Practical Help in Peru (PS) (trip)

Practical Help in Peru (PS)

  • Lima Airport, Lima, Peru
  • Volunteer Vacations
Peru, South America

from £1,320* per person33 DaysYear-round
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: People and Places - Responsible Volunteering 12 people max
Use your practical skills in the bio-hotspot of Amazonian Manu - help local communities to generate sustainable livelihoods and conserve their environment.

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Locations visited/nearby

Peru, South America

0 testimonials about this trip.

2 testimonials about the provider, People and Places - Responsible Volunteering:

  • Reviewer: Denise located in Ross-shire Scotland
    I have nothing but praise for the way that the entire volunteer experience was; from initial contact to writing this report, I have had openness, excellent communication and explanation. Thank you!.....
    – Having contacted people and places and submitted  a pen portrait of my personal and profession experience – a task that in itself was very rewarding for me – the placement was negotiated in principle. This was completed in a most professional, friendly and positive way by Kate. .. All very exciting things to do and learn about as well as background recommended reading. At this stage the support and additional information I sought from people and places was supplied by return of email and I was able to chat over possible choices with Kate – I found the whole experience most satisfactory and also learnt much from this part of the placement preparation.......
    thank you for the superb way in which you run the volunteer programme - a very satisfied customer. Thank you!
  • Reviewer: Paul located in Port Elizabeth, Easter Cape South Africa
    Our most recent volunteers, Robin and Jane, have produced an amazing amount thus far. They came to a computer lab that has departmental Cammi software on, that teachers have been using, but after a day or two of observation the recognized that teachers are only using the system to a limited degree in terms of what all it can produce. First step was to work out the software admin system, which they have done, and they have been assisting the teachers coming to the lab, and upgrading the admin of the system making it more relevant in terms of assessments for the teachers of learners abilities. Robin has had a few interesting encounters with the Education Departments Cammi support staff.
     
    They have run a couple of teacher training sessions on excel, and are setting up model lessons on how to effectively use the Cammi programme in a proper way. This will happen next week!
     
    They have standardized all the desktops, so its easier for teachers, and developed worksheets for the students who are in the lab, but cannot access a terminal due to large class sizes.
     
    And Robin has been team teaching in the grade 4 technology class, working on practical tasks that help teach technology!
     
    So their input has been tremendous.
     
    Just so we don’t forget that things never run smoothly, Nomatansanqa Township has been having the water switched off and on over the last 2 weeks. 800 children, no water for hours is not easy to manage. Added to that, getting home to their homestay and not having access to water to bath, is no fun at all. I am pleased to report though that as of middle of this week the water is back on!
     
    They had a wonderful welcoming ceremony this week, with local stakeholders in attendance. Jane was fascinated by the formality of the programme, which seemed forgotten after each speaker as everyone got up to sing some songs.
     
    On their first day, as we arrived at the school, some Grade R children were outside waving SA flags, and carrying little signs that said Welcome Robin and Jane! A real warm welcome.
    Thank you people and places for continuing to send such amazing volunteers! Keep up the good work!

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Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.

Itinerary

The Project
This project works with communities in the Manu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the largest protected area in Peru.

GROW is a sustainable initiative designed by the Manu project to boost local incomes, improve child and adult health and divert activity away from environmentally damaging sources of income.

Project GROW's primary goal is to develop family biogardens and community plots to cultivate fruit and vegetables for child and adult nutrition and  to sell surplus produce to generate income for families living in poverty. GROW’s secondary goal is developing and promoting agroforestry.

Through mixed use plots of agriculture and forestry crops, local farmers can convert abandoned or degraded land into productive land. Co-designed with the University of Oxford, the agroforestry project also aims to include value-added concepts such as carbon offsetting, certified produce (FSC, fairtrade, organic etc.) that help local famers increase their revenues from working small areas of land.
 
Most of the communities we work with are composed of settlers from the Andes who have lived in the region for between 5 and 20 years. Their prospects are vey limited, there are no resources to speak of and their level of education is poor. The project works alongside these people to give them options, enable them to make choices, and take control of their own lives.

Whilst the project has local staff, it needs volunteers to help increase its efficiency and effectiveness.

Volunteers are needed to help in all aspects of the project - from helping local producers to develop effective interaction with  local tourism markets to developing their practical skills - from providing basic English classes to helping write websites.

More information from People and Places - Responsible Volunteering: