A Life-changing, Rewarding and Affordable Peruvian Experience!
Go beyond your boundaries and volunteer in Peru! With Rustic Volunteer, you can explore a fascinating Andean country alive with cultural activities such as hiking the Inca Trail, wandering through Machu Picchu, exploring the Amazon Jungle and crossing through the Andes. With magnificent ruins of ancient culture and Spanish colonialism, Peru is a popular destination for volunteers who believe in sharing their love and passion with poor kids and communities. Rustic Volunteer's volunteer in Peru program gives exciting opportunities for volunteers to learn and experience Peru's diverse history, lush natural beauty and mysterious Incan Empire—all while helping the most disadvantaged people.
Rustic Volunteer's volunteering Peru projects are located in Cusco and the Sacred Valley as well as Manu National Park, one of the largest parks in South America. Rustic Volunteer partners with local orphanages, schools, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, childcare centers, clinics and hospitals in order to provide volunteers with a rewarding and meaningful experience as they improve Peruvian quality of life.
Contact us now and begin an exciting journey to the beautiful Peru. We will send you more information so you can start your Andean adventure as soon as possible and take advantage of a life-changing opportunity.
get more informationAll volunteer programs start on the first and third Monday of each month.
If you are tired of expensive volunteer programs but want to make a positive contribution in the world, look no further! Rustic is dedicated to offering high quality, well-organized and meaningful programs at the most affordable price in the United States. We work hard to keep costs as low as possible, focusing on the effectiveness of our projects, the safety of our volunteers and the quality of participant experiences. We currently offer the most competitive price possible in today's market including an application fee (of $299) AND a small weekly fee as follows:
| Duration | All Other Projects | Medical Project |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Week | $209 | $234 |
| 2 Weeks | $343 | $368 |
| 3 Weeks | $427 | $502 |
| 4 Weeks | $511 | $586 |
| 5 Weeks | $620 | $670 |
| 6 Weeks | $704 | $754 |
| 7 Weeks | $788 | $838 |
| 8 Weeks | $872 | $922 |
| 9 Weeks | $981 | $1,006 |
| 10 Weeks | $1,065 | $1,090 |
| 11 Weeks | $1,149 | $1,174 |
| 12 Weeks | $1,233 | $1,258 |
Airport Pickup and Transfer $20.00
Mandatory Comprehensive Travel Insurance $3.49/day
Spanish Lesson (10hrs a week, M-F) $70/Week
Volunteer in Peru working in an orphanage and change the lives of poor, abandoned and deprived children. The orphanages in Peru aim to offer a home, education and hope for orphans. However, they are understaffed and need virtually any and all assistance possible in continuing to offer vitally important necessities as well as educational and extracurricular activities. Rustic Volunteer’s orphanage program is the perfect place for volunteers and travelers looking for opportunities to share their love, passion and skills with these very-unfortunate children. Volunteers can benefit by supplying these orphans with much-needed love and companionship as well as a solid foundation to meet children’s needs, ultimately make their dreams for a brighter future come true.
Please note: volunteers up for a greater challenge can opt to volunteer at an orphanage/home for children who are mentally, emotionally, physically and or developmentally challenged. For this project, volunteers must commit to at least one month, have intermediate Spanish skill and have experience in social work, psychology, nursing, counseling or a related field.
As a volunteer in Peru working in the orphanage project, participants will engage in a variety of projects depending on individual skills and interests. Activities may include:
There are no specific skills or requirements to volunteer in Rustic Volunteer’s Peru orphanage project. Basic to intermediate Spanish skills are advantageous, but not mandatory. Volunteers should be flexible, patient, caring, respectful and passionate about children.
In Peru, hundreds of poor children live begging and sleeping on the streets. Various educational, recreational and health projects are ongoing to support Peru’s unfortunate street children, as many families are caught in the throes of poverty. Volunteer assistance is urgently needed to assist local nonprofit organizations, schools and after-school projects to carry out programs for poor, at-risk and street-involved children. Presently, Rustic Volunteer works in collaboration with child development projects focusing on getting these children off the streets and providing them with basic necessities and education. Volunteer in Peru with the Street Children and Educational Programs and gain the opportunity to share your love, passion, and skills with these very unfortunate children who have rarely experienced love in their life.
Each volunteer in Peru working with Street Children and Educational Programs will work in a variety of projects depending on individual skills and interests. Volunteers’ daily activities may include:
There are no specific skills or requirements to volunteer in Rustic Volunteer’s Street Children and Educational Programs. Basic to intermediate Spanish skills are advantageous, but not mandatory. Volunteers should be flexible, patient, caring, respectful and passionate about children.
English is vitally important in a town like Cusco where tourists flock from all over the world to see Machu Picchu. Tourism and hospitality is rampant as people explore the center of the ancient Incans and Spanish colonialism. Volunteer in Peru to teach English and open doors for poorer students, providing them with greater job opportunities and brighter futures. Many students attend schools in Peru in which courses such as English are required, but are not taught because of the lack of funds and teachers. In other schools, the courses are taught, but at a very low level because the teachers are not qualified to teach these courses. Rustic Volunteer’s volunteer teaching English in Peru projects offer volunteers ample opportunity to explore the day-to-day life of Peruvians, while helping young students improve their English skills.
Each volunteer in Peru teaching English will work in a variety of projects depending on individual skills and interests. Volunteers’ daily activities may include:
There are no specific skills or requirements to volunteer in Peru in Rustic Volunteer’s Teaching English project. However, volunteers must be able to act as good role models for children. While Spanish is preferred, it is not required. Volunteers should be flexible, patient, caring, respectful and passionate about children.
Volunteer in Peru and work in clinics and hospitals to improve primary healthcare, which is significantly lacking in resources, facilities and attention among impoverished Peruvians. In effect, knowledgeable and able-bodied volunteers are in great demand. Rustic Volunteer partners with hospitals, clinics and nonprofit organizations to provide volunteers with the opportunity to dedicate their time and energy to those who do not have easy access to healthcare. Our partner organizations specialize in a wide variety of fields such as rehabilitation for children, general medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, obstetrics, neurology, dental, family medicine, psychology, counseling, social work, physical and occupational rehabilitation, etc. Rustic Volunteer is also partnering with a mobile hospital, where specialized medical teams and volunteers with experience in mental health are greatly needed. Volunteers interested in a medical or healthcare field have tremendous opportunities to gain professional experience, engage in Peruvian culture and make a positive contribution to the community where the need is greatest. Volunteers with or without experience can work alongside doctors and nurses to improve the quality of life for local Peruvians by providing them with healthier lives and brighter futures.
Depending on your level of training, certifications and licensing, your responsibilities as a volunteer working in the medical/healthcare project in Peru will greatly vary. Partnering clinics and hospitals try to create a learning environment and use their volunteers as efficiently as possible. Specialized and qualified medical professionals will be able to practice their specific fields. For those without experience or certifications, clinics may provide basic trainings and specific responsibilities will be less technical. Depending on your standing in the medical field, volunteers may:
Our medical placement is available to volunteers with or without experience. If you do not have experience, you must be ready to observe and be involved with real life medical procedures and possible emergencies. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical students and volunteers with medical related experience are asked to submit proof of a healthcare certification, such as an ID as a medical student, EMT, paramedic certification or nursing or physician's credentials before joining this project. This way, you can volunteer according to your level in the medical field. Volunteers need to be 18 years. Intermediate Spanish skills are highly beneficial. Volunteers must be respectful and easy to work with as well as open minded, flexible, independent, enthusiastic and hardworking. Volunteers must be able to work well with patients and always stay positive.
Fancy leaning Spanish in Cusco, Peru while volunteering to help disadvantage communities? Check out our amazing new opportunity.
Improve your Spanish, or become an expert, or just learn the language to make your stay more meaningful with our Spanish program in Peru. You will start the program with a small test to assess your level. Following that you will begin your program on the level that suits you best. The classes can be arranged either in the morning, so you volunteer during the day, or in the evening or afternoon and you can volunteer in the morning. It’s flexible, fun and very affordable. It also makes it much easier for you to communicate with locals. You can travel around too without any worry and also succeed in immersing yourself in fascinating Peruvian culture. Learning Spanish is in fact a great way to discovering Peru.
Rustic Volunteer arranges volunteer meals, accommodations and strong field supervision for the duration of projects and optional travel packages. In Peru, most volunteers stay with a host family, but may decide to stay in a hostel. Host family accommodations are simple and clean homes in safe neighborhoods. Volunteers usually have a private bedroom, but occasionally rooms will be shared with a same-gender volunteer. Our host families are well screened and are respected members of their communities who live in affluent neighborhoods. Most of our host families have experience with hosting international volunteers. Host family stays are a great chance for cultural immersion and exchange. Eco-volunteers will stay in a volunteer bungalow built especially for volunteers' convenience and comfort. The bungalow has multiple rooms, indoor "western-style" bathrooms and an indoor eating area.
Volunteers receive three local meals per day consisting of local Peruvian ingredients (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We can provide vegetarian meal options, but needs must be detailed in a volunteer's application. Snacks and beverages outside of mealtimes are not provided; however, there are local restaurants and grocery stores near the residences in which we place volunteers. Volunteers staying in hostels will be responsible for their own food and it will not be included in program fees.
Rustic offers unparalleled field support to volunteers to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. There are many layers of support for you. The most important support comes from our country coordinator/field staff. The secondary support comes from the host project staff and members of host families. Volunteers will have access to our country coordinator's mobile number and they are available 24/7. Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. Our field staff will visit regularly (every 2-4 weeks) to make sure things are going well and as planned. However, if placement is far from our local offices, staff members will stay in touch via email/ phone. Volunteers are also welcome to stop in the offices at any time.
Specific details regarding accommodations, food and contact details for our local coordinator will be provided in personalized volunteer placement documentation prior to arrival. Specific details regarding accommodations, food and contact details for our local coordinator will be provided in personalized volunteer placement documentation prior to arrival.
get more information
The orphanage project is located in Cusco, Peru's most mysterious city and capital of the Inca Empire. Peru is full of contrasts: from traditional culture and history to modern urban infrastructure and much of the amenities you would expect from a city. Volunteers can engage in a variety of excursions and adventures such as visiting natural reserves, exploring the Amazon, whitewater rafting, visiting historical museums, wandering through famous ruins (such as Machu Picchu), hiking the Inca Trail, exploring large canyons (larger than the Grand Canyon), horseback riding, bungee jumping, quad biking, sand boarding, surfing, paragliding, etc. Regardless of your interests, you will find an adventure or stunning activity that is just for you. Your in-country coordinator and staff will be happy to help you in any way necessary as you plan your time in Peru.
Please read Rustic Volunteer's 4 steps of application
Now, once you purchase your ticket, send your flight information to our US office by fax or by email. Your flight information will be forwarded to the Peru staff who will arrange an airport pickup.
You must fly into Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru 's capital city. From Lima, you will have a connecting flight to Cusco; or you may elect to use bus service (you are responsible for this travel)
Upon the receipt of your flight information, our in-country coordinator or other project staff will greet the volunteers in the airport and take you to your project site. The address and telephone number of the local contact hotel will be given before departure just in case volunteers miss our representative in the airport. Please make sure to e-mail your flight information to both the USA office and the local in-country coordinator's office.
Cusco Airport (CUZ)
Available upon request. Most are very familiar and comfortable with their stay and have great ease taking their own taxi or bus back to the airport.
Rustic Volunteer manages one-way transportation to project. Volunteers will be responsible for their own personal and return travel. We do not cover daily transportation from host family/hotel to the project. Volunteers will be responsible for their personal and return travel. Our program is designed to save you the volunteer as much as possible.
Every Monday of each month, year around
Rustic Volunteers/Travelers coming to Peru are advised to arrive one day before their program start date. If you arrive more than one day early or stay after the program, you will be responsible for your room and food expenses.
30- 40 hours per week
Rustic strongly suggest that all volunteers apply for a tourist visa, in a timely manner before departing for Peru. If you are coming from the United States, a visa is not required before landing in Peru and going through customs. Please call our office or contact the local Peru embassy to learn more about visa, visa fees, and visa extensions. Getting your tourist visa is your responsibility.
Peru has modern and advanced medical care available. Please be informed about the risks of international travel and possible concerns of Peru. Here are some recommended sites:
WHO website for international travelers ( http://www.who.int/csr/ihr/en/ )
General Health Tips for volunteer in Peru:
It is advisable that you carry a small health kit which should include remedy for upset stomachs, some antiseptic cream, hydration powder, deet mosquito repellant, sun block, band aids, etc.
We recommend all volunteer/participants visit the Center for Disease Control's website (www.cdc.gov ) for traveler's health recommendations. Your travel doctor will be knowledgeable about current epidemics and should be consulted.
Recommended Vaccinations and Preventive Medications
The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to Peru. Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need.
What is the exchange rate? Where should I change my dollars? Can I use a debit card or credit card? Should I bring travelers checks?
Dollars can be changed at the exchange houses in the airport. ATM machines are widely available.
Do not come without any cash as ATM machines can be down or not accept your card. It is wise to check with your bank ahead of time to confirm that your card will work overseas. Debit cards and credit cards are becoming more acceptable at major stores; however, they are still not accepted as widely as in the States. Do not use your cards at any smaller or non-reputable locations. Travelers' checks will have to be exchanged in the banks as most locations will not accept them directly. Debit card is the best way of getting money. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted in some of the large stores and hotels in larger cities, but may not be widely accepted in smaller cities and not at all in the villages.
How much money you bring depends on your personal spending habits. Thrifty people can get by on less than $30-40/day. Your budget should also include money to explore Peru in free time as well as for your personal use.
How does Rustic Volunteer help me when I am in the field? How can I maintain communication? Does Rustic Volunteer visit volunteers?
Once the volunteer program starts, our local staff members stay in touch with volunteers. We visit our volunteers every 2 weeks (if possible) and you are always welcome at the office. We recommend that the volunteers stop by the office once a week if they are in the local area just to let us know how they are doing with their home stay and project. Many minor issues can be overcome through a little communication long before they become major issues - ensuring that your trip is exactly what you had hoped for. Your project will have local staff members as well, though not our own. If your project is very far, then our local staff maintains communication by either email and/or phone. We are available to you at the office, by email, and by phone for your entire trip. It is our job to make sure that you are safe and healthy.
How do I communicate with my family? Rustic Volunteer staff? Is there internet?
There are many internet cafes in town which run around $1/hour. There are also international phone cards available to make international calls. Also, please use local phone cards for local calls, as every minute of local or international use is billed to the families. If you need to contact the Rustic Volunteer staff locally, the families will generally allow you to use the phone for short periods.
In the world, you can find a total of 32 kinds of climate and Peru has 28 of them (87.5% of the total!). In other words, a trip through Peru can lead through hot deserts, dry forests, humid savannas, plain rainforests, cold plateaus, cool steppes and icy mountains.
As a way to explain its average weather we can say that in the time of the typical northern hemisphere summer, in Peru you will have winter in the coast, and summer in the Andean highlands and the jungle. In the opposite, winter in northern hemisphere, you will have in Peru a rainy season in the Andes and the jungle, but a hot summer all over the coast.
Passport and Documents
Volunteers should hold a valid passport and necessary documents while traveling in Peru. Please carry photocopies of your passport and travelers checks while in Peru to make replacement easy if they are lost. Medicine If you are under medication, please do not forget to pack enough medicine for your entire trip; your brands of medicines may not be available in Peru
Footwear
Normal leather shoes or tennis shoes, which can be brushed off or wiped off, are appropriate for working in the placements. You will want light comfortable footwear for evening walks and other leisure activities.
Clothes
T-shirts, jeans, and shorts are common. Bring your bathing suit. Please note that while it may get quite warm during the day, it will get very cold after dark, and you may need a sweater and winter clothes even in the summer!
REMEMBER THAT PERU IS BELOW THE EQUATOR AND SEASONS ARE REVERSED FROM THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!
Medical Kit
It is always useful to carry a small personal medical kit. This should include: plasters (Band-Aids), personal medication to last the duration of the program, fungicidal foot powder/cream, antiseptic cream, mild painkiller (aspirin), tweezers, scissors etc.
Insect Repellent
Do not forget to bring insect repellent, and use it often to reduce the possibility of mosquito-borne illness, if you are traveling in the jungle find a repellant with DEET, the more the better, you can pick it up from a local sporting goods store like REI.
Other
Please do not forget to pack a torch (flashlight) some rural villages won't have electricity all day or after dark and you may have to use an outdoor bathroom (at night) at some point. Also pack a camera, film and maybe a personal stereo. You may wish to bring a diary, pens and pencils, and a book to read on the plane. Bring a rain coat during the rainy season (December through March).
What gifts should I bring for my project and/or host family?
It is a common courtesy to bring a small gift for the staff that will be hosting you. You are not required to do so, but if you choose to bring something it can be pretty simple. We suggest a box of chocolates, a t-shirt with a hometown/country logo, or pictures of your family and local post cards. If you want to bring gifts for your project and if you are working for an orphanage or a school, please bring pencils, pens and paper, art supplies like markers and construction paper pads, as well as games for the children to enjoy. Remember that every child will need these items so you may wish to bring enough for a number of children.
