Peru youth volunteering
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world.
Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are dedicated to responsible tourism. All of the projects that we support directly benefit the environment, the local community, or both. All projects are carefully chosen to offer our volunteers sustainable and responsible travel, with specific attention being paid to their involvement in the sustainability of all their practices / project goals.
All of our projects issue the participants with clear guidelines on responsible tourism and ecotourism, all specific to the particular environment / region. These cover a number of issues, ranging from waste disposal in remote areas, recycling materials and buying from local businesses, to not exploiting the area’s wildlife or harming the environment.
Our programs often work to rectify damage done to the environment by humans. By encouraging everyone to engage with climate change, we work towards the sustainable development of the environment and the future of our planet. On all of our programs around the world we aim to keep our impact to a minimum and many of our activities directly affect the environment, for example:
Across Latin America and Africa we are working with communities to replace and sustainably manage forests in areas where there is a high demand for wood as fuel. In Kenya we have trained community members in alternative methods of charcoal production which are sustainable, generate income and protect the forest. In Latin America we build and provide simple energy efficient stoves to poor communities which reduces firewood consumption by as much as 70% and dramatically improves living standards.
Community
The Indigenous in Peru make up a large percentage of the population. Malnutrition is a problem in many regions and discrimination towards the indigenous population is prevalent. Water, electricity and basic utilities are still urgently needed in many areas of Southern Peru; mainly where these indigenous populations live.
Many new communities have recently been established on the outskirts of Arequipa. These families come from the altiplano, or high plains, and are looking for a better standard of living for their families. Water is a scarce resource and the government considers these impoverished regions low on their list of priorities. Water is vital to good hygiene, diet and farming. The most effective result of this construction project is to bring this essential element into these impoverished communities.
Whilst on the project volunteers travel out from Arequipa each morning to the community of Villa Santa Rosa de Chiguata, work on the cistern in the homes of families and then return to Arequipa later in the afternoon. You will be funding all the materials and local masonry work. You will work alongside a local mason and the family, mixing cement and constructing the cistern from start to finish. Within a few weeks a volunteer can change the life of a family forever.
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