Involvement Volunteers International WHY we need you in Peru
- Approx 40% living in Cusco, Peru are living below the poverty line.
- The average monthly wage in this region is only approx 338 Solas (USD $101)
- We can learn a great deal from their holistic cultures and their high-quality, low-impact ways of living.
- These are often socially conscious communities using participatory ways to enhance their spiritual, social, ecological, and economic aspects of life.
HOW can you help?
- Take part in gift wrapping and giving
- Holiday parties at a special needs facility
- Art and craft activities with the kids and elderly
- Bring joy to deserving communities
WHAT you can do?
- Children’s holiday cookouts at the park
- Eco-sustainable agriculture conservation projects
- Community beautification projects
- Bringing the holiday spirit and putting a smile on peoples faces!
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity with 35+ Years Experience
- Incredible Local Team with Outstanding Reviews
- Genuine Medical Experience in Real Hospitals & Clinics
- Low Program Fees
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
PROJECT NAME: CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR HOLIDAY SPECIAL
LOCATION: CUZCO, PERU
START DATES: 17th DEC 2023 AND 24th DEC 2023
ACCOMMODATION: HOMESTAY (SHARED ROOMS)
MIN DURATION: ONE WEEK
MIN AGE: 16+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Criminal background check required
Overview
Christmas and New Year brings about a season when we can reflect on our blessings, revel in the company of loved ones, and share happiness and gratitude, particularly with those who are less fortunate. That’s why we are running a special holiday program tailored for this time of year. This program offers volunteers the opportunity to convey warm wishes and spread festive cheer to communities and children in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. 🎄
Volunteers have the flexibility to join us for either one or two weeks during the Holiday Season:
Christmas Week: Sunday, December 17th – Saturday, December 23rd.
New Year’s Week: Sunday, December 24th – Saturday, December 30th.
Throughout these week-long programs, volunteers will visit various projects each day.
Working together as a team, they will provide assistance as needed, participate in activities, and share quality time with the people at these projects during the holiday season. Volunteers will be assigned to either a morning or afternoon group, dedicating 3-4 hours per day to their service.
Volunteers will have the chance to visit a different project every day, including the following:
• Community beautification projects
• Children’s holiday parties
• Holiday parties for the elderly
• Children’s holiday cookouts at the park
• Holiday parties at a special needs facility
• Eco-sustainable agriculture conservation projects
• Mayan/Andean communities’ immersion
• And much more!
Please see daily schedule in the FAQ below.
Location
Cusco is easily one of the top 5 ancient civilization centers in the world, is also home to immense scenic beauty, bio-diversity and incredible culture. On this project, you’ll be situated in Cuzco City.
Project Tasks
- Spread the merry to local residents who may be down on their luck
- Take part in community projects like crafts, gift giving and beautification projects
- Host parties for kids, the elderly and special needs residents
Food & Accommodation
Your accommodation will be in home Stay’s with middle class Peruvian families in Cuzco. You’ll likely be placed centrally or approx 10-15 min walk to the central volunteer & training centre. You can request to either share with other volunteers or have a private room in the home stay. For shared rooms, you’ll normally share with 1-3 other volunteers of the same gender and age group.
All host families are very experienced in hosting international volunteers and go through a rigorous process to ensure very high quality standards are met. These homes have electricity, western style toilets, running water, bed linen & basic amenities such as clean drinking water. Hot showers are less common however!
You’ll be provided a key to the house and are free to come and go as you please while being respectful of the house rules of the family. WiFi is available at some home stay’s however most volunteers will purchase a data plan for cheap to be used with their own device as required. Most families are happy to help with laundry, but you should expect to pay around US $2 per load if going to a local laundry service.
Breakfast & dinner are included each day. Peruvian food is very nice! Rice, beans, and corn are popular ingredients, and fresh root vegetables like cassava, taro, and sweet potato are in most dishes. You can also expect some fruits and vegetables, such as avocados (palta) accompanied by spicy aji salsa.
Specialty
Projects
- Rainforest Conservation
- Indigenous Community Immersion
- Public Health & Nutrition
- Medical Hospital
- Community Construction
- *Christmas & New Year Holiday
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1 Week - $520
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2 Weeks - $865
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3 Weeks - $1125
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1 Month - $1370
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2 Months - $2390
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3 Months - $3390
What's Included
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Accommodation
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Meals
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Airport Pickup
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Local Transportation
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1 Day Orientation
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24/7 In-Country Support
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Project Materials & Equipment
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Pre-departure Expert Advice
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Preperation Tools & Checklists
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Certificate of Completion
- Application fee is one off per person (unlimited placements)
- Click Here to convert the below prices to your local currency
- Discounts may apply if travelling in a pair or group!
- All credit card /international fees included in below pricing! 🙂
Testimonials...
FAQ
If you don’t mind giving up your winter (or summer, depending on where you’re coming from!) holiday and would like to spread the festive cheer, then yes! This is a varied program, where each day you will do something different. It focuses on different community groups such as kids, the elderly and special needs, so great if you want a bit of a ‘all-round’ project and to help in lots of different areas.
- Airport pick-up
- Host family accommodations
- Breakfast and dinner, 7 days/week
- 1 day orientation
- 24/7 in-country support
- Walking tour
- Official certificate of volunteer service
- Letter of recommendation
- Spanish language tutoring table
- Tandem Conversation Program
- WiFi and computer lab
- Salsa dance classes
- Cooking classes
- Free coffee and tea and on-site snack bar
- Volunteer centre open 7 days/week
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
An in-depth orientation is included for all volunteers.
This orientation is designed as a 1 day overview to help ensure you are equipped with the necessary info to effectively work with the local people and community. This may include but is not limited to;
- Peru culture / history overview
- Spanish language lesson
- Customs / law’s / do’s & don’ts
- Volunteer expectations
- Home stay guidelines
- Travel opportunities during free time
- Overview of your placement
- Notes from previous placements to help maximize impact
Our local team will pick you up from Cusco airport, on the Sunday before your project. Sunday night accommodation is included in the fees.
If you arrive outside the pickup times, you can book a private transfer for an extra fee.
If you want to book any extra nights before or after your program, you can do this for an extra fee.
Christmas Program
Sunday, December 17 – Arrival & Orientation
TBD – Arrival, pick-up, transportation to housing
PM – Orientation at the institute
Monday, December 18 – Alpaca & Llama Day
AM or PM – Animal Care Project
Spend the day grooming, feeding, playing with Alpacas,
Llamas, and other cute, fluffy animals. Work in a
community that depends on and cares for these animals.
Tuesday, December 19 – Community Development
AM or PM – Construction Project
Paint, garden, work on light repairs or construction work.
Work varies depending on community needs.
Wednesday, December 20 – Children’s Holiday Party
AM or PM – Working with Kids Project
Show the kids a great time for the holiday! Celebrate by
bringing gifts and food to the project. Take part in games,
songs, dancing and more!
Thursday, December 21 – Eco-Environment
AM or PM – Planting Trees & Beautification Project
Work to rehabilitate a part of Cusco with native foliage!
Transplant, relocate, and plant organic and local
vegetation in previously green areas.
Friday, December 22 – Holiday Party for the Elderly
AM or PM – Local Nursing Home
Spread the Holiday Spirit at an elderly home by playing
games, preparing a special holiday snack, dancing, and
providing much needed company and conversation.
Saturday, December 23 – Departure
TBD – Departure
You can arrange airport drop-off for an additional
charge at the client service desk.
New Year Program
Sunday, December 24 – Arrival & Orientation
TBD – Arrival, pick-up, transportation to housing
PM – Orientation at the institute
Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Institute closed
Lots of local holiday festivities to enjoy independently.
Tuesday, December 26 – Community Animal Campaign
AM or PM – Animal Care Project
Assist at a local dog shelter with general care, including
bathing, grooming, exercise, and more.
Wednesday, December 27 – Children’s Field Day
AM or PM – Local Park
Depending on weather, accompany children to a local park
to get fresh air and have a little holiday fun.
Thursday, December 28 – Children’s Holiday Party
AM or PM – Working with Kids Project
Celebrate the holidays with underprivileged kids by
bringing them food and gifts!
Friday, December 29 – Community Development
AM or PM – Construction Project
Paint, garden, work on light repairs or construction
work. Work varies depending on community needs.
Saturday, December 30 – Departure
TBD – Departure
You can arrange airport drop-off for an additional
charge at the client service desk.
* Transportation to/from the institute to the project is included.
** Itineraries are subject to change based on field conditions.
Weekends are always free for volunteers to relax and do as you please exploring the incredible sights in/around Cuzco. Most volunteers will organize to meet up at the volunteer center and head out from there. It’s worth noting that in this region, most families are religious with Sunday the day of rest this also means many stores and restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Volunteers must:
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Those under 16 are welcome when there is a faculty leader, parent, or guardian present
- Have a valid CRB check working with children
Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia this South American country of 33 million is an incredible destination.Peru has a fascinating 5000 year old history and unique cultural heritage that exists to this day!
With world renowned historical sites like Machu Pichu, incredible natural wonders like the Amazon rain forest, the Andes mountain range and loads of adventures such as rafting, zip-lining, paragliding and mountain biking, Peru is seriously an amazing place to visit!Don’t forget the Peruvian coastline which accounts for 10% of the whole surface of the country…Although the Incas are the most famous, there are other pre-Columbian cultures and unexplored archaeological sites which can be located in the North of Peru.
A country of contrasts, crazy traffic, 6700 meter high cities, amazing beaches and sunsets, tropical rain forests and lamas!While the Amazon represents 60% of the Peruvian surface, it is the least densely populated region of the country. Therefore, it holds a lot of uninhabited parts, untouched by humans and beautiful unseen areas. With all the madness of the cities, the countryside is never far and in our opinion, here is the place where you can experience something very unique and special. Here is where you will make a difference.
Peru has over 10,000 years of history! It’s no surprise that Peru has an incredible wealth of culture and tradition that is one of the most varied countries in the world.
As the 3rd largest country in South America Peru is divided into 25 regions and 11 eco-regions. With an enormous range of landscapes, biodiversity and natural resources, you can boil this down to 3 main regions being 1) Coast, 2) Mountains 3) Jungle.
Spanish is the official language and spoken by 85% of the population with 47 other native languages present among the various regions. Music and dance play a vital role in Peruvian society. Hispanic influences combine with Spanish and ancient styles to create a flair that is unique to Peru.
Peruvian’s are proud people and very aware of the natural world and the value of the Andes, Amazon and historic civilizations in this region. The country has overcome difficult political and economic issues.
The people are welcoming and attentive to visitors with food and music being the central point for celebrations and of course colorful dress which is unmistakable. Peruvian’s love football (soccer) which is the national sport and you can often see families playing together. Most of Peru is quite religious with Catholicism very prominent.
In Peru, personal hygiene and style are very important and people tend to dress neatly and professionally. Be prepared to cover your shoulders and knees, and wear clothing that is not revealing or extravagant
The climate varies depending on altitude and region, but for the most part the dry season is from May to November, and the ‘green’ season from December to April.
As Cusco is 3000 meters above sea level, the average temperatures in Cusco rarely reach above 25 degrees celcius. During the dry season expect sunny, warm days and cool nights. It’s generally warmer during the ‘green’ season with intermittent rain and sun during the day and mild rainy nights.
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