Volunteering in Peru

A country with am amazing array of bio-diversity, Peru is considered as one big habitat for humans, flora and fauna. It is situated in South America and has the South Pacific Ocean on one side and the mighty Andes Mountains on the other. As a result of being close to the sea as well as the mountains, Peru enjoys several micro-climates like no other. Some of the main attractions apart from the famous Inca Trail and Machu Picchu include the pre-Columbian cultures, the cuisine, the natural resources and the exquisite colonial architecture.

Why Volunteer In Peru

Volunteering in Peru is like being the closest you can be to nature and civilization, both of which has supported each other well through millions of years. As a volunteer in Peru, you will not only get an insight into the lives of the Peruvian people but also get to enjoy the many colors of their culture and tradition.  It is a unique experience that you will be able to re-live time and time again and the warmth of the people of Peru will not remain just as a moment in time – it will become a timeless treasure.

Types Of Projects Available
As a part of volunteering in Peru, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:

• Conservation Project: When in Peru, you will be able to spend a lot of time trekking through the beautiful and captivating landscape as a volunteer in a conservation project. Peru has a wealth of natural resources and the variety of flora and fauna is probably more than anywhere else in the world and hence there is a huge responsibility of preserving the natural habitats. As a volunteer in Peru, you will play a definitive role in conservation of Amazon rainforests as well as the higher and lower regions of the Andes, the varied wildlife, and the historical sites. This is one of the most interesting volunteer programs.

• Internship: There are different types of programs available under volunteering in Peru. You can volunteer for a program for 2 weeks or work as an intern for 1 year. Under the internship program, you will be working with the local people and get to understand and experience their culture from up-close. You will get to understand their problems and find meaningful solutions that can be applied practically.

• Volunteer with Orphanages: There are several orphanages in Peru and as a volunteer in Peru, you can choose to work with any one of them. You will have to care of the children whose age can vary from 1year to 10 years or more. You will have to teach them languages, take care of their educational and health requirements, teach them sports and get involved in extra-curricular activities.

• Health Care: Most of the health care volunteer programs in Peru deal with curing preventable diseases. The medical or health infrastructure in the rural areas is understaffed and not well equipped. As a medical volunteer in Peru, you will be able to make contribution towards strengthening the Peru’s medical infrastructure in the rural areas. Health care can vary from technical areas like nursing and surgery to taking care of mentally ill or HIV patients.

• Sustainable Development Projects: These are specialized projects where some areas might require you to have prior experience and knowledge while in other areas, you don’t require any prior experience. Most of the sustainable development projects deal with four important sectors and they are Environment, Education, Health Care, and Business.

Volunteer Requirements

Age: The minimum age for volunteering in Peru should be 18 or older.

Some of the volunteer programs will require a 2-4 week training program before you start working on the project. The training will be provided by the volunteer organization.

Fee and Other details

There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:

1. Accommodation: There are different types of accommodation available in Peru. This includes Host family normal, Host family plus, Host family matrimonial and apartments. Of course the type of accommodation varies from organization to organization.    

2. Food/meals

3. Travel insurance

4. Transportation within the region

5. Emergency support

Conclusion
Volunteering in Peru has its own benefits as it will open your world to some of the most beautiful aspects of nature that you have probably seen before only in the National Geographic magazines. Projects can vary from 7 days to 4 weeks and depending on the type of volunteering work you are interested in, you can submit your resume with the respective organization and begin the journey.