Volunteer Peru: Coming to Peru was possibly the best experience of my life, it completely changed my outlook on life. After coming on this trip I would love to do something like it again. I loved my volunteering, the girls were so cute and amazing and hard to leave.

Volunteer Peru

1- How was the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country?

Maria Elena was very supportive and helpful throughout the entire trip. She was very welcoming and easy to get along with the entire time. She always made sure we were okay, and happy with how everything was going.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

Program: I was surprised by how welcoming the girls were in the orphanage. It was so easy to become close with them and made volunteering there very fun.

Host Family: My host family as a whole (ABV volunteers and Maria Elena) became so close, and all bonded so quickly. I feel like we will all keep up with each other which is great.

Country: There are many festivals and other events that go on often in Cusco, but I enjoyed that aspect because it made each day very different and being around all the festivals really allowed me to experience the culture.

3- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?

Program: The only difficulty I had with the program was when going to the orphanage, on Fridays the girls all watch tv and it was hard to find something to do. But then I found the kitchen which I helped out in a few times when the girls were busy doing other things. The orphanage has 5 big areas that you can help in.

Host Family: I had no difficulty with my host family, it was like home.

Country: It was difficult traveling when there were strikes because when I was on my way home from Arequipa the bus had to be stopped for a couple hours before we were able to move on. Not a big deal.

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1. It is important to bring a warm jacket and a windbreaker because it gets cold at night.
2. bring a lot of sunblock because it’s easier to get sunburned.
3. When you arrive, get some snacks for when you get hungry during the day.
4. Travel on the weekends! Peru is so diverse, they have beautiful mountains, huge lakes, and so many other amazing places that should be visited.

5- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

Coming to Peru was possibly the best experience of my life, it completely changed my outlook on life. After coming on this trip I would love to do something like it again. I loved my volunteering, the girls were so cute and amazing and hard to leave. I also loved my host family, Maria Elena was so welcoming and sweet, and the other ABV volunteers became some of my closest friends in such a short amount of time. I’m also so happy that I got the opportunity to travel on the weekends to see all over Peru. Overall I had an amazing experience in Peru.

Volunteer Review

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

My room was very clean and comfortable. The shower had hot water which was great.

The meals were so amazing, I loved all of them. And I never felt unsafe at home. Everyone was welcoming and friendly.

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

Program: My favorite memory was when I went to a home for cancer patients with all of the volunteers and Maria Elena to make breakfast and hot chocolate. They were very happy with the cake we brought them, and seemed to enjoy having visitors.

Host Family: my favorite memory of the trip was going to rainbow mountain, the hike was a bit difficult in the altitude but it was so cool to see.

Country: Being here on Peru Independence day was awesome and great to be able to see.

8- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

The ABV support was great, Sarah & Lynn always responded to all questions I had within <24 hours which was very helpful when I needed to ask questions.

9- What do you think about the reservation system online?

It was easy to sign up for work online with the reservation system.

9.1- How did you find Abroaderview website

My dad found out about Abroaderview online.

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Yes of course!