UBELONG Responsible Volunteering in Peru: from $150/wk

I volunteered with UBELONG for 3 weeks and it was a life changing. I had never volunteered or gone to South America, and I chose them because of their low prices and because they're volunteers themselves who are passionate about service. I also liked how they presented the projects, it was clear they knew what the issues were and focused on putting people into positions where they could make a difference. I liked how UBELONG prides itself on being an international development company and not a tourism company. My UBELONG Mentor was always there for me, especially in the beginning when I was nervous about what to bring, safety and travelling alone. They were also very accommodating in letting me volunteer for 2 weeks in Lima and then 1 week in Cusco. Lima was eye awakening, the project was devoted to helping poor women have more successful lives as mothers and people in general. The other volunteers were from all over the world, I made friends who I still keep in touch with, and it was a very welcoming atmosphere at the volunteer house. There was always someone to talk to or go out with, I enjoyed it a lot. Cusco was hard work and it was difficult to see so many poor children, but they were so friendly and welcoming. I also met a friend from Spain who was also a UBELONG volunteer while I was there so it was very good to work together and also enjoy ourselves&including with a trip to Machu Picchu, which is amazing. I highly recommend UBELONG, they're a passionate and doing a lot of good.

I had a wonderful two weeks with UBelong. My average day consisted of teaching kids english, which was a lot of fun. The place we stayed at has a great view, and the added bonus of great food is hard to beat. I really feel like they go out of their ways to make us feel comfortable.

In a nutshell the trip was one of the most inspiring, life-changing, eye-opening, and fun experiences of my life! Martina and the rest of the staff were so friendly, answered all of our questions, and made us feel very prepared and comfortable. Everything was so well organized from landing in Cusco to departing for back home. The meals were also extremely delicious, and they were very accommodating for the 5 vegetarians in our group. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to volunteer at 3 different sites to get a broader perspective of Peru. I had a wonderful experience and would recommend Ubelong to anyone in a heartbeat.

We used to go to a clinic to help out inside the service for disabled children. We basically played with them during the mornings and helped at lunch especially the youngest ones. This experience has been really fulfilling in terms of human contact. I was afraid about being of very little help but I realized there are a lot of things one can do by just being with the children and doing the to amost basic games or activities, like drawing or dancing, even wandering around the clinic!
The local culture was also very interesting : great contrast between the place we stayed at (touristic = clean and rich) and the suburban areas in which we operated (poorer). And I was amazed by the importance of the "extra-legal" system overthere : one might think of this as anarchy, but I found it amazing how people try to abide by extralegal-but more reasonable and fair rules. This way, people can go around state rules without running into wild anarchy.
I would highly recommend this program to every one that is interested about embracing another culture and about bringing happiness to a bunch of lovely people :)

I had a great experience with UBELONG. They did a very good job with organizing everything for me from the beginning. My volunteer project was amazing and I really enjoyed working with the children. Overall Cusco was beautiful and an awesome experience. I am so greatful to UBELONG for everything.

With out a doubt, my time in Peru with UBELONG was the greatest summer of my life. Here are just a few things I have learned:

About volunteering –
1. It’s a strong drug; you just can’t get enough.
2. The last week comes up quickly and you will never have done it all. That is okay! Just be ready to go back!
3. You are important. You are not a faceless human lump just moving through. The people around you will appreciate the effort you put in, the children will love you for playing Red Rover, your fellow volunteers will appreciate the energy you have and your new friends will appreciate your different outlooks and perspectives.
4. Instead of thinking, “Am I doing it right?” think “Are they getting something from this?” My particular experience involved teaching children and there was nothing more satisfying that seeing the kids write the correct answer on the quiz. Don’t worry, just do.
5. It’s a total blast! Volunteering isn’t work, it’s fun. How often do you get to impact and change lives with a smile on your face the whole time?

About UBELONG-
1. Founders Cedric and Raul are pretty freakin’ cool.
2. Volunteer. Discover. Impact. – truer words were never spoken.
3. There is no better support than the support UBELONG offers. Though you may have only booked one seat on the plane, you are not going alone.
4. UBELONG has placements all over the world and there by opened numerous doors to you. Definitely open a new door as often as possible.
5. While you can’t put a price on the experience, the price of UBELONG is more than reasonable; it is unbelievably affordable and the quality of service belies it’s modest fees.

About myself –
1. I am strong enough to have done international volunteering and so I am strong enough to do anything.
2. Never say no; saying no only limits you. Experience, taste and appreciate everything that is offered to you.
3. Without a doubt, I will be back to Peru. I feel madly in love with the place, the people, the food, the music, even the dust.
4. Some of my very best friends in my life are from Huaycan and they have a perpetually open invitation to my home and I to theirs.
5. I am a Red Rover Champion.

If it hadn't been for my time with UBELONG, I don't know that I would be applying for the Peace Corps today. I owe UBELONG and all the wonderful friends in Lima a huge thank you.

I just got back from a wonderful experience in Huancayo, Peru. Although Huancayo is a smaller city in Peru, the people in the community were amazing and welcomed us with open arms. Our host family and Cecilia, the UBELONG local coordinator, helped us navigate to our work sites and cooked us amazing food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My group and I worked in the day care and taught English in one of the local schools. We also had time to paint a mural inside one of the day care centers. We had a great time and I highly suggest looking into volunteering in Huancayo.

I voluntered for 2 weeks with UBELONG in Huaycan, Lima, Peru.

A typical day started around 9 or 10 am, with French private class with one or two adult students until noon. Then we had lunch all volunteers together, time to share our experiences, ideas, and more. During the afternoon, we had 2 to 3 classes, French but also sport, art or English. It was a good to be helping on other projects also. This gave us a larger image of people, to see them in different fields, and another chance to help them! At night we had a good time with other volunteers and students, for example we played soccer each Sunday night!

The most frustrating or challenging:
Peruvian schedules are very different than what we’re used to in France. One time we had a class at 1PM, but one of the students did not show up until 4PM. She apologized and said there had been traffic on the way. That is indeed the case, traffic in Lima is bad, but I think the culture is also more lax about timeliness. As long as you understand this and do not expect Peru to be like home, you adapt and accept that it’s part of the experience. In this particular case we just had a private lesson with the student. It went very well.

What I learn about myself:
I was reminded how incredible Peruvian culture is. It’s very welcoming and family oriented. The first Sunday I was there, the family next door invited us to their home. They were so pleasant and treated us as if we had been there forever. Family is at the heart of everything in Peru.

I also learned to be more patient and to take things more slowly. When I first arrived in Lima, I was at full speed. I had been coming from Paris where I was working, and it took a couple days to slow down and adapt to the local pace. I think this is common for most volunteers, especially when they’re coming directly from working.

I also was very pleased to have been able to make an impact on the students in so short a time. The students appreciated us being there, and I could tell they were interested in learning about France and the French language. Unlike the English project, the French project is much smaller so it was not as common for them to be able to sit in a French class. I hope the project can keep growing so other volunteers can build on it and have the students speak more French and learn more about France.

At the same time, I think the students impacted me even more than I impacted them. They have so little and face challenges we can’t even imagine. However, they continue being positive and there’s not the materialism that can exists in richer countries. It was inspiring to see their strength, and, as poor as the community was, I felt myself being more positive and hopeful.

UBELONG is a really good and professional organization. I highly recommend them. They are with you all the time: before, during and after your placement. They are very good advisers. And the project they choose to assist is the best choice in Lima, Huaycan is one of the poorest area of the city. You can feel they really need you, and you can do something very helpful for them.