Projects Abroad: Volunteer in Peru

My experience in Peru overall was amazing! I loved the family I lived with; they took really good care of me. I loved the children I worked with, although it was challenging at times. I met a lot of really cool people from all over the world. I enjoyed traveling throughout Peru, and experiencing new things. I learned a ton.

However, I wish I knew for certain that more of the money I paid to volunteer abroad went to the families and the local communities we were there to serve. The project wasn't incredibly well-run, although the coordinator I had the most contact with was fabulous. But sometimes school supplies, etc., were hard to come by, and I felt that the money I paid to the program should have gone more towards items and activities like that.

But overall, as I said, I would encourage everyone to step out of their box and take a chance to meet new people and experience a new culture! There's no better way to learn!

Projects Abroad is great if you have not volunteered abroad before. There is a lot of support in the home office and staying with a family is a really great way to learn the culture. I volunteered at a special needs school and the teachers and the students were wonderful. I prepared activities, which the office can help you with. Peru is a wonderful country to go to and I would recommend it to anyone.

I had the most amazing experience in Peru with Projects Abroad. Not only was my volunteer experience amazing, but my host family was so generous, understanding and friendly (especially since I had nooo previous knowledge of Spanish) and the other volunteers were all so supportive and fun. You truly feel like the other volunteers are family. I made some of my best friends there, and still keep in touch and travel with some!!
Amazing program.

Working with exotic animals was a huge experience to be a part of. Most individuals only see jaguars and monkeys in zoos, but getting to work and feed them firsthand was an amazing oppurtunity.

Some difficulties of living at Taricaya Lodge was the food. The cook serves these huge meals that makes you feel like there trying to make you fat before they eat - the children story Hansel and Gretel. It is similar to food that you would eat at home, but some of the tastes are different because things are locally grown and not shipped as you would get at a grocery store. Taricaya Lodge tells you that they provide water which they do - to an extent. The water is murky brown and upon arriving at the lodge staff warn you of the danger of drinking it and that you can go buy some at Amazon Planet if you are not comfortable which is a ten minute walk away. The people that you are in contact with before your departure to Peru really need to inform you that you need to change money over. Other like myself only changed a little money to Soles(local currency) because we did not believe that we would be leaving the Taricaya to buy anything - we ended up have to drink our water sparingly which in a humid climate is not that healthy.

Taricaya Lodge sets daily routines for everybody that they write on a board every evening. You change activities daily, but the staff will take into account something that an invidividual does not wish to do.My most favourite activity was animal feeding - you prepare all the animals meals and than serve it to them. The monkeys were the funniest to serve because they like to climb on you in their haste to get to the food before everybody else - The baby howler monkey, for example sits on you while she eats.

My only advice is to do everything at least once - your in the Peruvian rainforest, step out of your shell because you only live once and 5 years down the road you'll regret not getting in that cage.

I did the Inca Project in Peru. I found the project amazing. Living in a small community in Peru was a great experience. The day to day lifestyle for this project was a lot of fun, there was a lot of hiking and work with machete's along with community work such as dentistry work and helping at the local school. It was quite a physical project, but very rewarding. At the Inca project all volunteers live together in a converted barn and everyone is looked after very well with delicious cooked meals. I would recommend this project to everyone.

My ProWorld trip to Peru was easily one of the greatest and most memorable times of my life.

Constructing cleaner burning stoves was one of the best, most memorable parts of the trip because we made a contribution to a community in need in a personal way.

Before becoming a volunteer abroad, I had never thought about the effects of indoor air pollution. Clean air and water are basic things we take for granted that everyone deserves access to.

Everyone should open their eyes with an experience volunteering abroad. ProWorld makes it easy to make a difference around the world. ProWorld Peru looks out not only for the volunteers but also the local community. I would recommend the program to everyone.