Involvement Volunteers International WHY we need you in Peru
- Approx 40% living in Cusco, Peru are living below the poverty line.
- The average monthly wage in this region is only approx 338 Solas (USD $101)
- We can learn a great deal from their holistic cultures and their high-quality, low-impact ways of living.
- These are often socially conscious communities using participatory ways to enhance their spiritual, social, ecological, and economic aspects of life.
HOW can you help?
- Carefully tend to and care for both alpacas and llamas on this family run farm
- Provide valuable support to the local farm enabling a competitive advantage so they can grow their business and create a better life for there family and community
- Animal care projects in Cusco are under-funded and depend heavily on volunteer efforts, so if you are a true animal lover, please come help!
- Assist in the production and distribution of Peruvian textiles made at the farm from the Alpaca & llama wool.
WHAT you can do?
- Care for the animals such as cleaning and maintaining their pens, feeding, bathing and brushing
- Assist with light construction work around the farm
- Assist with shearing and weaving of textiles
- Help create educational materials for both tourists and the local people about these animals and the important role they play in Peru.
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity with 30+ Years Experience
- Incredible Local Team with Outstanding Reviews
- Assist in Genuine Worthwhile Projects
- Low Program Fees - Starting US$350 in Peru
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
- 1 Application Fee - Multiple Countries
PROJECT NAME: ALPACA & LLAMA FARM
LOCATION: CUZCO, PERU
START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)
ACCOMMODATION: HOME STAY
MIN DURATION: ONE WEEK
MIN AGE: 16+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: N/A
Overview
Imagine living like a local 3000m above sea level in Cuzco Peru and working on a Llama & Alpaca farm! 🙂 This placement is a bit left of center but that’s what makes it so cool. The placement is close to Cuzco (about 30 min) so you’re still close to civilization, but far enough away to feel like you’re really off the beaten path. Located in a small village in the Andes mountains, experience this family run farm which has dedicated their work to caring for Llama and Alpaca, both native species of Peru.
This operation is a private enterprise which produces incredible native Peruvian textiles from the wool using traditional shearing, dying and weaving processes. As a leader in this space, this family run farm also has a mission to increase education locally and internationally around these native Peruvian animals.
Location
Cusco, Peru – easily one of the top 5 ancient civilization centers in the world, is also home to immense scenic beauty, bio-diversity and incredible culture. On this project, you’ll be situated in the outer regions of Cuzco, approx 15 min bus ride to central Cuzco where the volunteer center is located.
Project Tasks
- Work closely with animals
- Maintain pens, clean, grooming and feeding the animals
- Veterinary services and caring for sick animals (for suitably qualified volunteers)
- Light construction to help maintain the farm including fencing, barn and land maintenance
- Assistance in the wool textiles production and supply
- Assistance in creation of educational materials for tourism and local purposes
Food & Accommodation
Your accommodation will be in home Stay’s with middle class Peruvian families in Cuzco. You’ll likely be placed centrally or approx 10-15 min walk to the central volunteer & training centre. You can request to either share with other volunteers or have a private room in the home stay. For shared rooms, you’ll normally share with 1-3 other volunteers of the same gender and age group.
All host families are very experienced in hosting international volunteers and go through a rigorous process to ensure very high quality standards are met. These homes have electricity, western style toilets, running water, bed linen & basic amenities such as clean drinking water. Hot showers are less common however!
You’ll be provided a key to the house and are free to come and go as you please while being respectful of the house rules of the family. WiFi is available at some home stay’s however most volunteers will purchase a data plan for cheap to be used with their own device as required. Most families are happy to help with laundry, but you should expect to pay around US $2 per load if going to a local laundry service.
Breakfast & dinner are included each day. Peruvian food is very nice! Rice, beans, and corn are popular ingredients, and fresh root vegetables like cassava, taro, and sweet potato are in most dishes. You can also expect some fruits and vegetables, such as avocados (palta) accompanied by spicy aji salsa.
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1 Week - $495
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2 Weeks - $675
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3 Weeks - $855
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1 Month - $1010
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2 Months - $1690
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3 Months - $2390
What's Included
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Accommodation
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Meals
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Airport Pickup
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Local Transportation
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1 Day Orientation
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24/7 In-Country Support
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Project Materials & Equipment
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Pre-departure Expert Advice
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Preperation Tools & Checklists
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Certificate of Completion
- Application fee is one off per person (unlimited placements)
- Click Here to convert the below prices to your local currency
- Discounts may apply if travelling in a pair or group!
- All credit card /international fees included in below pricing! 🙂
Testimonials...
FAQ
If you love animals, enjoy working with others and don’t mind getting your hands dirty and maybe a bit smelly! Than Yes! Also, it’s important you are flexible and willing to help out in any way possible. If you like the idea of being in a rural setting and experiencing an authentic way of life away from the main tourist track, then yes this is a great project for you. If you are not confident with animals or prefer to be more central, than try another IVI project….
- Accommodation
- Breakfast & Dinner daily
- Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
- Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
- 1 day orientation
- In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
- Fundraising support
- University course credits (where applicable)
- Certificate of Completion
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Some daily transportation to/from the project (if applicable – approx US$1-3 p/day)
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
- Peru culture / history overview
- Spanish language lesson
- Customs / law’s / do’s & don’ts
- Volunteer expectations
- Home stay guidelines
- Travel opportunities during free time
- Overview of your placement
- Notes from previous placements to help maximize impact
Complimentary Arrival Transfer
You’ll arrive at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ). When clearing immigration it’s best to simply state ‘tourism’. When you arrive you will be greeted by a member of our local team and taken to the homestay or the volunteer center for orientation.In-Country Transportation
Most volunteers will use in-expensive bus transport to get around and to travel to the project placements. Our coordinators will assist you with all the details while in country. A one-way trip rarely costs more than US $0.50 in Cuzco or nearby neighborhoods and maybe US $2 for longer distances. Taxis are also readily available in and around Cusco. Taxis cost approximately US $3 – $10 depending on duration. We recommend using formal taxis that use a meter to calculate the fare based on time and distance.Sunday – Arrival & Welcome
Monday – Orientation in Cuzco
Tuesday to Friday:
- Breakfast at the accommodation
- 4-6 hours of volunteer work either in the morning or afternoon
- Your own lunch at the accommodation or project site
- Free time
- Dinner at the accommodation
Saturday – Free time
Sunday – Free time
Weekends are always free for volunteers to relax and do as you please exploring the incredible sights in/around Cuzco. Most volunteers will organize to meet up at the volunteer center and head out from there. It’s worth noting that in this region, most families are religious with Sunday the day of rest this also means many stores and restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia this South American country of 33 million is an incredible destination.Peru has a fascinating 5000 year old history and unique cultural heritage that exists to this day!
With world renowned historical sites like Machu Pichu, incredible natural wonders like the Amazon rain forest, the Andes mountain range and loads of adventures such as rafting, zip-lining, paragliding and mountain biking, Peru is seriously an amazing place to visit!Don’t forget the Peruvian coastline which accounts for 10% of the whole surface of the country…Although the Incas are the most famous, there are other pre-Columbian cultures and unexplored archaeological sites which can be located in the North of Peru.
A country of contrasts, crazy traffic, 6700 meter high cities, amazing beaches and sunsets, tropical rain forests and lamas!While the Amazon represents 60% of the Peruvian surface, it is the least densely populated region of the country. Therefore, it holds a lot of uninhabited parts, untouched by humans and beautiful unseen areas. With all the madness of the cities, the countryside is never far and in our opinion, here is the place where you can experience something very unique and special. Here is where you will make a difference.
Peru has over 10,000 years of history! It’s no surprise that Peru has an incredible wealth of culture and tradition that is one of the most varied countries in the world.
As the 3rd largest country in South America Peru is divided into 25 regions and 11 eco-regions. With an enormous range of landscapes, biodiversity and natural resources, you can boil this down to 3 main regions being 1) Coast, 2) Mountains 3) Jungle.
Spanish is the official language and spoken by 85% of the population with 47 other native languages present among the various regions. Music and dance play a vital role in Peruvian society. Hispanic influences combine with Spanish and ancient styles to create a flair that is unique to Peru.
Peruvian’s are proud people and very aware of the natural world and the value of the Andes, Amazon and historic civilizations in this region. The country has overcome difficult political and economic issues.
The people are welcoming and attentive to visitors with food and music being the central point for celebrations and of course colorful dress which is unmistakable. Peruvian’s love football (soccer) which is the national sport and you can often see families playing together. Most of Peru is quite religious with Catholicism very prominent.
In Peru, personal hygiene and style are very important and people tend to dress neatly and professionally. Be prepared to cover your shoulders and knees, and wear clothing that is not revealing or extravagant
The climate varies depending on altitude and region, but for the most part the dry season is from May to November, and the ‘green’ season from December to April.
As Cusco is 3000 meters above sea level, the average temperatures in Cusco rarely reach above 25 degrees celcius. During the dry season expect sunny, warm days and cool nights. It’s generally warmer during the ‘green’ season with intermittent rain and sun during the day and mild rainy nights.
30 Years Non Profit Experience
IVI is an Australian charity & non profit organisation founded in 1989 and is one of the pioneers of overseas volunteering successfully placing over 20,000 volunteers globally.
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