Childcare & Community Volunteer Work in Peru for Teenagers

Join a group of volunteers your age and support disadvantaged children and do community work while exploring Peru

Destination

Age

15-18 y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

During school holidays

Accommodation

Homestay

Service Hours

30-60

What’s included

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.
Bus

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Trip Overview

Jordana B

My time in Peru, even if short, was very sweet and left me memories that I will always remember! I went alone, something which I was scared about at the beginning, but actually turned out to be the best option and really helped me with my confidence.

What you need to know

Overview

Do you enjoy working with kids? Are you interested in supporting children in need? Or, perhaps you want to give back to a community in need through practical work. If so, this project is for you.

You’ll get plenty of experience working with children, and doing renovation work to benefit the community. This kind of work will help your CV stand out, and give you great points to talk about in applications and interviews. This is also the ideal opportunity to start learning Spanish, or practice what you know with locals!

You don’t need previous experience to join. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. You’ll work alongside local teachers and caregivers, and Projects Abroad staff are there to provide constant guidance. We’ll also give you ideas for activities you can do with the kids.

This project is designed specifically for teenagers, and runs over fixed dates during the summer. After the work is done, we’ll have cultural and social events for you to participate in, along with a weekend trip. Throughout it all, Projects Abroad staff will be by your side.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this project is to support local teachers and caregivers and help children learn through play.

In Peru, the care centres we work with have dedicated, hard-working staff. However, there are large numbers of children in each class, and staff struggle to give each child the attention they need. With your help, we can make sure that kids learn all the skills they need to thrive when they start school. You’ll do this by becoming part of our ongoing efforts to help children learn through play.

You’ll also help with improving the children’s learning environments, like painting a colourful mural teaching the ABCs, or building desks for classrooms. In addition, we get you involved in other community activities, like preparing meals for the elderly and spending time with them.

Outside of work, this project will give you plenty of practical experience for your CV, and give you a different perspective of the world. You’ll make friends with people your age from around the world, and see amazing sights, like Machu Picchu.

Join us on this project to help us reach these goals, and become a global citizen in the process.

Activities

You’ll spend your time at a daycare centre or kindergarten, working with children and doing renovation work. These are some of the main activities you will be involved with during your project:

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Assist staff at childcare facilities to help children learn through play

You’ll work with children at a daycare centre or kindergarten, and support the work of local teachers and caregivers. You may also work at a centre for children with disabilities.

You’ll help run fun educational activities to encourage children to learn important skills through play. You can use sports, arts and crafts, educational games, and other activities. You’ll also focus on literacy and numeracy, and teach the ABCs and 123s. You can also promote hygiene among the children, and encourage them to wash their hands before and after meals.

Give back to the community on outreach days

We have organised days where you will improve facilities or give back to a community through a specific activity. For example, you can spend a day painting walls or educational murals at a local school. You can also work at a centre for the elderly for a day. You’ll offer company and conversation to the elderly, and help prepare meals.

Learn about Peruvian culture and history during fun classes and activities

Peru is a fascinating country, rich in culture and heritage. You’ll get to take part in some interesting cultural practices during fun workshops. You can learn to cook local dishes during a Peruvian cooking class, or attend a ceramics workshop. If you’re up for it, you can even take part in salsa dance classes. Over a weekend, you’ll visit the breath-taking site of Machu Picchu. You can also shop til you drop at colourful markets.

Throughout it all, you’ll be with a group of teenagers your age and Projects Abroad staff.

Map & Location
Step into the home of the Inca Empire, where the Andes Mountains meet the Amazon Rainforest. Peru is the third-largest South American nation and about 60% of it is covered by rainforest. It’s also the origin of the mighty Amazon River.

Peru is a popular tourist destination for its rich history and culture, incredible biodiversity, and, of course, Machu Picchu. If you aren’t persuaded yet, this ought to do the trick: it’s home to about three-quarters of the global alpaca population!

Cusco

Cusco, nestled in the Andes in southeast Peru, was the capital of the mighty Inca Empire. Now home to half a million people, the stunning city welcomes over two million tourists a year, many of which hike the nearby Inca Trail to find the famous Machu Picchu.

Thanks to a high elevation and subtropical climate, Cusco benefits from comfortable temperatures year round. You’ll also find a lively city centre with busy social spots, a fascinating mix of architecture, and easy transport access.

Food & Accommodation

We’ll take care of all the essentials during your time in Peru. You’ll have a comfortable living space with a carefully selected host family, three nutritious meals a day, and access to safe drinking water. We’ll also organise all your travel to and from your placement.

Your host family’s home will be clean, safe, and secure, and you’ll be welcomed as a local from the moment you arrive. Share your stories and culture with your host family and other Projects Abroad participants over incredible home-cooked meals and experience Peruvian culture and hospitality every day.

We will try to match you with another person of the same gender and similar age so you can share your experience with a like-minded traveller. Who knows, you might just make a new friend (or a few) on your travels!

Meet your team

Ms Yessika Espinoza

Care Supervisor

Yessika joined Projects Abroad in December 2006 after previously working for an NGO and a bank. She enjoys being able to work with young children as part of her job. In her free time she likes spending time with her family in Cuzco and socialising with the volunteers.

Ms Irazema Arizabal

Country Director

Irazema became part of the Peru team in January 2003. She was born and raised in Cusco and studied Business Administration at the National University of Cusco. She previously worked as a pre-school teacher and later an analyst credit investigator for various financial companies. In her spare time she enjoys reading, watching movies and travelling, as well as meeting and interacting with new people.

Mr Santiago Paiva

Assistant Manager

Santiago is a tourism student from Cusco. He enjoys interacting with the volunteers, showing them around the city and sharing his culture. Santiago loves sport, especially football, and plays whenever he gets the chance.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Peru Arrival Procedures page.

Book your adventure

Call +353 (0)1 571 5080 to discuss special discounts or group bookings.

Still got questions? We’re happy to help!

Our trusted accreditations

British Youth Travel Awards Customer Service
Go Overseas Rating
SDG Contribution finalist
Go Abroad Winner
Learning outside the classroom badge
GoOverseas community choice award
Sustainable tour operator finalist
GoAbroad Rating
Volunteer Forever award