Overview
Long Term Volunteer Teaching Positions in Peru

Volunteers will be teaching children a range of subjects, including basic literacy and numeracy, in ‘pueblos jovenes’ or ‘young towns’ that surround the beautiful colonial city of Arequipa. These long-term placements provide the children with much needed continuity and assistance which greatly aids their development. This GVI volunteer program runs in conjunction with leaders and teachers of the communities and volunteers will run educational reinforcement programs, and assist at understaffed schools.

Two weeks off is scheduled every 3 months so volunteers have an opportunity to relax or travel around Peru and other areas of South America. Additional opportunities are available to help you make the most of your time on the program; such as 40 hours of one-on-one Spanish classes as well as adventure activities including a three-day hiking trip to the Colca Canyon to see Condors, a mountain bike trip to Chachani and a guided trip to Salinas Salt Plain.

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To live in a country where Paddington Bear came from, for so long, I'm not sure why he decided to leave!

Clare Livingstone, GVI Volunteer, 2008

What Difference Does This Project Make?

As with our similar projects in Latin America, our aims are first and foremost in education, and pay particular focus on literacy and educational reinforcement for the children of each community. Global Vision International, with the full support of the leaders of the communities and the schools, aims to tackle these issues. As GVI’s volunteers actually do the teaching alongside the local teachers and on their own, we can group the children by age and grade, to pay closer attention to the children and the required subjects, and identify those children who require further help. Coupled with paying for the school supplies, it is hoped that more children will attend and will receive the attention needed for their standard of education to improve.

Highlights

Living with a host family; learning Spanish (optional); teaching and helping indigenous children and adults; exploring the spectacular Peruvian region on the side trips by bike, foot and on horseback; taking cultural workshops and excursions; amazing community interaction.

Location

You will be based in Arequipa, Peru’s second most important city. It is located just over an hour’s flight, or 13 hours by bus, south of Peru’s capital city Lima, between the desert and the Peruvian Andes. You will study (if learning Spanish) and live in Arequipa whilst travelling to nearby communities, or ‘pueblos jovenes’, to undertake the teaching projects.

Field Conditions

Living with local families in Arequipa in basic, but comfortable, accommodation will enrich your cultural experience and provide you with the valuable opportunity to practice your Spanish! You will have your own private room, hot water and three meals a day will be provided when with the family. The food is very typical of the area, and is varied, including meats, plenty of vegetables and fruits. Vegetarians are also well catered for. Volunteers live near each other in the same neighbourhood, which is a 10 minute walk to the Plaza de Armas, and also a 10 minute walk to the Spanish School and pick-up point to travel to work.