Have you got a big heart?

The constant flow of travellers to their shores hasn’t blunted the enthusiasm with which Peruvians welcome new arrivals. A cool glass of the famous Inca Cola awaits everyone, especially those who have come to volunteer their time and efforts. Keep a couple of cans handy as they’ll go down well with the kids at this charity which works with around 270 abandoned or orphaned girls. The girls’ range in age from 5 to 18 and all receive shelter, food, education, health care and plenty of much needed attention. You’ll join a friendly team of psychologists, teachers, doctors and nurses to teach English, art, cooking and sport amongst other things. 

Project details:
We currently work with a number of projects, the first is the 'Hogar Ermelinda Carrera' was founded in 1896 by a Franciscan nun and is a home for around 180 abandoned or orphaned girls. In this home, the girls, whose ages range from 12 to 18, receive shelter, food, education, health care and much needed attention. Ermelinda Carrera is a charity. It receives funding from the government and from donations from the community and private companies.

The “Casa Hogar Virgen del Carmen”, was founded in 2006 through an agreement of the local governement and the Italian organization “Fondo Italo-Peruano”, and started operating in January 2007. The Hogar offers a home to approximately 60 teenagers aged between 12 to 18 years who are considered to be under physical or psychological risk. These girls used to live on the streets and came from an area in Lima of extreme poverty. This home provides the girls with shelter, food, education, health care and attention. Some of the teenagers also have their babies living with them.  

La Casa de Los Petisos was founded in 1985 and offers a home to approximately 35 boys aged between 10 to 14 years. These boys are considered to be under physical or psychological risk and may belong to families that are from the extreme poverty sector or have been sent to the home under the advice of the local judge. The home provides the boys with shelter, food, education health care and attention.    

Why the project needs volunteers:
The girls at Ermelinda Carrera and at the Hoga Virgin del Carmen are desperately in need of care and support and as the home is a charity it welcomes any help that volunteers can provide.

Volunteers will be able to support the girls at the Hogar providing them contact with the outside world and helping them on a daily basis, they will also be able to help personnel at the centre. Please note that this project takes only female volunteers.

The boys at La Casa de Los Petisos need some care and attention, also help form the volunteers with their homework and education. They love sports so you can help be a coach!  

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
As the locals do not speak that much English, you'll get more from your experience by learning some Spanish. Recommended level: Intermediate. You need to be compassionate, affectionate, patient and you should really enjoy working with children!

Your role as a volunteer:
Depending on your capabilities, you could be participating in various workshops with the children: English, cosmetics, arts, sewing, cooking, sports for example. You may also assist the teachers with the girls (some with special needs) and also help the teenage mothers with their babies. For the boys you will be involved in helping with homework in English, maths, computer skills, sports activities, and generally helping to feed the children.  

Where the project is based:
All the projects are based in the suburbs of Lima, the capital of Peru.

Accommodation is in Lima based homestays with a local family. They are all comfortable and well equipped with electricity, running water, hot showers etc.

You will need to arrive into Lima (LIM) on your specified arrival date.

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 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 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

What we will do after you've booked:

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. If working outside of Lima then you will travel to your project the following day.

Volunteers traveling to Mancora, San Andres, Trujillo, Cajamarca (Andes experience) will have bus tickets bought and 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.

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 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