Description

Tinkuy Peru runs a school and various community programs in one of the poorest areas of Huancayo, a Peruvian city in the heart of the Andes. The children in our school range from 3 to 16 years old. All are disadvantaged in some way, from being abandoned by their families, experiencing physical or sexual abuse, malnutrition, family poverty or displacement from terrorism (during the 90's the area was devastated by the shining path). Through our volunteers we help increase the children's confidence and self-esteem, and give them a better chance of escaping poverty.

We firmly believe that education, above all else, is the key ingredient in these childrens future and this single truth underpins much of what we do. The founder of Tinkuy Peru is a world renowned artisan (volunteers have opportunity to take weaving lessons) and whilst we recognise the importance of core subjects like Maths, Science and English we also try to provide our children with practical skills that are directly transferable to the workplace. This is why we place great emphasis on arts, crafts, manual skills and hopefully IT in the near future. By having English speaking volunteers, we hope our kids will become confident English speakers, making these practical skills infinitely more marketable.

We do not just seek to educate the children; one of our main goals is to improve the livelihood of the nearby community as a whole. Working to change the mindset of the family dynamic in this area is an important element of the Tinkuy Peru program. Many parents of our students began having children at a very young age and do not understand that the basic needs of children include attention, love and affection. The students mainly come from broken families or have parents who work very hard for up to 18 hours a day. To start a new, brighter, cycle we need to understand and uproot the foundations of the old one. Education and our volunteers are the key mechanisms for us to achieve this ambitous goal.

By showing the children that there are people who care in the community it provides an example for the parents to follow. We regularly meet with the parents to discuss their children's needs and educate them in the importance of basic care, hygiene and taking care of the environment. By doing this we are slowly achieving a change in the way parents care for their children, which in turn helps prevent the children from treating their peers in the wrong way. As a grass roots program, we retain a large degree of autonomy and flexibility which has allowed our volunteers in the past to identify key issues such as, dental hygiene and illness and then produce events and programs to combat them. We see this as a major point of difference of Tinkuy Peru.

Volunteers are accommodated in a local family home. The program cost includes an individual or shared room and three traditional Peruvian meals a day, Monday through Saturday. In addition to volunteering, there is the option to take part in other activities such as courses in Spanish, weaving (by a master Peruvian weaver), dancing and painting. Spanish classes are taught individually or in groups and are adjusted to your ability. It is not necessary that you speak Spanish before you arrive, you will learn what you need quickly and your host will speak English.

As a part of the program, guided excursions to tourist sites in and around Huancayo are available, including bike rides and horse rides through local mountain villages and towns, hiking to a nearby glacier and even a trip to the jungle for the very brave. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to visit the studios of some local Peruvian artists.

Highlights

1 Week: USD180/week
2 Weeks: USD140/week
3-4 Weeks: USD130/week
2 months-3 months: USD120/week

Qualifications

Spanish or desire to learn (Spanish classes are offered to improve volunteers Spanish). No degree required (Minimum high school completion).

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

Please refer to Highlights section.

Cost Includes:

• Housing
• Food
• Excursions
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees

Program Fees Include:

Tinkuy Peru volunteers are accommodated in a local family home which can house up to 25 volunteers at a time (with a bit of a squeeze!).

The program cost includes an individual or shared room and three traditional Peruvian meals a day, Monday through Saturday. Vegetarians and those with other dietary requirements can be easily accommodated.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Our volunteers come from different backgrounds; from those who are taking a gap year between school and university or between university and work, to those taking a sabbatical from work and to those who are retired.

Age Range

17 to 80

This Program is open to

American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 2 to 5

Scholarships are Available

Scholarships are availble to volunteers who are volunteering for over 6 months if the meet certain criteria in their application. We will then contact the individual and work on arrangement with regards to extent of scholarship. Volunteers applying for less than 6 months are welcome to apply at livfund.org for scholarships to our program.

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

4 days

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Tinkuy Peru's Mission Statement

Tinkuy Peru is to work as a community organization aimed at planning and implementing educational, environmental and healthcare activities in the impoverished region of Huancayo, Peru. We aim to promote voluntary work for both public and private organizations and institutions. Our goal is to offer moral, spiritual, intellectual and material support to children who have been subjected to family or society abandonment, or who have experienced social or domestic violence.

Year Founded

2002