Overview

Do you want to help underprivileged children?

Known to many as the ‘White City’, Arequipa's reputation precedes it. The majestic buildings of the city centre stand as a permanent reminder of Spanish occupation and their unique white Ashlar walls give the city its name (though a little research may uncover more sinister roots). Nestled at the foot of three volcanoes the city offers spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. Venturing out of the city brings just as many rewards with the rugged landscapes begging to be rafted, biked, and trekked. Our partner project in the city is a shelter home that provides underprivileged children with daily care, physical therapy, arts and crafts classes and English workshops (as well as a little TLC). 

Trip Highlights:

• Working alongside dedicated Peruvians determined to improve the lives of those less fortunate than themselves
• Marvelling at (or even climbing) the Misti volcano at the edge of the city
• Sampling a Pisco Sour or two - Peru's 'national' drink

Itinerary & Details

Project details:
Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru located 2325m above sea level and is surrounded by volcanoes and deep gorges. It is also known as the "Ciudad Blanca" (White City) for the numerous and magnificent constructions of temples, convents, big houses and palaces in white ashlar.

Working at one of a few projects in Arequipa you could be based at the Asociacion Hogar de Cristo. This project, founded in 1994, works with children who come from the poorest areas of Arequipa. The centre can host up to 50 children at any one time aged from 5 up to 17. This shelter home provides them with breakfast, lunch and a snack as well as daily care but the current staff are overstretched and would welcome volunteer help with open arms! This project prefers to have volunteers for a minimum of 4 weeks.

The second project, Hogar Jose San Benito Cottolengo is a charity founded in the year 2000 based in Arequipa a beautiful city surrounded by spectacular mountains. It presently lodges 17 special needs children (15 girls and 2 boys), who have different needs, such as Down syndrome, autism, mental disabilities, and who have been abandoned or come from the extreme poverty sector, and therefore their parents cannot take care of them. Their ages range from around 4  up to 28 years old. Please note that this project usually accepts female only volunteers.

We also work with the Casa Hogar Nino Jesus which was founded in 1994 by a French priest and is located on the outskirts of Arequipa. It is a home for approximately 35 children who have come from troubled backgrounds and have survived extremely difficult situations. The home aims to provide the children with a structured environment in which the atmosphere is one of a big, loving family where each child is taught the importance of respecting others.  

Why the project needs volunteers:
Both projects lack funds in order to hire staff and buy resources so volunteers play an important role in brightening and improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable Peruvians imaginable.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Volunteers need to have basic to intermediate level Spanish (i.e. be able to hold a reasonable conversation). You need to enjoy working with children, be patient, determined, imaginative and mature minded.

Your role as a volunteer:
Depending on which project you are placed at you could be helping with physical therapy, helping with feeding and washing, playing sports with the kids, organising English workshops, helping with homework and even leading practical classes in the likes of arts and crafts.

Where the project is based:
The project is based in the city of Arequipa and although it has approximately 700,000 inhabitants, it still has the air of a small town. The relaxed pace of this colonial city high in the Andes is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle for visitors. The Colca canyon is reportedly the deepest in the world, and unlike most of the Grand Canyons, portions of the Colca canyon are habitable, with pre-Colombian terraced fields still supporting agriculture and human life. But, what brings increasingly more visitors each year, in addition to the awesome sights, are the Andean condors. The condor population of South America is unfortunately dwindling, but here in Colca Canyon, visitors can see them at fairly close range as they float on the rising thermals and scan for carrion far below them.

You will need to arrive into Lima (LIM) on your specified arrival date. You will need to arrange your own flights to Arequipa on the Sunday after you arrive. It is also possible to travel by overnight bus on the Saturday evening to arrive into Arequipa on Sunday at noon. Please contact your desk officer for more information.

If you have a preferred location please contact the support team team to advise, otherwise you will be allocated to the project that has the most need at the time of your arrival. Please note that Hogar Jose San Benito Cottolengo project is only available to females and Hogar to Cristo is only available for a minimum of 4 weeks.

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 fora 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 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 project then a 60-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 team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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 team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals 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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly 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 from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

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

Next Steps

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

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)

We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.

We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with confirmation of your project and accommodation 2 weeks after you've booked

We will ask you to complete your forms and pay your final balance if they are still due when required

We are available for any questions you may have on +44 1132 050 076 or support@i-to-i.com

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:

1. Application from
2. Travel details
3. Insurance details
4. Medical information
5. Emergency contacts

Complete your police check if requested

Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)

Make final payment at least 90 days before you go

Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's 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 Arequipa on Sunday and will have bus tickets bought you just need to reimburse Fiorella in Lima during orientation

Flights & Insurance

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.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

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 a

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is €20.00