Affordable Volunteer Programs in Peru: $180/week

Interview with Kristine, IVHQ volunteer in Peru alum

GO: Why did you decide to volunteer with IVHQ in Peru?

Kristine: I spent a majority of my senior year of college researching various organizations with volunteer programs. The problem I continually faced was the high expenses - that's until I found IVHQ. The program fees for IVHQ were so much more affordable, especially considering I was going for 6 months.

GO: Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Kristine: Most mornings I would wake up at 7:20. I wouldn't bother showering and would just go to breakfast in the dining room. The volunteers all stay in one house (which is at the house of the woman who runs the non-profit). Volunteers would stagger into breakfast all the way up until 8 when we would typically go out the door to our various projects.

I had three different projects during the week - I wanted to experience it all! Mondays I would go to the orphanage in walking distance of the house. I worked with girls ages 7ish to 13. During their summer we would color, jump rope, make bracelets, play Jenga, sing, and everything in between. After some time with the girls, I spent an hour with toddlers. I would play with them outside (which involved a lot of chasing), help them get ready for lunch and school, and then would help feed them. After lunch, the volunteers would all return to the volunteer house. We would eat lunch together and then have the afternoon free. I took advantage of Spanish lessons the first month I was there. That helped me brush up on my forgotten Spanish grammer. It was nice having Monday afternoons free to explore Lima.

Tuesday mornings, would start out earlier; leaving by 7:45. The volunteers all would eat breakfast and take a combi to Pachacutec (about an hour outside of Lima). There I taught English at a public school. We spent the morning at the school and occasionally spent the afternoons on a project (i.e. painting a house, mixing cement etc.) I fell in love with Pachacutec and the children there. Tuesday afternoons, the girl volunteers would go to a girls prevention home. We were responsible to teach English but always had additional time to do activities with the girls. The girls were typically adolescents so nail polish, dancing, and bracelets were always a hit.

Wednesdays I would go to a special needs orphanage in Lima. The toddlers and younger children, some with severe disabilities, would need assistance with feeding and therapy time. I participated in therapy sessions with some of the children and used the time to play with the babies. Thursdays were always the same as Tuesdays and Fridays as Mondays.

Volunteer with IVHQ in Peru and see all of the wonders Peru has to offer!

GO: How has this experience helped you grow personally and professionally?

Kristine: My experience in Peru and with IVHQ changed my life completely. I went down to Peru a recent graduate with a social work degree and found something that excited my soul and consistently made me smile. The culture and country grabbed hold of my heart and almost a year out, I still miss Peru everyday. I am currently in graduate school getting my masters in social work and my experiences in Peru have impacted all my daily interactions. I have a greater sense of what poverty is since I spent weeks in Pachacutec where many don't have running water. As a social worker and as a member of the human race, my compassion and love for others has only grown due to my life experiences in Peru. I can't wait for the next opportunity to travel and see the world. I just want to love others and that's exactly what I was blessed to be able to do through the program.

Interview with Tanya Drummond, IVHQ volunteer in Peru alum

GO: Why did you decide to volunteer with IVHQ in Peru?

Tanya: I was looking for something exciting yet meaningful to do during my summer break from school. I didn´t want to spend another summer just sitting around the pool or working some lame summer job, so my father suggested I look into volunteering so that I could travel with a purpose.

I did a lot of online research about different organizations but IVHQ stood out as an affordable option with many exciting possibilities around the world. So many of the volunteering organizations were charging way above my student budget, but IVHQ was very reasonable. I chose Peru because the programs they offered really piqued my interest and I loved the option of Spanish classes to improve my communication skills with the Peruvians I was working alongside.

GO: Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Tanya: I was able to do a few different volunteer activities since I was there for 5 weeks so my daily activities varied which was nice. The schedule was usually quite constant, a few hours in the morning were spent working in the volunteer positions (usually about 9am-12pm), then I would head to the Maximo Nivel building (the company who is partnered with IVHQ in Peru) where I could meet up with new friends to eat a delicious lunch packed by my host mother. I then chose to have a few hours of Spanish lessons but I also had the option of using the time to explore Cusco with other volunteers. Sometimes in the evening there were planned activities such as parties for the volunteers or I would spend time with my host family. On the weekends there were often trips planned for the volunteers which I would definitely recommend!

Tanya visited Machu Picchu in Peru with IVHQ

Most important was the time spent actually volunteering. I started off working at a hospital where I did my best to entertain and provide basic counseling to patients who may have been feeling sad, frustrated or just downright bored as there were hardly any sources of entertainment at the hospital. I brought games to play with the kids, or coloured or read with them and with the adults I listened as they spoke about their lives or I provided some insight into what life in Canada is like.

My next endeavor was to work with impoverished children who lived in a very remote area in the mountains. Along with the other volunteers I spent the day teaching the little ones Spanish (numbers, shapes, alphabet) and the older children basic English. We also taught them other important things such as the importance of hygiene (i.e. brushing their teeth and washing their hair and faces) and played sports and games with them to teach them the value of teamwork.

My third experience was a jungle conservation project where I got to spend a week at a remote jungle lodge planting medicinal gardens, taking inventory of wild animals in the area and forging hiking paths through the Amazon jungle!

Tanya volunteered in Peru with IVHQ

GO: What made this volunteer experience unique and special?

Tanya: I feel like I experienced more in 5 weeks than many people experience in a lifetime. I adapted to a new culture and lifestyle very different from my own, I formed ties with other volunteers that are still strong to this day and I had the opportunity to learn that even those who can´t afford to donate hundreds of dollars to charity can still make a huge impact in the lives of others. IVHQ really facilitated every step of the process and were extremely organized and professional, making the experience all the more enjoyable.