Overview
Volunteer on building projects in Peru, South America

Help bring water to families where water supplies are scarce. Southern Peru is one of the driest places on the planet and many families in these impoverished, desert regions have no water supply. By providing these families with a cistern you can dramatically change their standard of living within a couple of weeks. The work is hard but rewarding and the cistern will last for many years. This two week or more volunteer program takes you to the foot of the Misti volcano, in the south of the Peruvian Andes around the town of Arequipa, where indigenous culture is still very strong. Here you will be building water cisterns to communities in the desert surrounding the city around the homes of families in the community of Villa Santa Rosa de Chiguata. During your time you will also undertake 10 hours of one-on-one Spanish classes and head out on a mountain-biking adventure on Chachani volcano. Trips to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail can be organised from Arequipa and are a must if you plan to explore Peru and South America after your volunteer program.

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I can say it was a very rewarding experience...

Peter O’Farrell, Volunteer

What Difference Does This Project Make?

Many new communities have recently been established on the outskirts of Arequipa. These families come from the altiplano, or high plains, and are looking for a better standard of living for their families. Water is a scarce resource and the government considers these impoverished regions low on their list of priorities. The school where we run our education program was built in 2006 and much of the community is less than 4 years old. Water is vital to good hygiene, diet and farming. The most effective result of this construction project is to bring this essential element into these impoverished communities. Within 2 short weeks a GVI volunteer can change the life of a family forever.

Highlights

Make a visible, hands-on difference to the future of an indigenous community; get immersed in the local culture; experience and live amongst the breathtaking beauty of the Peruvian Andes region; build a cistern from scratch and see others in action; get one-on-one Spanish tuition and take a biking trip down the Misti volcano!

Location

Nestled high in the Peruvian Andes at 2800m, the town of Chiguata is a perfect base from this program. Our base town is the colonial capital of Arequipa. All of our volunteers live here and work in the surrounding communities.

Field Conditions

Volunteers spend their time in the beautiful colonial hotel Casa de Avila. Our base of operations is here as well as our Spanish School. It is a great location for our volunteers to get to know the other volunteers and GVI staff. You will receive hot water and three meals per day (except Sundays) are provided throughout your stay.