Overview
International Development Internships in South America

Assist children’s education projects and learn Spanish on this six month internship scheme. Volunteers on this program will train for 12 weeks alongside a dedicated staff supervisor in Ecuador, learn Spanish and teach children on a volunteer project before taking a teaching work placement in either Ecuador or Perú.

You will undertake 60 hours of one-on-one Spanish classes, teach in the communities and shadow GVI field staff, be involved in teaching and training workshops, gain an internationally recognised certificate in Team Leading and assist with the running of the program. This internship aims to allow the participants to make a real difference to the lives of underprivileged children and be trained in the skills of project management and team leadership. Paid or unpaid work positions available for qualifying candidates.

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Spending more than six months in South America is a really eye opening experience you get immersed in the communities and my Spanish is now fluent and I now feel I could run my own project with GVI.

John Higgins, GVI Volunteer and Intern, 2009

Highlights

Developing your personnel management, leadership and teaching skills through formal training presentations and linguistic skills with 60 hours of one-on-one Spanish classes, gain an internationally recognised BTEC certificate in Team Leading, opportunities to speak Spanish 24 hours a day, living in the beautiful highland town of Otavalo for the training and in Arequipa in Perú for the work placement and working each day in indigenous or remote communities; living with local families, learning Spanish, understanding local indigenous culture, local travel and adventure and cultural activities. Time set aside for University work if required.

Location

Where possible GVI will endeavor to ensure interns are based in their preferred country of choice for the work placement or a mixture of the two if desired. In Ecuador, Otavalo is our base town for the first 12 weeks, located two hours north of the Capital Quito. Surrounded by volcano peaks, the market town Otavalo is famed for its textiles and on a Saturday is filled with colourful crafts and textiles. Our projects are situated an hour away up in the mountains.

When in Peru, interns are based in Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city. Located over an hour’s flight away (or 13 hours by bus), south of the capital Lima between the desert and the Peruvian Andes, Arequipa is a pretty city filled with colonial buildings built of sillar (a white volcanic rock), which gives Arequipa the nickname ‘the white city’. You will study and live in Arequipa whilst travelling to nearby communities or ‘pueblos jovenes’ to undertake the teaching projects.


See Life on the internship page for more information

Field Conditions

Interns live with local families both in Arequipa and Otavalo in accommodation that is basic yet comfortable. This gives you a more enriched cultural experience and 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 you are 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. All interns live fairly near to each other and other volunteers.

See Life on the internship page for more information