Volunteer in Peru - Cusco | Most Affordable Projects

Translated by Go Overseas:

This stay in Cusco allowed me to meet many people, be it the family or other friendships that were created. Being in a family allowed me to better understand the culture and to have a "security" in case of problem. In addition, we have discovered extraordinary landscapes such as Rainbow Mountains or Machu Picchu for example and many other activities. Finally, my experience in two schools was very enriching to understand how the system worked, what was their pedagogy and the meeting with the different children was wonderful and very endearing. I also had the opportunity to meet other volunteers who did not necessarily work in the school field and we were able to discuss our various experiences.

Original:

Ce séjour à Cusco m’a permis de rencontrer beaucoup de personnes, que ce soit la famille ou d’autres amitiés qui se sont crées. Être dans une famille m’a permis de mieux comprendre la culture et d’avoir une « sécurité » en cas de problème. De plus, nous avons pu découvrir des paysages extraordinaires comme les Rainbow Mountains ou le Machu Picchu par exemple et de nombreuses autres activités. Finalement, mon expérience dans deux écoles a été très enrichissante pour comprendre comment fonctionnait le système, quelle était leur pédagogie et la rencontre avec les différents enfants était merveilleuse et très attachante. J’ai également eu l’occasion de rencontrer d’autres volontaires qui ne travaillaient pas forcément dans le domaine scolaire et nous avons pu échanger sur nos diverses expériences.

Translated by Go Overseas:

I loved everything about this trip. From the city, to the family and the program. My favorite part was to be able to teach and play with the children and the bond that I formed with them, to give them love and the love they gave me. The garden I went to is wonderful and the teachers are very friendly. The family I was with was also amazing, very loving, the house very comfortable and the food delicious; They made me feel very good and welcome. I loved the show's location too. Being in Cusco I could have the opportunity to meet many of the most beautiful places in the world, Machu picchu, the mountain of colors and all the Inca archaeological sites. It is a very safe place, and all the tours, the program and everything in general very organized.

Original Review:

Me encanto todo acerca de este viaje. Desde la ciudad, hasta la familia y el programa. Mi parte favorita fue poder enseñar y jugar con los niños y el vínculo que formé con ellos, darles amor y el amor que ellos me dieron a mi. El jardín al que fui, es maravilloso y las profesoras muy amables. La familia con la cual estuve también fue increíble , muy amorosa, la casa muy cómoda y la comida deliciosa; me hicieron sentir muy bien y bienvenida. La locación del programa también me encanto. Por estar en Cusco pude tener la oportunidad de conocer muchos de los lugares más lindos del mundo, Machupicchu, la montaña de colores y todos los sitos arqueológicos incas. Es un sitio muy seguro, y todos los tours, el programa y todo en general muy organizado.

I did a medical internship in Cusco, and it was nice, but the website says that we can go to surgeries and do sutures and other procedures, but we don’t do this things. We don’t even go to hospitals, it’s a public clinic that we work in. But the family was great, the mom of the house helped us with everything, gave a key to each of us, cooked for us, and she was really attentive. People that come to Cusco need to be careful with the food that they eat, because there is a lot of places that are not safe and really dirty. You should check the rate in some website to see if you can eat there. The city of Cusco has a great center, with a lot of places to eat and a lot of travel agencies, that you can book your trips. I recommend people to do the colorful mountain, Machu Picchu by train, laguna humantay and secret valley. It was a great experience!

This is an important project that will play a bigger role in creating a stronger community, helping global warming, helping the planet, helping the amazon, and preserving a community of awareness in Padre Coche.
The hostel is clean, safe, accessible and comfortable. The host is very clear, approachable and allows for a comfortable stay. She makes sure you are comfortable, she listens to your requests and concerns and she lays out clearly what to expect and what is expected of you.
The agenda as layed out in the program, was true and clear.
Although, I sometimes questioned if I was able to truly help in this project, I ultimately did feel like I contributed to something worthwhile, that my time was valuable and appreciative. Because I feel this is an important project that leads to a bigger picture and adds to a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this project. It is unique, yet it shows how in order to make big changes in the world, you need to start small, and you need to start at home.
I also enjoyed taking part and witnessing the anccestral communities and cultural practices that also contribute to the bigger picture of the importance of preserving land, communities and cultural practices in these smaller villages and provinces along the Amazon.

This was my first time volunteering and I really enjoyed the experience. My house home was so sweet, considerate and like a real family. They cared about my experience and we sat for every meal. They also were accomadating with my sleep schedule. Volunteering at Pronoei was also a great experience. I wish I was a little more prepared because we were left with the class on our own without the teacher. I would have prepared lessons - or if there were options for lessons that would have been great.
Although, I felt taking care of and supported, leading up to it I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting to. There were times when information conflicted each other. I just have a sense hat it is maybe a lack of staff and the amount of work but the staff works hard and are sincere with supporting us. It just felt slightly last minute or disorganized at times.

It was a great experience living so closely with the family. We learned about the authenticity of the food and culture of Peru. The family was welcoming and made the program that much more amazing. Be prepared to have the best Peruvian food! We were able to visit a school for students with special needs which was a great experience. I may come back to volunteer there next summer. Along with the great class experiences, we got to visit many great places on our excursions. We got to see many natural wonders like Rainbow mountain, which was beautiful, along with historical sites like Machu Picchu which was amazing to see and walk around in person. These great experiences were in addition to the amazing hospitality from our host family and the interactions with the wonderful Peruvian community.

Minha experiência no Peru foi maravilhosa! Em todos os aspectos... Meu projeto foi muito engrandecedor, pois cada dia tive a oportunidade de trabalhar em uma área da Medicina: pude aprender na Pediatria, na Clínica Médica/Medicina Interna, na Saúde da Família. E sempre havia alguém que estava responsável por mim; nunca me senti sozinha em meu trabalho. Além disso, a Volunteering Solutions estava sempre em contato comigo, perguntando se estava gostando, se tinha algum problema... Já em relação à minha família, não poderia ter ficado em uma casa melhor. Minha “mãe” e minha “irmã” eram muito atenciosas e carinhosas, e estavam sempre dispostas para fazer tudo. Cozinharam as melhores comidas peruanas e me proporcionaram os melhores momentos e memórias!

The program was amazing. The kids were great to work with and the sights we were able to explore over the two weeks were incredible. The staff was amazing and the host family was even better. I would highly recommend this program. The kids were a handful at first but you really need to get used to them. They’re used to new volunteers every so often so breaking the ice can be a little rough at first. The teach is super kind and clearly loves her job and the kids. Having some sort of lesson planned for them as far as colors and possibly numbers for them helps a great deal to keep their attention throughout the day. Aside from the kids we had plenty of free time to explore Cusco and neighboring areas as well as program planned excursions on the weekend. The things we were able to do in such a short period was incredible.