Overview
Teach and Travel in South America for 12 Weeks

This South American programme takes volunteers to Peru and Ecuador to learn Spanish and teach literacy and numeracy to the children of underprivileged communities. GVI, along with leaders and teachers of the communities in both countries, developed this educational programme to help communities who otherwise may not have access to a full formal education.

During your time in Peru, volunteers work in the understaffed schools of the ‘pueblos jovenes’ (young towns) surrounding the beautiful colonial city Arequipa. In Ecuador, volunteers live in the beautiful market town Otavalo, whilst working in indigenous communities up in the mountains and experiencing indigenous Andean culture. During your three months volunteering in South America, volunteers also have the opportunity to enjoy several side trips, including a trip to the famed Machu Picchu Inca ruins.

View Film Footage, images, blogs, volunteer stories from the field, volunteer video diaries and more at the programs media centre

Maybe the best way to summarise it is to say that I went for 12 weeks and stayed for almost five months!

Charlotte Rooney, 2006 Volunteer

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 attention to improving the standards of literacy and education of 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 our volunteers teach alongside local teachers and on their own, the children in the schools can be grouped by age and grade. Therefore more attention can be paid to the children and the required subjects, and we can 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

Learning Spanish; living with a local family; going on fantastic biking and hiking trips in Peru and Ecuador; enjoying a three day hike in Colca Canyon to watch the mesmerising flight of the condor; (midway through the trip) going on a seven day tour to visit some awesome sights, including the famous pre-Columbian Inca site Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines (a spectacular series of geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert) and the Paracas Nature Reserve. Seeing the best that South America has to offer while giving something back.

Location

When in Peru, volunteers 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.

In Ecuador, Otavalo is our base town, located two hours north of the Capital Quito. Surrounded by cloud-covered 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.

Field Conditions

Volunteers 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 volunteers live fairly near to each other.