VOLUNTEERING IN PERU WITH UNIDAD 4X4 DE AYUDA

VOLUNTEERING IN PERU WITH UNIDAD 4X4 DE AYUDA

Volunteer in Peru with Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda, a non profit organization of volunteers focused in providing humanitarian assistance and impactful and affordable volunteer programs. Our volunteer project is available year-round. We’re proud to connect travelers with our meaningful volunteer opportunity, so if you’re traveling overseas, searching for gap year volunteer programs, wanting to experience volunteer vacations, or simply wishing to provide assistance to a community abroad, Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda has the volunteer in Peru program for you.

Volunteer in Peru from USD$180

“Peru as a destination offers exciting options: Lima is the base of the Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda project -from here travel to Cusco and Machu Picchu is do-able… a common “must do” on most Bucket List’s.  

Our program in Lima is one of longest-standing programs and offers volunteers the cheapest program fees and the chance to engage in the community-driven projects we are organizing. 

Volunteers in Lima can enjoy the attractions of an urban city and there is a lot to see and do! Explore the depths of the catacombs underneath the central plaza; enjoy family market days, and traverse the paths along the cliffs of Miraflores. 

We offer two locations to stay comfortably, one in Chaclacayo –some 25km east from the big city chaos an ideal quiet, safe and tranquil place to live but easy access to the city as well, and in Punta Hermosa right in front of the beach with beautiful sea view and perfect to go surfing around the coastline some 43k south of Lima, this is also a very nice location to stay. 

The operations of our project are in more rural placements: in Chilca valley -65km south of Lima, in Yauyos in the Andean mountains at 4800m elevations, you will enjoy these placements that will alternatively appeal to you. 

The program includes Andean Immersion options offering unique experiences. For those seeking Course Credit, the Spanish Service Learning Course is also available.

• Available year-round
• A meaningful project option
• Project is based in Lima, the capital city of Peru
• Accommodation in our volunteer house or a homestay
• Program fees include airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals, volunteer t-shirt and 24/7 in-country support
• Program fees from $180 for 1 week
• Affordable Spanish language lessons available

Location and duration

· The Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda volunteer program has volunteer placements in Lima, the capital city of Peru.

· Volunteer programs begin on the 1st and 15th of every month. Volunteers can choose to volunteer for periods ranging from 1 week to 24 weeks (...or more).

Projects:

Yauyos Humanitarian Mission
Very poor communities in remote isolated spots in the Peruvian Andes above 3500m elevation are victims of skin burns caused by freezing cold in the highlands of Lima, at 4800m in Yauyos province 300km southeast from Lima   several villages has been located and identified affected by heavy snow fall and extreme freezing cold.

We have information of many people affected by skin burns caused by the freezing cold and acute respiratory diseases, the victims are mainly children.  Moreover, their livestock animals are dying due the extreme freezing cold.

The goal of the Mission is to get there with our 4x4 vehicles carrying humanitarian aid: medicines, warm cloths and food.  Moreover the Mission consists in carrying materials to install solar heating systems: Muro Trombe and Improved Firewood Stove in the humble houses of the peasants living there.

First Response Radio for Disasters

When disasters strike Communication is as crucial as Food, Water, Shelter and Medicine.

First Response Radio empowers 2 way communication, via radio, with affected communities in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

First Response Radio provides a trained team to travel to a disaster area, set up a portable radio station and broadcast essential information to the affected community.

Trained teams have the confidence and ability to work in field conditions and record radio messages that help provide critical information for a community that is recovering from a disaster/emergency.

Participants are taught about the phases of disaster, the effect it has on those affected, and making radio programmes specifically geared to disaster, They are trained in setting up and using the “Radio-in-a-Suitcase” equipment and advised about ways to stay safe in the field. The training is practical and hands-on, with daily homework and assignments where participants put into practice what they have learned. 

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This is followed by a 3-day Field Trial when participants are taken to an area which has suffered a recent disaster. It is designed to provide students with an experience as close as possible to a real disaster, where they will produce live, disaster related radio for 72 hours.

Once a team has been trained and equipped, they are ready to deploy in the event of disaster in the country. They aim to be on air within 72 hours. The decision to deploy should happen within the first 24 hours, travel to the area during the second 24 hours and set-up in the third 24 hours.

The decision to deploy will be taken by each Rapid Response Radio team, in consultation with their partner organisations. 

​It will depend upon many factors, but these are some of the questions each team will ask:

Is there a significantly affected community without resources or lacking information? (How many displaced persons rather than how many deaths. Is it  more than 100,000?)

What is the level of chaos and local disruption?

Has the National Government asked for international/UN help?

What is the predicted recovery time?  More than 1-2 years?

Is the local power still on? How long till it is restored?

Are Radio/TV off air?  If stations are still broadcasting are they providing useful critical information?

Is there a deployable team of at least 3-4 people, not just trained but able to deploy in less than 24 hours?

Is the kit locally available? If not, can one be borrowed from another team?

Is there an available supply of radios for distribution?

Are there tents, supplies, local language speakers, drivers etc available?

Is there anyone – local or deploying partners – who can offer logistical support?

  
Aid for Chilca valley reconstruction and renovation

From January to April 2017 intense rains by El Niño Costero climatic disorder in Peru caused severe damages triggering mudslides, river flooding, and massive destruction of key basic infrastructure: houses, roads, irrigations systems, etc., Rural areas were the most affected ones.

During the disaster crises the upper Chilca valley area –some 65km south of Lima, was located and identified as severely affected by the disaster. 8 rural communities -510 families, were isolated during 4 weeks without food and supplies because the mudslides and river flooding destroyed the roads to access these towns. 

Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda interveined and explored the area, traced a route to access with 4x4 trucks and helped with the volunteers whom carried in their 4x4 trucks humanitarian aid supplies for these communities settled in the upper mountainous part of the valley.

During the aid interventions severe damages and loss of infrastructure was identified: houses, irrigation channels, wells, water springs, reservoirs, pipelines, etc, all destroyed or wiped out by the mudslides and river flooding.

A reconstruction project has started after this and is in progress in Chilca valley. The proposed project is about the irrigation systems –water channels, pipelines, reservoirs, wells and fresh water springs destroyed by the mudslides and river flooding. Since the people living in this area are mostly farmers, their dependence and need of water and irrigation is of high importance.

Duties for the volunteers will include:

Field work. Mapping and collecting data from the field. Damages and needs assessments. Team building with local communities. Help to rebuild the irrigation systems. Logistics. Radiocommunication, etc.

Office work. Internet networking. Planning. Quotation. Website management. Media networking. Social networking. Photo/Video creation and editing. Fund raising. Archive management, etc

Arrival and orientation

The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive into Lima on the day before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Lima –Chaclacayo or Punta Hermosa. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are traveling in Peru prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Lima on the day before your program orientation.

Orientation is taken by our Peru team at the volunteer house in Chaclacayo or Punta Hermosa. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Peru – Introduction to Peru, Peruvian Customs, Rules and Expectations, Safety, Travel Opportunities in Peru, Introduction to the Project and Placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

Volunteer schedule

First Day: On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be escorted to the project by our local staff and introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.

Weekdays: A typical day would be as follows:

7.30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer house or homestay.

8.00 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements. Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at.

1.00 PM Lunch break. Volunteers may take a packed lunch from the volunteer accommodation.

2.00 PM - 5.00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. If volunteers are taking Spanish language lessons, they will usually take these in the afternoon.

8.30 PM Dinner at the volunteer house or homestay.

Accommodation and WiFi

Volunteers in Chaclacayo or Punta Hermosa are accommodated with other volunteers, in either a​ volunteers house run by the local coordinator’s family or in a homestay. Bedrooms are comprised of single and double beds and volunteers can expect to share a room ​with ​one to three other volunteers. Living is comfortable and there is electricity, internet access and running water in the volunteer house and the homestays. Bedding is provided and you just need to bring your own towel and toiletries, and a sleeping bag if you wish to travel during the weekends. If you would like more private setting, an accommodation upgrade can be arranged for a private room once you register for the program. For extra US$75 per person per week, these upgrades place volunteers in smaller homestays with a local host family and a maximum of 1 to 2 other volunteers.

WiFi is available to volunteers in both the volunteer house and homestay accommodation.

Meals

Volunteers can freely decide either to take the meals provided by us or prepare their own meals or get meals somewhere else.

We provided the volunteers with three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Breakfasts generally consist of tea and coffee, toast, local breads, cereal, condiments, ham and cheese. A typical lunch can include meat and vegetables with rice or pasta, sandwiches and fruit, while dinner usually sees traditional meat and vegetarian stews accompany the vegetables and rice or pasta.

Bottled water is readily available in Peru and volunteers should budget approximately US$15 per week for this (2 liters per day). If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.

Program fees

Length of program	Program Fee $USD
1 week	$180
2 weeks	$330
3 weeks	$470
4 weeks	$555
5 weeks	$650
6 weeks	$745
8 weeks	$935
10 weeks	$1,125
12 weeks	$1,315
16 weeks	$1,695
20 weeks	$2,075
24 weeks	$2,455

• All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$300 on top of the Program Fee (partially refundable until 60 days before your program start date*). A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
• To convert these prices to your local currency click here.
• The Reconstruction and Renovation project has an extra cost of US$35 per week to cover materials, supervision and logistics involved in the project.
• * Terms and Conditions do apply

What extra costs will I have?

• Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, souvenirs, in-country trips or tours.
• Transfer back to the airport at conclusion of the program
• Spanish lessons (optional)
• Spending money - Volunteers in Peru - Lima generally find US$30 to be sufficient for weekly expenses.
• Cell phone with internet access service, if you want to have your own private connection.

Registration Fee

WHAT IT COVERS

•  Most affordable program fees
•  Dedicated support from a volunteer expert
•  Volunteer training
•  Comprehensive program guide
•  Advice on flights and travel insurance
• Full time personal assistance and advice.

 

Program Fee

WHAT IT COVERS

•  24/7 in-country support
•  Airport pick-up
•  Program orientation
•  Volunteer placement
•  Accommodation
•  Meals
•  Discounts on language lessons
• WiFi

Weekends and travel

During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Lima and Peru. Popular activities include paragliding from the cliffs of Miraflores, visiting the Pachacamac Ruins south of Lima, climbing to the top of the Huaca Pucllana Pyramid in the centre of Miraflores, surfing the coastal waters of Punta Hermosa and surrounding beaches with our experienced surf guides, sand boarding in Huacachina in Southwest Peru, camping in Marcahuasi plateau at 4000m elevation, hiking in Matucana by valleys and ravines with waterfalls and beautiful pristine Andean lagoons, river rafting in Lunahuaná, Paracas National reserve exploration, etc –options are many!. Long weekends can be taken to travel further a field such as Machu Picchu.

See our Peru - Lima Travel and Tours page for more volunteer travel options in Peru!

Essential country information

Capital	Lima
Population	29.99 million
Languages	Spanish
Currency	Nuevo Sol (PEN)
Time zone	UTC-05:00

Weather and climate: Peru, unlike other equatorial countries, does not have an exclusively tropical climate; the influence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current causes great climatic diversity within the country. The coast has moderate temperatures, low precipitation, and high humidity, except for its warmer, wetter northern beaches. In the sierra highlands, rain is frequent during summer –January to March, and temperature and humidity diminish with altitude up to the frozen peaks of the Andes. The amazon selva is characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperatures, except for its southernmost part, which has cold winters and seasonal rainfall.

Volunteer requirements

Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate, unless volunteering with a parent or guardian. All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda local team on arrival in Lima. Additional requirements apply for volunteers, depending on the project profile.

Fluency in Spanish is not a pre-requisite for the Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda - Lima volunteer program. We recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered exclusively to Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda volunteers by our partner staff in Lima. Past volunteers feel that taking these lessons help immensely with day-to-day volunteer work and communicating with local people. Volunteers interested in taking Spanish lessons can arrange these directly with the local staff once in Lima. Below is an outline of the various Spanish requirements for each placement:

Volunteers participating on the Reconstruction and Renovation project in Lima can have little to no Spanish speaking ability, but must be fluent in English. If volunteers have no Spanish, they must be prepared for some language difficulties at their placement and be willing to take the language lessons offered by the local staff.

Volunteer Training 

All volunteers are encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training, which is available exclusively to registered Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda volunteers. The training is designed to build an understanding of important aspects that need to be considered before embarking on an Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda program. It helps volunteers to prepare in the right way by providing advice on what it takes to be a safe, responsible and valuable volunteer. See the volunteer training modules

Extras

VOLUNTEER LANGUAGE LESSONS

Spanish language lessons are available for all volunteers regardless of their ability. Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda strongly recommends these for all volunteers, unless they are fluent in Spanish. If volunteers have little or no Spanish ability and are volunteering for a period longer than 2 weeks, they should strongly consider these courses, so they can work and communicate with all parties more effectively during their program. These language lessons are organized on your arrival in Lima at your program orientation. The language lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Spanish. The cost is very affordable and offered exclusively to Unidad 4x4 de Ayuda volunteers at US$10 per hour.

Basic Language Course

10 hours per week (2 hours per day, 5 days a week)

Advanced Language Course

15-20 hours per week (3 to 4 hours per day, 5 days a week)