Want to see more of Peru?

Like a good painting, Peru is a country that rewards a closer look. The more famous attractions of Machu Picchu and Cuzco are well worth a visit but the country didn’t stop developing once the Inca’s disappeared. The cities in which these projects are based both lie on Peru’s Pacific coast and are good examples of the charms that lie behind the headline grabbing destinations. The centres we work with offer therapy to children suffering from mental and physical handicaps who haven’t previously been given any special care or attention. To help make up for lost time you’ll be busy dancing, painting, crafting and playing, and we’ll include our TEFL certification to help you prepare.

Project details:
We work with three projects throughout Peru. The Divino Jesus Association in M?ncora, Northern Peru was set up in 2003 with the aim of offering therapy to children suffering from mental and physical handicaps. The children are aged between 3 and around 20 and have not previously been given any special care or attention. This centre has recently been given governmental recognition as an educational institute and offers the community a centre where physical and occupational therapy can be offered.

Centro Educativo Carlos A. Mannucci based in Trujillo, looks after kids/adults with mental disabilities like Down's Syndrome, autism and deafness. The centre was founded 44 years ago as a charity, and around 20 years later the centre received recognition as a public school, and nowadays it is partly financed by the government and partly by the parents, through tuition fees.

We also have the opportunity to combine working in one of these centres with teaching in a local school also based in Mancora. Tupac Amaruis is a primary school and they have the need for English teachers

Why the project needs volunteers:
Working with children how come from very low income families and very little or no government or private funding all three projects have a very limited budget to employ permanent staff. Volunteers are essential to support the project and give the children the care and attention they need to continue to develop and have the stimulus they need.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
You would need at least a basic level of Spanish for this project, any further Spanish you can learn will be of benefit while in country. You need to be compassionate, affectionate, patient and you should really enjoy working with children!

It would help if you are reasonably independent as the projects are quite isolated, being a good distance from the capital, Lima.

Your role as a volunteer:
You can get involved in a wide range of activities such as dance, arts, crafts, and helping with playtime. You may get a chance to get involved with physical therapy as well.

Generally you can have the opportunity to teach in the morning and spend the afternoon working with children with special needs.

Where the project is based:
Mancora is about an hour away from the Ecuador border on the northern Peru coastline, where it is summer all year round, and surfing is a common sport. It is about 13 / 14 hours bus ride away from Lima. There are some facilities in the town itself like internet access but no banks.

Trujillo is a lovely coastal colonial city (700,000 pop) which is about 8 hours north of Lima. Trujillo is blessed with nice weather most of the year round, beautiful architecture and ancient archaeological sites. It is also very well known for holding major festivals where the main feature is the marinera, a celebrated Peruvian coastal dance.

You will need to arrive into Lima (LIM) on your specified arrival date. The in country team will book your onward travel which will need to be reimbursed during orientation.

If you have a preferred location please contact the Latin America team to state this, otherwise you will be allocated to the project that has the most need at the time of your arrival.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) or team will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Peru. You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Friday and will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night). You will be taken to your accommodation where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please contact Fiorella directly for your allocated accommodation in Lima.

Your orientation will take place the next morning and will introduce you to life in Peru as well as important information about staying healthy and safe and information on getting to your project. Over lunch you will have the chance to ask any questions of the team before starting work.

You will travel to Trujillo or Mancora on Sunday and will have bus tickets bought you just need to reimburse Fiorella in Lima during orientation

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 17.00