lessons and engage with the children. I found it very rewarding and could have gone there everyday.

Lucerito kindergarten was a friendly place to work. The teacher didnt rely on my help but if you used your initiative to anticipate what you could do to help the children with their topic you can make a difference.

* Was the work what you expected?:

Mostly what I expected. I was hoping to develop more of a role within the nursery but unfortunately I wasnt there long enough to do this.

I didnt realise that I would be put in charge of 12 children for the afternoon so it was a bit of a shock at first! Once I started to plan my lessons it was an amazing experience. I could see the children were interested and eager to learn.

* Quality of support in-country:

excellent support when required. Edurne was friendly and helpful.

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed?: yes

* Quality of any PoD activities?:

Trip to Sacred Valley - excellent day trip Trip to Machu Picchu - hotel dirty otherwise great Trip to Lake Titicaca - excellent. Hotel clean but basic. travel arrangements fantastic.

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

Apart from my room at the Hostal I was very satisfied with the POD package

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be?:

Accomodation in Cusco

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations? 

Definately - yes. A brilliant experience which I will never forget.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

yes, because of the support available if you need it and it is a great way to experience another culture. it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

It is a great opportunity to try something different if like me you havent taught anything before. It is fantastic to see the children wanting to finish their work and enjoying learning. They are so interested in everything you have to offer.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement?:

Learn as much as you can about the area, culture and the type of work you want to do.
Use your initiative or you can feel like a spare part at times.
basic spanish and a sense of humour gets you through most situations!

lose your inhibitions and use your imagination - if you can moo like a cow or howl like a dog use it!!! I DID!

Cara - Aug 08

Hi Liz, we did have a really fantastic time in Peru and wish we could have stayed longer!

When we first got there, after catching up on sleep! Helen took us around the possible placements we could do, including the Safehouse, San Juan de Dios, Marco's Kindergarten, and Pimpolitos kindergarten. We choose Marco's kindergarten as our placement for the mornings as he was so welcoming and greatful for our help. The kids there are a lot younger than the children we worked with in the afternoons so it was nice to have the variety of ages. We fell in love with Marco's and didn't want to leave! We got really attached to all the children who were just full of love!! One of the things Marco said to us was if you do nothing else, just give the children lots of love that they might not have got at home. At Marco's we didnt do as much teaching as the others, we just helped with any jobs the teachers needed doing and played with the children. It was nice to have one placement were we didnt have to spend a lot of time lesson planning and we could just really enjoy it.

In the afternoons we carried on with two projects Helen had been working with and asked us to carry on. Amistad was one of those and we absolutely loved it there, the kids really wanted to learn and were so clever! Its just a shame they dont have much consistency with volunteers coming and going but they catch on very quickly. We had loads of fun there too with the kids and planning lessons. At the end we gave them lots of goodie bags full of pencils and crayons and toys and they were so grateful!

We also went to Chinchero on a Friday to carry on the the project there. Roxanna who's house the classroom is in is really lovely. We also went early one week to learn to weave which was fun! On the last week they all came to Cuzco to eat in Helen's restaurant which I think they all really enjoyed. These kids were a bit quieter here but really really cleaver, they just need the confidence to talk out loud in English.

On the first weekend we went horseriding around the ruins nearby which was a really nice day not having to walk up the mountains! The guide was really good and we all really enjoyed it! On the sunday we did a tour of the sacred valley which I would also recommend. Helen did all the organizing for us which was brilliant!!

On our second weekend we went to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu which was amazing! We didnt have the time to do the trail, but the trains are all really good, and if you hunt around you can find some really lovely restaurant for you day and night in Aguas Calientes. The guide for this trip was very good as well.

Helen was a really great help the whole time, ready to answer any questions we had however small! She was great to talk to and always had time for us even when she was rushed off her feet which we really appreciate! She really did make the experience the best it could possibly be!

We really enjoyed the placement, so thank you for all the help from POD as well.

The staff here in England we so helpful, and were willing to help right up until the minute we left. Helen in Peru was also so helpful while we were still at home preparing and gave us loads of great advice, couldnt have been better.

* The PoD information booklet:

The booklet was a great idea, it did have a few details wrong like they don't use the POD house any longer, and it's now Helen not Daisy, but apart from that is was a great guide to our time and packing etc.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Accommodation in Cuzco was lovely, really friendly staff, and great positioning.

* Your work placement:

The three placements we did were amamzing, the children were lovely and really want to learn. Didn't want to leave!

* Was the work what you expected?:

Having been shown around the different placements beforehand and being able to choose, it meant we knew a bit of what to expect when we started properly. Everything we did get asked to do was enjoyable and a great experience.

* Quality of support in-country:

Helen was lovely, we often poped in to see her twice a day!!she was always there if we needed to ask the smallest question like where we should go eat or buy supplies!

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed?

Definately felt like they would have been available, but there was no need as Helen was there.

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

Value for money was a key thing for us when choosing the trip and we definately got that!

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be?:

Nothing.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations?

Definately, it was an amazing trip.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

Having someone like Helen in your country of choice is extremely helpful, we don''t know what we would have done without her! You definately get value for money with great accommodation.The way you get to choose your placements was a really nice idea.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement?

Learn a bit of spanish - not vital, but definately helpful.
Go for at least 3 weeks if you can\'t go for more!
Give as much love as you can to all the gorgeous kids!

* Any other comments?
It was such a great experience and will never forget it. Helen is amazing, organizing and helping us with everything!! The kids are so good, they want to learn and they love all the volunteers! Marco at the kindergarten is an amazing man and it was so nice to be welcomed into his project. He has so many plans for a safehouse and teaching I hope they all his dreams come true! Roxanna in Chinchero is lovely and was so greatful for all our time. The kids at Amistad were so much fun!

Scores out of 5

5   The Placement
5   The service from PoD
5   The overall experience
5   Overall rating of the placement and experience
5   Arrival arrangements
5   Accommodation
5   Training
5   The centre / school / home you worked at
5   The work / your role
5   Activities
5   Support
5   The location
5   Overall value for money

Sophie - Aug 08

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

Excellent - a very caring and supportive approach. I was very impressed. Thanks

* The PoD information pack booklet:

It was really helpful and supported the personal help offered really well.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Excellent location - so central and close to the other hostel, which I think is important. A really lovely hostel.

* Your work placement:

A good choice - and opportunitues to do a variety of different placements was really good.

* Was the work what you expected?

No - from the web site I expected to work in an orphanage, when in fact it was with disadvantaged children, in their school\'s, homes etc...or homework clubs. This was not a problem, but different.

* Quality of support in-country:

Excellent, especially Helen. She really cared about everyone, and thoughtfully offered her help and support. She made you feel so welcome. Thank you.

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed? : Yes.

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be?:

nothing. I had a fantastic time.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

Yes - a very supportive and caring organisation, which offers a flexible package suitable for Gap Year students as well as career break people.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement?

Cusco is colder at night than you would expect.

Make sure that your mobile is unlocked, so that you can use a local Peru sim card

bring a travel kettle or water heater - the ability to have a hot drink is most welcome.

* Any other comments?

Thank you to POD, and especially Helen. I had a fantastic time.

Sarah - Jul 08

* Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application):

It was really nice to have people both emailing and calling before our placement to make sure we were happy and knew what we were doing.

* The PoD information pack:

The information booklets were really nice to have and the 'what to take' section was particularly useful.

* Quality and location of accommodation:

Hostel de la Gringo II was a really nice hostel perfect distance from the Plaza de Armes and we felt very safe and comfortable.

* Your work placement:

as amazing, we got just as much out of the experience as any of the children. Would deffinately reccomend it to anyone: young; old; man or woman.

* Was the work what you expected?

It was far better, as there was a lot of freedom to do what you wanted but also a lot of support.

* Quality of support in-country:

Helen was a star - extremely kind, and supportive, as was her husband Andy and Lilly- Thank you!!

* Did you feel that PoD UK was there for support if needed?

Absolutely, even after we had finished our placement we still felt very supported whilst in Peru.

* Quality of any PoD activities (please specify which trips / activities):

We loved the 'Jungle trek'- 4 day bike and hike to Macchu Pichu (though it was not as easy as I thought it would be. The city tour and Sacred Valley tour was great for learning more about Cusco and we loved the llama farm that we went to.

* The PoD package (what was included) and value for money:

I think that PoD easily offers a far better value for money deal then any other organisations we found on the internet, we were very pleased with everything we got.

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be?

Nothing, we literally had a perfect trip and feel very lucky.

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations?

They exceeded them by far.

* Did you have any incidents, problems or accidents while on the placement?:

I was ill for a couple of days and had slight affects from the altitude but Dr Luna was great and after some pescribed medicine I felt great.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?:

I have already recommended it to several friends and if I did another similar trip would definately do it with PoD.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement?

1. Wear mosquito spray when told to!!
2. Expect to feel at least a little ill and therefore bring some medicine with you 3. Use your 1st week to work out how much money you are likely to spend and budget yourself. 

* Any other comments?

It is worth any penny - fantastic placement, beautiful country and something I will never forget.

Scores out of 5

5   Overall rating of the placement and experience
5   Arrival arrangements
5   Accommodation
5   The centre / school / home you worked at
5   The work / your role
5   Activities (if part of the PoD programme)
5   Support
5   The location
5   Overall value for money

Amy - Jul 08 

Hi Liz, thanks so much for the email and sorry I didn't reply sooner- it's been so hectic since I've been back home, I miss Peru already!

I'm mainly emailing to thank you and everyone at PoD a million times over, the experience I had out in Peru was the most incredible of my life and I couldn't have booked it with a more helpful, organised and friendly company than yours. My time at the placements, San Juan de Dios, Marco's Kindergarten, the Amistad and Chinchero, were all life-changing, I've learnt so much that I can take back with me to uni and to life as a whole. I may not have changed the lives of the kids I worked with in Peru, although I never expected to, but even if I made a small difference for a day, it was all worth it, and working with them certainly changed my life.

Helen is absolutely amazing, so friendly and welcoming and helpful, you should give her a raise! She contributed so much to making my experience out there so great and was exactly suited to the job. The other volunteers were brilliant as well, and I've made some real lasting friendships.

So I really just wanted to email you to let you know what a great company PoD is and how much I appreciate everything that you did to make my summer in Peru the best of my life. I've already told loads of my friends about PoD, and would recommend a PoD placement to anyone, specifically the Cuzco programme because Helen is just so brilliant.

Thanks so much for everything, and I'm sure I'll come on another PoD placement soon!

Lauren - Jul 08

Hi Liz,
Over the past 3 weeks I´ve been living in Cuzco and working for POD and it has been an amazing experience. My highlight would have to be my 4 day trek to Machu Pitchu. It really was a breathtaking site and my tour guide that Helen organised for me was outstanding.
Volunteering has been exactly what I thought it would be and even open my eyes to a few problems that I was unaware of. I found that I got thje most enjoyment out of The Safehouse for teenage girls and helen´s Chincurro placement.

The Safehouse - The girls there are inspirational. I went in there with a clear head and told myself that they weren´t the ones to blame for being in there. In doing this I really got to know the girls, I don´t even speak that much spanish...and did 5 or so workshops with them. They are talented girls and I think that these girls are underestimated in that they are actually really intelligent and its just like walking into a family environment....a special mention also has to go to Carmen who runs the show there. She is amazing and a real role model to those girls. Fantastic placement.

Chincurro - The lady in charge, Roxana, a gem. She really went out of her way for us girls to be entertained every week and I learnt how to weave, was taken to a Llama farm, taken to Chincurro festival and was dressed in traditional Peruvian clothes (hair braids and all). The children here are all fast learners and great to teach. I really enjoyed this placement and enjoyed seeing the students learn more each week.

Apart from all this, I´ve gone White Water rafting (great bonding time with the other volunteers), Sacred Valley (lovely tour with a great tour guide) and Pizac Markets.

All of my concerns and issues that arose I´ve told Helen about. She´ll no doubt get back to yourself or Mike with them.

Finally, Helen. She really is a lovely person to have around. It was great to have her to talk to, as she really understood everything that was happening. If I ever had a problem with Lilly or a tour etc, she was always quick to respond and I felt that at times she did go out of her way to make myself (and some of the other girls) feel welcome. I appreciate everything she has done and she is an asset to the company.

Thank you for this experience and I look forward to possibly taking part in this volunteering again one day.

Ruth - Jul 08

I chose Peru because I'd wanted to visit Machu Picchu, thought my basic Spanish would be useful, and liked the idea of teaching in a school even though I hadn't done it before. I enjoyed being there for a reason: being in school for part of the day still left plenty of time for sightseeing around Cusco and for getting out and about at the weekends. The trips to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca were great and I met loads of interesting people everywhere I went. Teaching was more like crowd control than actually teaching much English but  I hope I helped a bit - they certainly loved the Guardian wallchart of the solar system and we enjoyed many repetitions of 'las planetas' together. Cusco in June was fun - the daily processions and the dancing around the main square in the days before the winter solstice festival were amazing. Helen and Andy were terrific as local coordinators - helpful, friendly, welcoming. I had a great trip and have no hesitation in recommending it to others.

The PoD team was very helpful. I particularly appreciated the emails form Helen in Cusco a couple of weeks before I left.

A lovely little school, teachers were welcoming and friendly, kids were great and so-o friendly and affectionate. Discipline - crowd control - was the main problem. Teaching of English is by rote from dull textbooks so my contribution was limited by the material.

Helen and Andy were great throughout my stay. Was nice to get an email from Liz back in the UK too.

Excellent value for money.

Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others? Definitely. Peru is interesting and has much to explore; Cusco is vibrant and very attractive; the level of PoD support is excellent but it's also very easy to meet people - you're never alone in Cusco!

What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement: Learn some spanish - it really helps to have even basic conversation. Read a bit about the country and the places you want to visit before you go. If you haven't taught before, get some tips on crowd control from people who have!

Any other comments: I really enjoyed every moment of my trip. Particular thanks to Helen and Andy.  

Kate - Apr 08

Hi mike. just to say thank you to PoD for my time in peru. I loved working at san juan and the opportunity it gave me to see another side of life. Should I ever have the opportunity again I would love to do something with pod again. Also to say that helen and andy were a godsend out there, even if sometimes just to talk to someone u can trust and who is sympathetic to one's situation with no judgement.also the hostal that I stayed in was perfect. I would recommend it again. My only disaster (big word) was with Liz's Explorer's (local company) who I used for the salkantay trek and who I thought were extremely irresponsible and expensive compared to others. If you would like further details on anything concerning my time in Peru I would be happy to give them - just let me know. I am now in brazil for two weeks before heading back. Its a whole different story and culture out here, but still all good.

Annabel - Apr 08

Hi Liz

I am just back in Cusco having got back from the salkantay trek to machu picchu last night which was amazing! I finished my placement at the casa hogar la esperanza last friday because of the 5 day trek. I loved working there although it was a bit hard at first since they´ve all been through such horrible experiences so they don´t trust anyone. I was so so sad to leave - will definetly be coming back! Cusco´s been amazing, and the house has been such fun too! I really don´t want to leave but am hopefully off to Columbia next week which is exciting!

Elizabeth - Apr 08

Hi Liz,
 
I'm really sorry it's taken me months to get back to you. It's all been a whirlwind since leaving Cusco, it seems.
 
Just wanted to let you (and the rest of the team) know that I had literally the best time of my life in Peru. It was such an amazing experience in every way (even Pete, my parasite, wasn't too bad!). The support in Cusco was great - really reassuring to know that Helen (and her husband Andy) was on hand for any guidance and advice. My placement was really rewarding and I miss the children so much, i think about them every day. Working with the children at Jardin los Pimpollitos increased my confidence in working with children and I've now started work at a nursery in England, where I will be teaching pre-school children some Spanish.

Also, thank you for all the support before leaving England; the booklets, information and advice were all really useful. Another great thing about the placement was the weekends off gave us a chance to travel around and see some of Peru's finest offerings. I had the opportunity to experience so many new things! Seeing wild condors flying through Colca Canyon, sandboarding and dunebuggying in an oasis called Huacachina, flying over the Nazca lines in an little Cessna plane, climbing Wayna Picchu and gazing over Macchu Picchu are among the highlights of the trip.

I've definitely got the travel bug now and am looking forward to my next adventure...whatever that may be.

Patricia - Feb 08 

Just a quick note to say that I had an amazing time in Peru at the Hogar Esperanza and to thank you so much for your support and help prior to going out. It was an amazing experience and truly humbling to see what a difference our time makes to people in less fortunate positions than ourselves. Helen was a great support to us when we were there, and I would love to do a similar type of project elsewhere for PoD next year (or hopefully later this year!).

It was very sad to say goodbye to the kids and older women in the safe house and also Carmen (who runs the Hogar). She is a truly inspiring woman and hugely committed to each and every person in the Hogar. 

All best to you and I really hope to stay in touch so I can do another project for you again this year!

Rebecca - Oct 07 

"Bye for now and thanks again Mike for everything this year. Peru and the whole experience has totally changed my world and I absolutely love it. POD have been just fab. Rebecca x"

Jess - Sep 07

"The kids are so adorable and have all gotten used to having me around after a week, I look after the special needs kids quite a lot as they are a bit disruptive and although they have given us all a few bruises during tantrums they are good kids!

Daisy has been amazing taking us all out and about while getting to know Cusco and all us girls are having fun living together (reminds me of uni days)!

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others?
Yes I already circulated interest among my friends and colleagues. Its a life changing experience to not just visit but live in a different country, work with the locals & help out in some small way.

* What 3 tips would you give to a future volunteer doing this placement?
Learn ALOT of Spanish prior to coming to Peru, don't be scared by the horror stories about being mugged in Sth America just be more aware than you otherwise would, and enjoy every minute as its a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

* Did the placement overall live up to expectations?
Exceeded my expectations

* If you had to change one thing about the placement what would it be?
I would have stayed longer, next time I will definitely do a more prolonged stay in a country as I felt I had really settled in after 3 weeks."

Claire - Oct 07

"I was going to email you anyway to tell you what a fantastic experience I have had. I was working at Kindergarten Lucerito which at first was a shock as they have no educational toys or resources and all the children do is work from a book which seems crazy to me being a teacher in the uk. With the money from PoD i created a sand area, water area, construction, bought all the children mini white boards. The director was keen to find out how things work in England and how they can change things there, so Helen and I set up a meeting with the teachers and I bought loads of stuff with me from home and we talked about how we teach children through play and interactive methods. They loved everything I gave them and I told them that I have people at home who want to help them. My school back in England is using Pudsy Bear children in need day to raise money for the kindergarten which is fab! Helen is going to continue to keep contact with Lucerito and help them to buy the resources once the money comes through (just to make sure it goes on resources and not bonuses for the staff!). I also want to say how fantastic Helen has been to me. She really cares about our volunteering and is always asking us about how its going. She wants to make a difference like I do. (and the trip to Chincheros was great!)"

Sophie - Jul 07

"My two months volunteering and living in Cusco organised by PoD were truly fantastic. The volunteer placements were unforgettable and I made so many friends and had massive amounts of fun on the trek to Macchu Picchu and the rafting. The co-ordinator Daisy was a constant source of support and friendship which really made our time out there the best it could possibly be. PoD in Peru was good value for money as well as offering me the trip to Cusco that every traveller wants combined with useful and rewarding volunteer placements to give something back to an amazing country that gives many people such a great experience.

*Communication / correspondence (before and after making an application)?

Mike was wonderfully friendly and helpful, no complaints!

*Quality and location of accommodation?

The accommodation on the plaza de san blas was lovely and gorgeously located, I wouldn’t have wanted to live anywhere else in Cusco.
Your work placement

The Casa Hogar de la Esperanzer by Miraflores in Cusco was new to PoD but i would highly recommend further placements there, it was one of the highlights of my trip working with the girls.

The new co-ordinator Daisy was terrific, not only was she got at organising us and supporting us, she made our trips fantastic and was a great friend to have on our trip.

* Quality of any PoD activities?
The Machu Picchu jungle trek was amazing, definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The white water rafting was very well organised and the guys from Eric Adventures made it really fun and safe.

* Based on your experience, would you recommend PoD / this placement to others? Why?
Yes, it has a great mix of well organised placements that actually make use of volunteers and has the good support system of having a co-ordinator out there is a really valuable resource."

Sarah - Jul 07

"Thanks ever so much for enabling me to go to Peru. Your organisation is absolutely fantastic and I had a brilliant time. This was largely due to Daisy. She is wonderful, extremely adept at organising activities for her volunteers to do, willing to realise any desire that we might have and always ready to share her life and friends with us so that we might be fully immersed in Cusco life and feel welcome. I never felt lonely with Daisy, she was unbelievably caring and devoted to her job and ensuring that we had the best time possible. I can't think of a better staff person you could possibly have and I am left with fantastic memories both of her and Peru.
Give her a pay rise!!!!

Thank you ever so much again, I will certainly recommend your organisation to my travelling friends, All the best"

Max - Jan 07

"ok about my trip. When i arrived i Cusco i was really excited and when we got to the house with Tessa got shown around. the house was really cool it was great living there, the loos were a bit of a problem at times getting blocked and the showers went cold every now and again but you need to expect that. Mined you, I did join a new gym that had just opened in avenue de sol which had the nicest hot showers ever!

I arrived with Mel and Caroline arrived a few days later. I did my first week at the Spanish school and then decided to do a second week, which did help."

"I worked in the all boys orphanage and loved it. I helped in the class with homework, did things around the orphanage like pealing spuds and also did lots of activities like, swimming, cooking, arts and crafts, wood work, and sports. The orphanage asks you to think of things you would like to do with the children but you will have to pay for them, although what ever I did like swimming would only be a couple of pounds.

I loved working here and felt very welcomed. I worked here for three months and found it very hard to leave.

I also worked in the all girls orphanage three times a week in the afternoons. The girls orphanage went to school in the mornings and the boys went in the afternoons. I helped with home work with the girls and then they would make their local crafts so I didn’t do as many activity’s of my own. I was never very good at my Spanish so did fined it quite hard helping the children with their homework.

I was also made to feel very welcome with the girls. And didn’t want to leave. I did take over to Cusco things like skipping ropes and things for arts and crafts. There are a lot of arts and crafts shops that I got a lot of things from. One thing I didn’t see over there which I took over was paper aeroplanes which the boys loved.

I was told about Cusco and that you could buy every thing you could want or need whilst over there but I definitely over packed. I could of just packed a small rucksack and would have been fine.

All the trips I did with PoD and by myself were definitely worth doing.

Machu Picchu, where you need to climb waynapicchu just to be able to look down onto machu picchu. The trip to the manu Jungle with Crees learning centre which was great, everyone needs to go there with Crees. water rafting was cool. And Bolivia and the Floating Islands was a good trip for the weekend. I also went to see the Colca Canyon and got to Nasca to see the Nasca Lines also amazing. I stayed for four months to make sure I got around to places which was good advice from PoD.

I did a lot of walking around cusco which is the best way to see the sights and to learn the area. Cusco is a beautiful place to live and very friendly.
You just need to be careful with your bags on your back and your pockets. I did feel at home when living in San Blas and found myself after a while calling our house home.

This trip has been the best thing I have ever done and I learnt a lot from it.

I would recommend doing something like this to everyone and to do it with PoD. I definitely want to do another trip like this again.

The best thing I have ever done

Many thanks to everyone at PoD that made my trip what it was"

Georgina - Sep 05

"I just wanted to say that I had an AMAZING time in Cusco, I literally enjoyed every minute of it! The Machu Picchu trip and the rafting trip were excellent and the jungle trip was incredible - we had such a great time!"

John - Jan 06

"I liked the idea of picking the placements in country, this differs a lot from other gap organisations but i feel pods style is better, there was no way I could of picked in the UK, even with the most detailed brief on all of the placements, its great just to go out and get a feel for the place.

my time at the placement was great in both the personal development sense and also in the way it was just great fun, I meet some great people and did some amazing things.

The only thing I would change is maybe packing a razor, but apart from that very little was less than perfect in the three and a half months i spent away."

Beth - Jun 06

"PoD is value for money; the company is small enough that you feel looked after. All in all a memorable gap year for all the right reasons."

Sarah - 06

"I wanted to say how good it was that Tessa was out there as a representative of PoD, she was really helpful and made my first few days there very easy by showing me round and providing me all the information I needed. Off the back of this positive experience I have decided to go forward with an application I am submitting to train as an educational psychologist."

Lindsaye - 06

"In a nutshell Cusco was wonderful for