Kiya Survivors
Why choose Kiya Survivors?
Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo-Peruvian charity. It was founded in 2001 by British citizen, Suzy Butler and her Peruvian team of professionals. The name 'Kiya' is taken from the Quechuan word for ‘moon’, which is the symbol for new beginning. Kiya Survivors aims to provide children with special needs and their families, abused and abandoned children, with the chance of a new beginning thr...
Kiya Survivors is a registered Anglo-Peruvian charity. It was founded in 2001 by British citizen, Suzy Butler and her Peruvian team of professionals. The name 'Kiya' is taken from the Quechuan word for ‘moon’, which is the symbol for new beginning. Kiya Survivors aims to provide children with special needs and their families, abused and abandoned children, with the chance of a new beginning through education, support and therapy. Kiya works side by side with local authorities to foster change and improve services offered in special needs schools in areas such as therapy, integration with local schools, working with the family and providing in house support. Kiya Survivors currently operates projects in the Andean village, Urubamba in the Cuzco region and the small fishing village...
Kiya Survivors Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
A very special, unique and beautiful experience
April 08, 2019by: Iona Ferguson - ScotlandProgram: Kiya Survivors: New Beginnings for Children in PeruI had a very special time at Kiya Survivors and think about my time there often. I stayed for 6 weeks which flew in. I felt it was the perfect balance of having responsibility with hands on work which you felt you were making an impact but also felt safe and relaxed! All the staff were so welcoming and so understanding with my awful Spanish! Which did improve throughout my trip! The other volunteers I was there with also made my experience really amazing. You become so close and plan lots of different activities on the weekend. I also went along to salsa classes which I loved! Working with and getting to know the children was so special and I still think about them and are so thankful to them for things they taught me! Overall it was such an incredible experience in so many different ways.
Thank you Iona! We are so happy to hear you had such a positive experience volunteering with us and all our team and the children we support are immensely grateful for your help and support!
All around excellent opportunity!
March 06, 2019by: Ryan Shultis - United StatesProgram: Kiya Survivors: New Beginnings for Children in PeruMy experience working with Kiya Survivors was phenomenal. Every day felt like progress towards a better for of the kids. Working physically to improve the education conditions of the kids as well as playing with the kids felt rewarding and special. In addition to working, the dwellings provided were nice. My group of students were able to enjoy cultural opportunities such as Machu Picchu, which helped us feel connected with the country and with the kids.
We are so glad you had a positive and enriching experience. Thank you so much for your support!! With love and thanks from the Kiya teamx
Team shoreham - Kiya survivors Peru
March 05, 2019by: Dorothy Drake - United KingdomProgram: Kiya Survivors: New Beginnings for Children in PeruWe were given the opportunity to join Team Shoreham for a short volunteer programme in December 2017. Prior to leaving we had a number of pre-meetings where we discussed the itinerary and entered into team building exercises together with talking about the project work we would be undertaking. Upon arrival in Peru we stayed in the south and worked at the Rainbow Centre as well as in the community. During this time we also managed to do a few excursions. In the north we worked at the Mama Cocha Centre. The whole experience was amazing and fulfilling. We were always guided by the KIYA team and our accommodation in all locations was excellent.
Dorothy! We were so impressed with you and your lovely family and cannot thank you enough for your kind words, hard work and support. Thank you from us all x
Interviews
Read interviews from alumni or staff

Asha Fleerakkers
Interviewed in 2014
Asha is a 28 year old from the Netherlands with a background in Cultural Anthropology and International Development Studies, and Human Geography with ...

Asha Fleerakkers
Interviewed in 2014
What inspired you to travel abroad?
When I finished my job in Nicaragua I started looking for a new job, amongst others through the internet. That’s how I found Kiya Survivors. The main reason to apply for the job was, besides the fact that being project manager for an NGO abroad has been a dream since I was young, the work with children with special needs. I grew up on a farm that was run by children and youth with special needs, and my father was a teacher in agriculture. So combining my “work related dream” with that personal background is wonderful.

Maggie Glastonbury
Participated in 2014
Married with two sons, Maggie has worked as a lecturer and manager in Education for many years. Her experience has ranged from voluntary work, includi...

Maggie Glastonbury
Participated in 2014
I have always enjoyed traveling and decided I wanted to do something different with my time which involved helping in some way and seeing more of the world.

Suzy Butler
Interviewed in 2015
Suzy was was born and lived with her family in Hove until age 18 when she decided to take a GAP year and work with disadvantaged children in Paraguay....

Suzy Butler
Interviewed in 2015
What inspired you to travel abroad?
It was the lack of support not for just abused or abandoned children, but primarily, for children with special needs living in poverty. It is a minority sector that only really became brought to the front line in the UK in the 50’s. In Peru, people struggle to feed themselves and send their ‘normal’ kids to school, so anyone born to be different, just isn’t a priority. And I understand that! But I wanted to show people that we are all special and all deserve attention, love, and care, as well as basic rights like education and access to medical care.