Volunteering in Peru

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.

Rachel has been working with Projects Abroad for 8 years and as a trained biologist she has specialised in the field of ornithology. A qualified bird bander Rachel is out in the field a lot collecting data whilst helping with the daily running of the project.

Elvira joined the Projects Abroad team in January 2010. She is originally from Lima, but has been living in Puerto Maldonado for many years now. She knows Taricaya and the local town very well and is happy to assist volunteers on their trips into town. Elvira will be in touch with all Peru Conservation Project volunteers before they arrive and she also meets the volunteers at the Puerto Maldonado airport.

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.

Stuart is from Cheltenham, England, but has been living and working in Peru since 1998. He studied Biology at Oxford University before getting involved with conservation in the field. After spending several years guiding for eco-lodges in both Peru and Bolivia he set up the Taricaya Lodge on the Madre de Dios river from scratch in 2001. In his spare time Stuart can turn his hand to most sports.

Claudia joined Projects Abroad in October 2013. She was born and raised in Cape Town, where she graduated at Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a National Diploma in Tourism Management. She is passionate about working with and meeting different people from different cultures. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, travelling domestically and exploring new places.

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.

An ex-gold miner now dedicated to conservation, Fernando administers the day-to-day running of the lodge. He is the longest serving staff member there from the start with Stuart. His English is excellent and his 20 years of experience in the jungle gives him great all round knowledge. His family in Puerto Maldonado runs a small hotel where volunteers usually spend the weekend.