Project summary

This placement provides you with the opportunity to volunteer with disadvantaged children, making a real difference to their future, whilst experiencing an incredible and lively city high in the Andes in the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. 

We support some amazing organisations in Cusco and the surrounding villages. When you arrive in Cusco we take you to visit the places that have a need for volunteers both teaching and non-teaching and then you decide which placement (or placements) suit you best. Jess who manages our placements in Cusco provides support throughout your time and ensures that all of our volunteers are placed in locations that have a real need.

Your first choice is whether you want to live in Cusco and be part of the lively social scene, or whether you want to live in a village and have much more of a local Peruvian experience.

A typical day

All our placements are based in orphanages, care home or organisations that truly benefit from volunteers involvement in a variety of teaching and non-teaching roles. There is no typical day when working with children as there is so much variety. The possibilities are endless.

Child care volunteers will join in with the day to day running of the orphanages or care homes. This normally involves playing games, singing songs, creating activities, tutoring or helping with homework. You will also be helping out with general childcare, cleaning and meal times.

Teaching volunteers will find that the level of English in each class will differ depending on the age of the children there or the work done with them by previous volunteers. This can be challenging at times but the more creative and interactive lessons become the more engaged the children are and you will see their learning improve dramatically. 

All placements are either in the morning or in the afternoon and are normally 3 or 4 hours long because children usually go out to school at certain times of day. Volunteers generally do two different placements in a day, or work half days and use their free time to go to the language school or get to know Cusco better. You may also want to work Monday to Thursday to give yourself extra time to travel around the Cusco area on extended weekend trips. The priority however with all our projects is the benefit to the local organsiation and their requirements.

The location

Cusco, the city where volunteers spend most of their time, was the ancient capital of the Inca Empire until the Conquistadors defeated them in the 1500s. Spanish colonial grandeur replaced the majesty of Inca engineering, and today both vie for dominance in this city alive with history.

Cusco’s main square is an incredible place where many of Peru’s formative historical events took place. It was here that Tupac Amaru I was killed by the Spanish Conquistadors to finally destroy the Inca Empire.

The Spanish built several grand cathedrals and fringed the square with beautiful stone arches. It is now a great place for restaurants, bars, salsa clubs and night life.

How you can make a difference

Poverty is never very far away, and the wealth divide between tourists and locals is nowhere more visible than in Cusco. You just need to go a few roads away from the main square to find people living in tin shacks with open sewers. You will also find a large population of street children who make a living selling postcards, polishing shoes or even scavenging rubbish.

Working in these homes presents a real challenge and gives a great sense of satisfaction. It is a very humbling experience to work with the nuns and other care workers who have dedicated their lives to serving the children of Cusco.

What's included

• A comprehensive information pack and support pre-departure
• Travel advice and assistance
• Pick up from Cusco airport
• A training course that introduces you to Cusco and your project
• Accommodation throughout - hotel with ensuite bathroom
• Breakfast
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

What else to budget for

The following estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£800-£1100 to Lima and £150 return domestic flight Lima to Cusco), travel insurance, visas (free), airport taxes (£30), food and general living costs (£25-£80 per week).

Spanish

An optional 1 week (20 hours) Spanish course can be organised for you whilst you are out there for £125 (additional weeks cost £105). We strongly recommend at least a week of Spanish lessons for anyone who does not already have a good level of Spanish. Whilst you can get by in Cusco using just English you will find that you have a much better experience all round and especially on your placement if you learn some Spanish.

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Orphanage in Cambodia

* Orphanages / child care in Nepal

* Orphanage in Thailand

* Street children and orphan schools in Vietnam

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More details

Background information about the project

As a regional capital, Cusco has a large number of orphanages and care homes, many of which are run by nuns from the Catholic church. Each specialises in a different area of care work. Most care for children who have lost their parents or been abandoned, some look after the very young whilst others care for older children. There are also homes for children with special needs.

Volunteer accommodation and food

Whilst based in Cusco, volunteers live in a hotel just off the main square in Cusco. Breakfast is included throughout your stay but you will need to buy your own lunch and dinner. You will find a variety of local and western food options across town, catering for all budgets. Most places have vegetarian options. 

Your accomodation is in a very safe area of town just a few minutes walk from restaurants, bars and cafes. Almost all the building are white washed with terracota roofs and many date back to the Spanish Colonial era. The streets are also patroled by tourist police at night to keep the area safe.

Your workplace may be walking distance or a short bus or taxi ride from your accommodation. The specifics of your day will depend on where you work as different institutions have different daily routines, but whichever one is chosen, there will be lots to do and plenty of opportunities to work closely with Peruvian children and adults and get to know them very well over the time you are there.

Freetime and travel opportunities

Cusco is a city of great contrasts and you will be able to get to know the local people, shop in local markets and experience the routine of life in a Peruvian city. It will be up to you how much or little you want to come into contact with the more western and tourist element of Cusco.

Spanish is the main language spoken in Peru and so if you really want to get to know Cusco better whilst you are there why not spend some of your free time learning Spanish. Let us know if you would like lessons to be arranged for you.

As the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is surrounded by some of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. Machu Picchu, the Inca mountain top fortress, is one of the most impressive Inca ruins and its just a few hours from Cusco. The Sacred Valley of the Incas is also very close, and we can make sure you get the best of it, absorbing the history of this incredible place and its people.

You can book tours in Cusco to the Amazon jungle, some of the most incredible wildlife and plant life locations on the planet.

For those who are adventurous, The Andes are very accessible for trekking and it is easy to hire a guide and a donkey on one of the more popular trekking routes, or of course you can book yourself onto an organised trek along the Inca Trail for example. Cusco is also well sited for some exciting white water rafting. 

Our staff can help organise these trips for you.

Challenges

Like in many developing countries, plans can change regularly and it can seem disorganised at times! The day to day nature of the homes and schools we work with can also be a bit chaotic, so we encourage volunteers to just get stuck in and enjoy it!

It is not the type of environment where you will be given direction all the time so this placement suits volunteers who have lots of initiative, drive and creativity.

Finally, you may well find it emotional as you form friendships with the children and learn about their lives.  It is likely this will leave a lasting impression on you.

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For this project approximately 60% of the fee you pay is passed to Peru and supports our ongoing work there.

Volunteer reviews

Click here to read volunteer reviews for our Peru Cusco volunteer projects.