Hosted by Integrated Learning Experiences- INLEX

Volunteer in Peru | Education, Preservation, Medical, widlife and more!

Name: Volunteer in Peru | Education, Preservation, Medical, widlife and more!
Brand: Integrated Learning Experiences- INLEX
SKU: 203591
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

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5.00 Rating

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Location

Peru
- Cusco

Length

2 to 24 weeks

Project Types

Arts Childcare Street Children Service Learning Conservation Environmental Conservation Wildlife Conservation Education Teaching ESL Computer Literacy Health Sexual Health Medical +4

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Program Details

Language

Spanish

Age Min.

Age Max

100

Timeframe

Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Guesthouse Host Family

Groups

Small Group (1-15)

Travel Type

Budget Solo

Pricing

Starting Price

675

Price Details

Please see more information about costs here https://www.inlexca.org/costs/

Includes:

Accommodations with a host family with 2 meals per day for all programs or dormitory in the wildlife/conservation projects only with access to kitchen.
• Participation in cultural activities.
• On call support throughout the service.
• Coordination with the host country organization of volunteer service.
• Orientation to volunteer work or intern placement
• Welcome at Cusco airport with transport.
• Certificate of program completion.

Extra costs

Airfare
Travel or health insurance
Weekend leisure travel.
Personal expenses

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals

What's Not Included

Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Some Meals SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Jul 28, 2022

Last Reviewed: Nov 04, 2022

Wish List

11 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Peru is the cultural convergence point of South America. From beaches, jungles, high mountains, Inca ruins, rich culture, and adventure, Peru has something to offer for every traveler. Although majestic, the country also suffers from acute poverty levels and a portion of the population lacks access to basic services like education, health, and proper infrastructure.

INLEX offers a variety of projects in the areas of education, childcare, wildlife preservation, Microfinance, healthcare, and more. INLEX works primarily in the regions of Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

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Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

Video and Photos

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Program Highlights

24/7 support
A variety of projects that match your interests and the project's needs.
Set in the beautiful city of Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Improve your Spanish while staying at a host family and taking Spanish lessons.

Popular Programs

Volunteer - Childcare and Orphanages

The childcare program is perfect for patient and affectionate volunteers looking to help young children in Peru that face challenging situations stemming from poverty. Volunteers coming to the childcare program will be assigned to work in day cares or orphanages where they will be working on a variety of tasks.

Internship - Medical

Rural clinics in Peru are always in need of extra hands to help assist doctors and nurses. INLEX partners with various clinics around Cusco and the region to promote adequate treatment to low income patients. Interns in the medical program must be studying medicine, be professionals in the medical or health field or have a related proven background. Interns will assist doctors and nurses in clinics diagnose and treat patients.

Volunteer - Wildlife Sanctuary

The wildlife sanctuary was formed as a small family run foundation that aims to help endangered species, wild animals or mistreated animals rehabilitate back into the wild or into proper care. Most of the animals in the sanctuary have been seized by the government due to illegal possession or inhumane treatment and require special care to be rehabilitated. Not all animals are able to be rehabilitated, and some spend their days in the sanctuary under special care and proper conditions.

Volunteer - Education

Volunteers in the education program will help teach what they know best. Subjects like English language, music, arts, and basic science are in high demand. Volunteers are not restricted to those subjects and can join any other subject where they can be of help. Volunteers work in the mornings in the schools, or in the afternoon in after school programs that seek to support children with tutoring, homework and to keep them busy with positive educational tasks.

Volunteer in an Alpaca Farm

Volunteers working in the alpaca farm work alongside staff to take care of these wonderful animals who have helped shape the identity of the Incan culture and Peru. The work is very similar to any farm where most tasks revolve around feeding and
cleaning the alpacas. The farm also receives visitors, and volunteers can help assist visitors and in administrative tasks as needed.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 4 reviews

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Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.75
Support 4.25
Fun 4.75
Value 5
Safety 5

Good for Solo Travelers

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

I had a wonderful time in Cusco, Peru, helping in a Kindergarten in the mornings and an After School Project in the afternoons. I played with the kids, helped with the Organisation of the daily work and helped the teacher with everything. I learned so much about the culture, met so wonderful people and was very well received by everyone. So I was able to give a lot to the kids, even without speaking a lot Spanish. Thanks for this amazing time. I really enjoyed being part of the daily life. Living with my host family was also a great experience.

Pros

Social Impact to the kids and families
Learn about peruvian culture and way of living
You get so much back from the kids

Cons

Not a real contra: your impact is more emotional, so you don’t really know how the impact works, but I think you see it in the smiles of the child’s :)

My experience with Inlex was one of a kind.
They made me feel like a family.
Working in the kindergarten was amazing and they were very helpful.
The host family they put me with also were amazing.
Overall I would give them a 10/10 they were very helpful and accommodating.
If you ever needed additional help IO was always there to help and provide guidance.
The kindergarten was a great place to learn about culture and Spanish.
I would recommend this program to solo travelers. It was worth it at the end.

Pros

Learning spanish
Learning culture
Family environment

Cons

None

I was lucky enough to volunteer at a local clinic in Peru. I was really scared coming into this, because I had never traveled out of the country by myself. I'm really glad that I completed this trip, and feel like a stronger person coming out of it. My time here has not only confirmed that I'm on the right path, but has taught me a lot about the type of doctor I hope to be. I learned how to empathize with patients when you deliver bad news, and how to celebrate when you deliver good news. One thing I realized is how taxing it is on your mental health to be with sick patients all the time, but the doctors were constantly giving me advice and helping me through some of my first times with patients. The clinic opened their doors to me, allowing me to learn and thrive more than I could have imagines. From assisting in surgeries to perfecting my Spanish, no textbook or lecture will be able to teach me things I learned first hand in Peru. This experience has taught me to take risks and try new things; find my own path. I’m really excited to take everything I’ve learned and put it into practice, both in my personal and professional life.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

I was able to assist in a hysterectomy with a lady who had an 11cm tumor on her uterus. 11cm seems small, but on average a uterus is about 7cm.

Here I am in my scrubs after finishing a surgery

I am speaking with a patient in Spanish so that I can translate her problems to the American doctor

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Translation: First volunteering and I had the opportunity to meet some amazing kids, every day I learned many more things from the people who helped there and the children, who have an incredible discipline at all times, are very applied and friendly.
This home offers a lot of love, reason more to leave all my help there.

Between adventures, help in the tasks and meet each of these people, I managed to strengthen my confidence in social work. I also had the opportunity to travel to Peru for the first time, and to explore how beautiful Cuzco is, its culture and tradition.
Walking through the streets of Oropesa with the children was quite an experience, they told me their school days and the way they could help was unequaled.

Primer voluntariado y tuve la oportunidad de encontrarme con unos chicos increíbles, cada día aprendía muchas mas cosas de las personas que ayudaban allí y de los niños, quienes tienen una disciplina increíble en todo momento, son muy aplicados y amistosos.
Este hogar ofrece mucho amor, razón mas para dejar toda mi ayuda allí.

Entre aventuras, ayudas en las tareas y conocer a cada una de estas personas, logre afianzar mas mi confianza en la labor social. Así mismo tuve la oportunidad de viajar a Perú por primera vez, y recorrer lo hermoso que es Cuzco, su cultura y tradición.
Caminar por las calles de Oropesa con los pequeños fue toda una experiencia, que ellos me contaran sus días de colegio y la forma en que podía ayudar, fue inigualable.

What would you improve about this program?

Translation: Transportation back to the airport, since the home is a bit far from Cusco, and being with the luggage makes it a bit more complex to return.

El transporte de vuelta para el aeropuerto, ya que el hogar queda un poco lejos de Cusco, y estar con el equipaje hace un poco mas complejo el volver.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because I wanted to go somewhere that I could practice my Spanish, but also get hands-on experience. I also wanted to go somewhere that I had never been before. This program would give me the opportunity to get exposed to real-life experiences in the medical field. It would also help fulfill my graduation requirement at my school.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program arranged my placement at the clinic I was working at. They also arranged my host family, two meals each day, and transportation from the airport. My program coordinator would check in on me and take me out to visit the city. The only things I had to organize on my own were flights, transportation to the airport, and any tourist activites I wanted to do.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I wish I had spent some more time being preparing emotionally. The culture shock was very real for me, and was something that I had not put a lot of thought into. My biggest piece of advice though would be to not be afraid to travel alone! At first I was very scared, and I wish I had spent more time in the beginning thinking about the fun I was having.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

My day would start off by opening the triage room, greeting patients, and preparing the examination room. The doctor would then come in and we'd start calling in patients. On an average day we'd see anywhere from 20-30 patients. The days consisted of shadowing doctors and helping them with their examinations. In between patients, I would have the opportunity to ask the doctor questions about the particular case or the healthcare in Peru. I assisted with translation for the doctors, and had the opportunity to help in surgeries as well.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I think the most challenging part by far was how difficult it is on your mental health to be seeing sick patients every day. Sometimes you have to deliver bad news and it's emotionally taxing. Luckily, the doctors were always there to give me advice or talk to me about how they get through the days. It was great to speak with people who understood and had gone through the same emotional rollercoaster.

What was the best piece of advice that was given to you?

The doctors gave me some great pieces of advice as I continue my educational career: the key to being a successful doctor is the ability to empathize with your patients; treat each one as if they're your mother, father, sibling, or child.

Our job is to bring peace of mind to patients, peace of mind to live happy, healthy lives.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Interview

What is your favorite travel memory?

When I did a work & travel in Vermont (USA) where I was able to work with children in a day care center and many times I was their babysitter when their parents needed to go out. I had the opportunity to share with them for several months, to see them grow and learn, it was very beautiful. I always carry them in my heart.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

It has allowed me to learn a lot about people's different cultures, countries, life experiences and language, to be a more open-minded person, and they inspire me to be more courageous. They also represent a constant learning for us because each person is very different and they teach us new things.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Recently some German students were telling me that in Germany they can drink alcohol from the age of 14, which represented a cultural shock since here it is until the age of 18. They also told me that in their schools they can go as they want, the teachers do not care if you go with only a few clothes for example, or if you have piercings or tattoos.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would go for the one from India, since it is the most culturally different from Costa Rica. Currently my company offers many experiences in the Latin American area, so although I think they are amazing countries, they are not so culturally different from my country. India would be a great opportunity to learn about a culture 100% different from mine. It would be a great experience.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

They are always willing to improve and open to constructive comments. They try to offer the best possible experience while maintaining adequate prices in the market. They provide the opportunity for foreigners to come to towns that are not so touristy so that they are really immersed in the Costa Rican culture and also, the volunteer programs are very different from the traditional ones offer in the country, they try to provide a truly unique experience.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

To understand volunteers and students why they travel, to understand their love for learning about other cultures and to share it as well. Be very tolerant with them, empathetic to understand that they are far from home and need help sometimes, and make them feel at home. It is important to try to connect with them through my own experiences, as well as to be a great host in my own country.

Location

Location:

Cusco

Currency:

Peruvian Sol

Weather:

Jan-Mar

66 F / 43 F

Apr-Jun

66 F / 34 F

Jul-Sep

68 F / 34 F

Oct-Dec

70 F / 43 F

Airports:

Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport

( CUZ )

Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, was once capital of the Inca Empire, and is now known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture.

About Integrated Learning Experiences- INLEX

Integrated Learning Experiences offers volunteer programs , group volunteering and internships in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru and Argentina. Our programs are customized to the participants to create great cultural experiences.

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