Peru

My trip to Peru with A Broader View Volunteers was absolutely amazing, it was so much more enriching than I thought it would be. My time spent with my host family was some of my favorite, they were so warm and welcoming and really made me feel at home. Cusco is a great city to just wander around and think. There is so much history and mystery behind each and every stone. Despite the poverty people are in such high spirits that it really makes one appreciate everything this world has to offer, especially beyond the material things. I have met some amazing people along my journey, some I know I will keep in touch with throughout my life. Thanks to A Broader View!

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely loved everything about my stay in Cusco. I was very surprised that I didn't miss anything from ome. I felt so at home from the moment I arrived. I must say that the most difficult thing I experienced was leaving. I am still having a hard time and I have dreams about being in Cusco every night. Greta, Oscar, and the rest of the family were great. I truly consider them a part of my family now, and I can't wait to see them again. And I can't not mention Greta's awesome cooking, it was the best I had in Peru. The rest of the volunteers and I were so spoiled. My favorite memory of my stay in Peru is walking in to the home and hearing the kids call my name and them coming to greet me. I miss them so much already.
Overall this ABV program was one of the best experiences of my life and I learned so many things not only about myself but about us as people. My experience was great because of the people I was so privileged to meet, especially the children. The children taught me that one can find happiness through the good times and the bad times, and for that I owe them. They taught me more than I could have taught them.
Tip for future volunteers…
Always have small bills and change with you. Always have the number to your home stay with you, or memorize it preferably. Don’t complain, to anyone. If you don’t like something, suck it up, the other volunteers and locals don’t want to hear it. Take warm pajamas. Take at least one outfit for going out; nice shoes, top, bottoms, everything.
I would do this again in a heartbeat. If it weren’t for some responsibilities and commitments that I have here in the States, I would be looking into finding a job teaching English or Spanish in Cusco. I fell in love. I will most certainly be back as soon as possible. I thank A Broader View for the opportunity.

Thank you for the opportunity to visit such a great country with culture deeply rooted. My time in Cusco, Peru has been a delight. Vanessa certainly made sure that things were going well - she frequently called the hotel, my Spanish instructor - Karen, made personal visits to me at least every day or two. My morning Spanish lessons were pottery session last Monday evening.
The lessons were very helpful, grammatically and eventually I guided Karen to give me additional vocabulary help. Hector, the school director was also very involved accompanying us to the folk/traditional dances, shopping at the market and even walking me to the ATM!.
Everyone made me feel so welcome. Vanessa (coordinator) did a great job picking the restaurant and my hostel, though humble, was in a fabulous location and had incredibly personable staff.
The staff even got involved in teaching me Spanish!. My volunteer work was with street children and others that came were so adorable and very willing to help with Spanish. I too, taught them a bit of English!. All in all was a great humanitarian and Cultural Immersion trip and a wonderful place to visit.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to serve. All the best, Michelle C.

I went to Cusco for 3 weeks, with 1 week's trip to Lake Titicaca at the end of the month as an inclusive program with Real Gap. It quickly became apparent that the company had charged over the odds for a program offered by the language school they were using, and none of the activities were actually offered by Real Gap themselves. I had a good time, and my homestay was good, but I am fluent in spanish, and fellow volunteers who were trying to learn from scratch really struggled initially as the families had almost no knowledge of english. Lessons at the Academia Latinoamericana were excellent, but I would recommend going direct to them for the program, rather than lining Real Gaps pockets when you dont really gain anything by using this company!

Romita:
Everything went well when we were in Cusco. We really enjoyed our time with Mama Greta and the Montecino family. They were always very helpful and very caring for our needs. Mama Greta's cooking was also always wonderful. The whole family went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. Please thank them again from us. I also had a great experience at La Clinica. It was great working with Dr. Holgado and Dr. Vilca. We also had the opportunity to go to the Hospital Regional and work in the emergency room. That was also a good experience.
The Spanish classes were also very good and I feel like I can now speak some Spanish without feeling too nervous. I am grateful for the time in Cusco, to be exposed to a new place, a new culture, a new language. It was wonderful to work with Vanessa, the ABV Project Coordinator. She was great about helping us navigate in Cusco in the first few days and were a great source of information. I have no complaints about our stay. Our trip to Acopia was also a wonderful experience. We were able to use our training in "the real world" and at least try to help the people in the village. It was definitely worth it and it was a great experience. Overall everything went very well. We have lots of great memories. Thank you for everything.
Wilson:
I had a really great time during my month in Cusco. I really enjoyed working in La Clinica, the physicians and staff taught me so much. I also learned a lot from the Spanish classes.
The professor was excellent; he was very patient and professional. The host family was very warm and accommodating; they made me feel as thou I was part of their family. Vanessa was very helpful and kind, she helped us tremendously. in summary, my experience was great, if I could do it over again, I would a million times over.
Thank you for everything ABV.

I volunteered with IVHQ in Cusco (I was one of their first volunteers there) and it was fun. It was really worthwile and the other volunteers and myself had a lot of fun. If yore thinking about it - DO IT!

Were very helpful right from the beginning. I returned to Cusco on my own to the orphanage I'd worked in when I was there with Madventurer. They still gave me support even when I wasn't with them the second time

I worked on a Projects Abroad conservation project in the rainforest for 3 weeks. I had the time of my life! Looking after animals on the release programme; conducting observations; protecting turtle eggs and working on the pilot farm were just a few of the jobs I worked on and all were really worthwhile! The sense of adventure was great being based a relatively long way from normal western civilisation and the social side to living with other like-minded people was also a highlight. Throughout my stay I felt sufficiently independent but had the reassuring knowledge that if anything went wrong helo was at hand. I would love to go back if I had the chance!

An amazing program - I volunteered with two other companies in the past but IVHQ was by far the best. Best program and best value for money - DO IT! Best experience of my life.

My experience in Peru is truly one of the most memorable moments of my life. I stayed in Cuzco for about ten days from May 3 till 12, one day in Lima, and then flew back to Toronto, Canada. From start to end, Jenny and Martha, the national and local representatives, were very helpful and supportive, and facilitated our stay in Peru. We always talked with Jenny. My friend, Maryanne, and I had the fortune of meeting another volunteer (David Curtis) who works at an orphanage, whom we became good friends with during this trip.
The host family was extremely friendly and welcoming. Despite not speaking the Spanish language at all initially, I felt very comfortable interacting with them through other means (ex. sign language, drawing, dictionaries...). They served us many delicious local foods, such as the guinea pig, ceviche, maize, papaya juice..etc. They showed us around the city and took us to markets, small shops, cathedrals and other touristy places (ex. Plaza des Armas). On weekends, they even planned full-day trips for us to see Machu Picchu, other Inca ruins, and museums. We even got to go horse-back riding on mountains!!! The Peruvian scenary was stunning and the experience was exhilirating.
At home, we played soccer, drew pictures, watched TV and chatted with the host family. The house is nice and spacious, and the washroom is very clean. The only minor concern is that there isn't hot water to shower in, but it's easy to get used to. Our bedroom has two beds with lots of blankets (the night can get really chilly), and our privacy was always respected.
Our workplace was a geriatric center in a small, rural area that is 20 min away from home by bus. We usually worked from 9am-5pm, but time flies by when you're having a good time! The staff there (doctors, nurses, psychologists..etc) were as curious about our culture as we were to theirs! I learned how to apply hot packs and massage patients who had sore backs and necks, how to use various medical equipment, and learned some common Spanish medical vocabularies.
Many thanks to Global Crossroad and Jenny for organizing everything, Martha for matching us with our wonderful host family and workplace, the staff at the geriatric center for teaching us local medical practices, and of course, the host family (Beto, Hilda, Favio and Nicole) for sharing their wonderful culture with us. All of this was very fulfilling and worthwhile. I am thankful for Global Crossroad for providing us this opportunity. I will forever remember my time in Peru.