Volunteering in Cusco - Peru

Hogar Clínica San Juan de Dios
Pronoei Kindergarten
Asilo de Ancianosd ¨La Recoleta¨
Inti Runakunaq Wasin
Asociación Kuychiwasi Casa Arco Iris
Las Leyendas
Las Madrinas
Meet your mentor

HOGAR CLINICA SAN JUAN DE DIOS

History/Purpose

A clinic run by a religious order that offers free treatment (or treatment for a symbolic fee such as a bag of rice or a bag of corn) to mentally and physically disabled children. Due to the present economic situation in Peru, the government has cut in funding for institutions like this one. The institute is mostly self-efficient in respect that they grow their own corn, potatoes and vegetables (in greenhouses), and have numerous animals that they keep for their own consumption as well.

FACTS ABOUT THE CLINIC

-52 children living at the hogar
-40 come for school or therapy daily
-72 children attend the school daily
-4 profesoras -3 enfermeras por la mañana
-2 enfermeras por la tarde
-3 terapistas
-Normally 5-6 volunteers
-Receive little funding from the government, and are trying to become self-sustaining.

Placement

In this placement there are many different options. Volunteers can work in the clinic feeding, bathing and playing with the children. They can also work as teaching assistants in the school, assisting with art projects and helping the children with their work. There is also the possibility to work in the physical therapy department, assisting with the therapies, in the greenhouse, or in the administrative office.

Requirements

Minimum work commitment : 4 weeks
Spanish : high beginner
Schedule : Flexible, but need a lot of help around lunch and dinnertime, and on weekends.
Capacity : up to 6 volunteers at a time
Other : Volunteers at this site MUST be self motivators. The clinic is SEVERELY understaffed, and often the nurses do not have time to tell you what to do. You MUST take the initiative and ask!

Note: Placements where volunteers work with special/disabled/hearing and/or speech-impaired patients may not intensive Spanish placements; however, Spanish IS needed to communicate with staff and to get the most out of the placement. to staff. Volunteers who want to practice their Spanish must remember to always make an effort to both avoid their native language (or English as it tends to be the common language among world-wide travelers in South America) and to seek opportunities to speak Spanish.

THE SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL is closed during "summer break": mid-December though beginning of April and again at the end of July for two weeks.

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PRONOEI KINDERGARTEN

History/Purpose

PRONOEIs (Programa No Escolarisado de Educacion Inicial) are government-run nursery schools/kindergarten for the extremely impoverished areas of Cusco. The volunteer placement at a PRONOEI (there are various locations) would include teaching English, helping the teachers in the classroom, and doing special activities with the children. There are about 5 different locations where you might work on the outskirts of the city. Each building holds about 35 children and there are very few resources, so the children lack pens, pencils, paper,etc. Therefore, a volunteer must possess creative skills to compensate for the lack of materials.

Placement

Teacher´s assistant. Volunteers for this placement must be highly motivated "self-starters" who are able to work independently. Also, some of these schools are in the outskirts of Cusco, so there may be some travel time involved.

Requirements

Minimum work commitment : 4 weeks
Spanish: High intermediate
Schedule: Monday through Friday from 9:30-12:00
Capacity: 1 volunteer
Other: Patience and a willingness to be helpful in all areas of the daycare.

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ASILO DE ANCIANOS ´LA RECOLETA´

History/Purpose

This is a home for elderly people. It is run by a Catholic order of nuns. There are four different wards: The general women´s ward, with 72 women-run by Madre Soranita. The women´s infirmary, with 32 women-run by Madre Mariana. The general men´s ward, with 86 men-run by Madre Soledad The men´s infirmary, with 33 men-Madre Soremilia.

Placement

Various kinds of work related to the care of elderly people, including helping to feed them lunch, bathing them, cutting their fingernails and hair, dressing them, as well as personal attention in recreation, for example, playing ball with them, drawing, walking around with them, games like bingo, dancing, singing, etc. The elderly people like having foreigners around and start smiling once you walk in the door.

For those volunteers with a medical background, a general medical placement is available. You will be shadowing the nurses and doctors until you are comfortable to take on individual patient duties. Patients´ medical needs include: administering of medicine, checking blood pressure, taking blood tests, performing general physicals, counseling on better health maintenance techniques, writing patient histories and updates, etc. It is also possible to work in the physical therapy clinic. Suggestions for contributions to bring to the clinic include: hats, towels, sheets, toilet paper, scarves, knitting equipment, games, cold medications, antibiotics, soap, candy.

Requirements

Minimum Time Commitment: 4 weeks Spanish
Level: High-Intermediate by the time the placement begins Schedule : Flexible but preferred is 9am to 1pm
Capacity: Maximum 2 volunteers at one time

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INTI RUNAKUNAQ WASIN

History/Purpose

A non- profit organization working with high- risk street children and adolescents, who for a variety of reasons (they´ve been abandoned/orphaned, have alcoholic parents, etc.) are sleeping/ living rough on the streets of Cusco. All funding for the project comes from voluntary donations and the staff team consists of 11 professionals who volunteer at the center in their spare time. The children are offered a structured educative, formative and occupational program with the aim of identifying and relating with the needs of the individual.

Facts about the Center

- The center works with between 40 and 60 children at a time and offers morning and afternoon sessions.
- Offers an educative program which enables preparation and reinforcement of school work and literacy (first 2 hours of each session is dedicated to the educative part of the program)
- Offers a formative program with the objective of developing self- esteem and cultural identity. (one of the volunteers is a qualified psychologist.)
- Offers an occupational program with the aim of developing personal aptitudes and practical skills including :
- carpentry, shoemaking, sewing, handicrafts etc.
- The project is also developing a school for parents of children at risk, working on a variety of relevant topics.
- Children prepare their own meals, with the help of staff, which are provided at the end of each session.

Placement

There are a number of options open to volunteers depending on individual skills, including :- helping in the classroom, helping with a variety of occupational activities, etc. Extra help will also be needed to find funding and the marketing of the project. (current funding runs out in June). Teaching the children to prepare meals and the cleaning up process afterwards is also a priority of the school.

Requirements

minimum work commitment of 4 weeks

Spanish high level beginner/intermediate

Schedule Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm
**3pm to 7pm Saturday 3pm to 7pm
**emphasis is on the afternoon shifts as more children attend in the afternoon when they have finished at regular school.

Other Patience and willingness to work with a challenging group of children and adolescents. The understanding and ability to handle conditions of the poor (for example, street kids can go for days without a bath and lack many standard social skills)

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ASOCIACIÓN KUYCHIWASI CASA ARCO IRIS.

History/Purpose

Asociacion Kuychiwasi is a non-profit organization working for the promotion of the coca leaf and coca leaf products. It was founded by Spanish friars in 1999 to sell coca based products in the hope of persuading the coca farmers to sell their crop on a legitimate basis rather than resort to selling to cocaine producers. Virtually all funding comes from the sale of their products in the store as well as the from the sale of ceramics/ pottery produced by local youths in the coca producing areas that also comes within the aim of the organization: developing artistic ability and generating employment and a self sustaining way of life. These items are sold, along with coca based products, in their shop situated in the Qorikancha.

This position is for a volunteer who is interested in promoting and marketing the beneficial uses of coca products and also helping out in their shop. Coca leaves are used in a variety of products including:- teabags, biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, bread, spaghetti, shampoo,soap, etc. and emphasis is on the nutritional and beneficial value of the coca leaf, something often neglected due to the links with cocaine production.

Requirements

Minimum time commitment one month
Spanish level medio- intermedio
Schedule mon to sat (hours changeable)
Capacity 1 volunteer at a time
Other A genuine interest in the overall promotion of alternative coca leaf products, bringing new ideas of marketing a product which although has negative

CONDITIONS FOR VOLUNTEER/INTERNS

a) Financing: Volunteers must pay their own expenses, including airfare to Cusco, Peru.
b) Lodging: With host family or at student residence that are shared with other volunteers. Volunteer fees must be paid in advance and are non-refundable. WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF 5 NON-PERUVIAN VOLUNTEERS, A PERUVIAN PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER SUPPORTED BY ORGANIZATION.
c) Health Insurance: Volunteers must have their own health insurance and need to sign a waiver to release from responsibility from any illness or injury incurred in Peru.
d) Duration of internships: The minimum time limit for internships is two weeks. The maximum time limit at any of the the options is three months (exceptions can be made in special cases). A special visa is required to remain in Peru more than 90 days.
e) Work Schedules: Volunteers are expected to work 4 hours a day, 20 days per month, from Monday - Friday.
f) Educational Requirements: A good working use of Spanish is required to participate in most of the programs. University study is not a prerequisite to be accepted into the program. Prospective volunteers should have interest in conservation and related human issues.
g) Volunteers are not tourists and are expected to work as any other employee of the program. Interns should be able to undertake strenuous, and sometimes tedious labor under primitive conditions.

Application Requirements

Following are the application requirements to be accepted into the volunteer program:
1) Payment of the specific program. PLEASE DO NOT SEND MONEY ORDERS.
2) Application letter indicating: experience, future interests, reasons for applying, preferred organization and participation dates (participation dates are needed to guarantee space availability).
3) Curriculum Vitae
4) Recent health certificate
5) If you have an original project include the work plan (2-5 pages)

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Academia Latinoamericana has designed the following options for students willing to participate in short term volunteer programs.  Our traditional volunteer/internship opportunities require a minimum of one month’s class and one month’s participation.  These are for anyone of any age, any Spanish level or time period.

LAS LEYENDAS
Volunteers for Literacy:  this is a volunteer program devoted to reading to children one - on - one and in groups, either in English or Spanish,  at various sites throughout the city. This could be at a school, hospital, or other charitable organization.  To have a special someone read to you is a memorable gift that stays with a young mind for a very long time! The extra attention and opportunity for sharing is often the only chance these children have for developing the joys of reading and to have the care of an older person in this fashion.  We have an extensive library of story books for this purpose and also gratefully accept donations of all our students to expand our collection.

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LAS MADRINAS
This is a program for orphanages, especially  for abandoned street children.  This is the place where, were it not for the sponsoring organization, these children wouldn’t be here today.  You might find yourself for the first time in your life where you have everything and someone else has nothing. And, what do we all need?  Loving arms and a warm heart, a place to simply be held and be loved, listen to a song, hear a story, and receive the joy of human love and affection. The appreciation and joy you will receive from this program are indescribable.

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MEET YOUR MENTOR
This program is designed to help college students in their English language, Science or Business studies.  They may need conversation skills, homework help, tutoring, or a general arm around the shoulder.  Participants don’t need to be a working professional in any given field, though it would be a bonus.  If you are a person willing to coach, cheerlead, or give that helping hand to an older student working hard to get that TOEFL score, write a business plan, polish a paper, or provide some insight, experience or advice, then this is a program for you!

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