Volunteer at a Women's Shelter (Cusco)

  Peru

• Cusco: 
Cusco

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: United Planet's Quest Volunteer Abroad program offers you or your group a life-changing opportunity to interact with local communities through customized work experiences, cultural activities, and home stays. United Planet Quests are offered in 50 countries from 1-52 weeks.

Volunteer in a variety of different locations while immersing yourself in the Peruvian culture. As the birthplace of many ancient empires, many beautiful monuments and traditions remain from those times. Volunteers will live in Cusco, the old Incan capital, enveloped by the Andes Mountains. The stone buildings left from the Incas are filled with shops of beautiful artisan work and a variety of cafes and restaurants. Included is a trip to gorgeous Machu Picchu, the ancient mountain city of the Incas! For more detailed information, please visit our website.

Highlights: United Planet's Quests offers volunteers a unique blend of work, cultural emersion, and fun. All ages and skill levels are invited to apply. Everyone has something to offer!

Peru Women's Shelter:

Volunteers work with teenage mothers (from 12 to 18 yrs old) and their children in a home designed specially for them. The women come from the 'campo' and have a history of being subjected to abuse and violence. There is a maximum of 17 women with one child, at present there are 11 mothers and 11 children. They live an average of 4 to 5 years in the house and are assigned there by a family court judge. This house is designed to give these women a better future. Their children are sent to school and receive after school homework classes with a teacher. The mothers receive two hours of classes per day from a private teacher. The women are also taught a trade: they work in an atelier connected to the house where they make different articles of fabric. Psychological counselling and health support are provided for them. For the smallest children there is a wawawasi. This wawawasi is also open to women in the neighbourhood who don't live in the house. They can leave their babies in the care of the house from 7 am to 7 pm. Volunteers are needed to help in the wawawasi and also help the older children with their homework, as well as support the mothers when needed.

Qualifications: None

Cost in US$: Prices starting at 1295 USD

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: International volunteer travel is often filled with unpredictable surprises, such as transportation delays, local holidays, etc. Cultures may vary greatly and you might feel outside of your comfort zone in some situations. People, including the local population and fellow Quest participants, might have different religious, ideological, racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. United Planet offers volunteer opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds and request that volunteers strive to always be: flexible, courageous, open-minded, tolerant and compassionate. United Planet volunteers are offered pre-departure training and materials, which include cultural adjustment tools and other tips to help you adjust to your new surroundings.

Age Range: 16 +

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Peru Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

United Planet's Mission Statement: As an international non-profit organization, United Planet (UP) strives to create a world in which all people understand, respect, and support one another. United Planet's global network of leaders and volunteers fosters cross-cultural understanding and addresses shared challenges to unite the world in a community beyond borders. In 2008, United Planet was one of only ten organizations selected by CNN to be part of its "Be the Change" initiative.

Year Founded: 2001