Community Development Programs in Peru

You can help communities in need while you enhance your skills and enrich your life.

“My experience in Cusco will last me a lifetime. The children at the orphanage where we volunteered were so incredibly sweet, welcoming and genuinely appreciated the help… Due to the flexibility of the program, we were able to give so much more than we thought possible. It is great because the street children touched our lives as much as we were able to touch theirs.”

--Brittany Becker, Peru, 2010

In Peru, you can work with street children at an After School Program or empower women and children at a local orphanage or shelter. Volunteers teach English, organize crafts and sports activities, and spend time giving children the individual attention they lack. Other projects offered include working with the disabled or elderly, as well as disadvantaged youth. A special project in Cai Cay, an indigenous village outside of Cusco, is also available for volunteers who stay in Cusco for four weeks or more.

	Enriching the Lives of Street Children Quest Minium Stay: 1 week Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Basic Spanish Though Cusco has all you could imagine for tourists, the economic situation leaves many children living and working on the streets. Work with a local Peruvian organization by helping kids with their homework, helping with leather purse-making workshops, teaching English (which is an essential work skill in Cusco), and organizing activities for street children. These children need you as mentors to keep them on track with schoolwork and help them learn work skills so that they can create a better life than they have now. No experience needed and only a basic level of Spanish is required. Ask about our different locations!
	Women's Shelter Quest Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Intermediate to Advanced Spanish Volunteers work with teenage mothers (from 12 to 18 yrs old) and their children in a home designed especially for them. They live an average of 4 to 5 years in the house and are assigned there by a family court judge. For the smallest children there is a wawawasi. The nursery is open to women in the neighborhood who don’t live in the house. They can leave their babies in the care of the house from 7 am to 7 pm. Volunteers are needed to help in the nursery and also help the older children with their homework, as well as support the mothers when needed.
	Orphanage Quest Minimum Stay: 1 week Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Basic to Intermediate Spanish Work at a state orphanage for abused, abandoned, or orphaned children. The children live and eat in 12 different houses where a foster mother takes care of a maximum of 10 children and sends them to school. Volunteers assist the foster mothers in taking care of the household, gardening, farming, helping with homework, and organizing sports or other recreational activities.
	Day Care Quest Minimum Stay: 1 week Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Basic Spanish You can help prepare children from 3 to 5 years old for entering the education system. You will work in a kindergarten that receives around 18-25 children coming from poor families. You will assist the teachers in their daily activities, help with homework, teach English, and organize recreative activities with the children. A strong interest in children and an outgoing personality could be very helpful.
	Juvenile Detention Center Quest Minimum Stay: 4 weeks Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Intermediate to Advanced Spanish Though Cusco has a great deal of activities for tourists, the economic situation leaves many Peruvian children living and working on the streets. You will have a chance to work with be a mentor for boys who have committed acts of violence, theft, or sexual assault. You will be able to use your skill set to create or participate in pre-existing projects and programs such as organizing workshops (shoe-making, furniture construction), helping the on-site psychologist (for psychology professionals), teaching dance classes or leading group activities such as various sports (especially soccer!).
	Children's Clinic Quest Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Basic to Intermediate Spanish This healthcare program is great for certified doctors, dentists and pediatricians as well as paramedics, medical or dental students. Paramedics, pre-med/dental, medical/dental students can assist and observe and become part of the clinics team, however, professional skills are not necessary! The clinic was founded by a Catholic order in 1995 and is part of an umbrella organization that has private clinics all over Peru. The children, from age 2 to 15, often come from communities far from Cusco. Many of their parents have sent them away because their physical and mental incapacities are not understood. The clinic consists of roughly 60 staff members and 50 accommodations available for patients. Almost all on-site doctors speak a fair level of English. As a volunteer you can help these children even by basic things such as feeding them, brushing their teeth, playing with them, and taking them outside.
	Enriching the Lives of the Elderly Quest Minimum Stay: 4 weeks Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 16 years old, Intermediate to Advanced Spanish This is a house for elderly in extreme poverty, a lot of them without any family to take care of them. Volunteer service consists of feeding, helping with bathing, organizing group dynamics activities as well as recreation. Their clothes, internal medical care and physiotherapy are also included in the care. There are two different areas in the house, one for the men one for the women. The elders are free to leave the house during the day. Geriatric specialists and physiotherapists encouraged to mobilize their skills in Peru!
	Rural Quest Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Volunteers Needed: Year Round Requirements: At least 18 years old, Advanced Spanish, previous international travel experience recommended Cai Cay is a remote village an hour outside of Cusco. The locals dress in traditional clothing and uphold much of the ancient culture. The volunteer work here includes working with the children between the ages of 4 to 18 years old. You will be helping the children with their homework, giving lessons in English, and playing with them.

Questions about applying? 1-800-292-2316

Call one of our friendly regional Quest coordinators today. We will walk you step-by-step through the application process and answer any questions you may have.

Step 1: Choose your Quest. Contact us at any time for help! We'd love to talk to you. Email or call 1-800-292-2316.

Step 2: Enroll online. Please fill in the online enrollment form. At least 60 days before you depart, you will need to reserve your spot with a deposit.

Step 3: Meet your Quest coordinator and iron out the details. Once you've applied, someone from the United Planet Team will contact you, and arrange a time to talk about your Quest of interest. THANKS!