Kiya Survivors: New Beginnings for Children in Peru

My daughter and I went with Kiya to Peru in 2023 and had an amazing time. The first week we explored the country. Suzy knows the country inside out and was able to show us sights, experiences, people and food that we would not have found ourselves. She laid on excellent excursions that were a lot of fun and gave us insights into the country. We had a lovely group of volunteers and we all got on very well. The second week of volunteering was special. A chance to get to know, help and understand a family living in difficult circumstances and make bonds with them. It did feel like we made a difference. The trip was superbly organised and the accommodation and meals were first class. What an experience.

I 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.

My 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 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.

Honestly this trip was the best trip I have ever done and will ever do in my life. It was so life changing for me to actively take action, but also to experience becoming such great friends with both the children living at the orphanage and the workers. I’m even thinking of coming back in my gap year, where I hopefully can be helpful again and reunite with them all.

In March of 2018, I traveled to Peru with the organization Kiya Survivors. Our school, Copenhagen International School, had been raising funds for the operating costs of two orphanages in Mancora and Urubamba. We spent a week in both locations, renovating the schools, getting to know the children, and learning how to perform physical therapy. The trip and transportation were very well organized, and we enjoyed having the company of Rosie throughout the two weeks. It was truly amazing and eye-opening, and gave me a new perspective when I returned home.

Our visit to Peru and working with Kiya Survivors was a life changing event. The country was truly beautiful and we met some amazing people, one girl in particular left a footprint on my heart. We stayed in all different types of accommodation from a home stay to hotels. The trip was exceptionally well organised and we were kept well informed before and during our trip. One of my highlights was visiting Machu Picchu which blew us away. Sharing this experience with my parents and my 11 year old son was very special.

Very well organized trip. I travelled alone with my 8-year old daughter. Everything was thought through: from airport pickup and drop off to volunteering instructions and assistance with daily life. Local culture immersion was outstanding. We lived with a family in their house and spend most of our time with local people. Everyone are super kind and helpful.

Myself and my son have now volunteered twice with Kiya now and have had such rewarding experiences both times. The sense of achievement you get from building a bathroom for a family that might otherwise be using a stream is amazing. Such a basic living necessity that we take for granted make a massive difference in these families lives. A life changing experience which everyone should try.

Volunteered as a family with Kiya survivors for a month in Peru. We worked in the children's home and the rainbow centre on a couple of different projects. The experience itself was magical with so much attention to detail. Our host family showed us so much love and understanding, the trips and tours were well organised. Although we travelled for nearly 8 months my children loved our time in urumbamba the best.

I would highly suggest this program! I spent 9 weeks there and I wish I could have spent more! There’s a great diversity of tasks that you can do, like assisting the psychologist, the teacher, you can help to build a bathroom, etc. I also learned a lot about their culture, and I had lots of time to travel around Peru, and Bolivia!

Since i was a kid, i’ve always wanted to do a volunteer work abroad near children. Now that i was in a gap year of studying I knew it was the time to do it. I wanted to discover South America culture and take a little bit of Spanish, so Kiya Survivor has been an evidence. Since I applied for being a volunteer, Rosy had been the best source of informations and supports. So I arrived peacefully to Delfina’s house. I had a very good time to this charming house, living with a péruvien family but keeping my independance. My work at Kiya was very gratified, being near children, family and professional like them was pure happiness. I learned a lot about patience, relation, humality and solidarity. Rosy and all the team of Kiya make everything to integrate the volunteers to Urubamba life, you will never feel alone ! I also spend 2 weeks in Los Organos the second center of Kiya. My time has been very well to, I advice all the person who could speak a little bit of Spanish to visit them too. You will see another facet of this amazing country. A big thank you from France to all the wonderful person i met in Peru

I volunteered with Kiya from February to June 2017. I was quite nervous about coming out to Peru as I'd never been to South America before, and didn't have much experience of working with children with learning difficulties. However, the Kiya team couldn't have made me feel more welcome. I quickly built strong relationships with the children both in the children's home (Rainbow House) and in the school (Rainbow School). I stayed with Delfina, a worker at the NGO and previous director of the Rainbow School, who regularly hosts volunteers from all around the world. She is very welcoming and did all she could to make me feel at home in her house. The work itself was fairly hands on and challenging at times, but the staff are incredibly supportive and understanding, and I quickly got into the routine of going to school in the morning and the children's home in the afternoon. The Peruvian workers in the school and in the home are truly inspirational, and made me want to do all I could to help and support them. I grew to love the kids so much that I came back to visit this year as I was so keen to see them all again, as well as the friends I had made out there. As a country, Peru is so friendly and warm that it has become home away from home for me. In the Sacred Valley and Cusco, I was never bored as there is so much to do and see that it is hard to fit it all in to a short amount of time. I would wholly recommend volunteering with Kiya; it was one of the best experiences of my life and something truly unforgettable.

My experience with Kiya Survivors has been amazing. All of the coordination before I came was well organised, and the work itself is both challenging, rewarding and fun in equal measure. I have fully enjoyed all aspects of the work - the Rainbow House and Rainbow School provide variation to the type of work being done by volunteers, and both are fantastic to be a part of.

I had the best experience with Kiya Survivors, every morning I can't wait to arrive into work and to see the children and be the best volunteer I can be. My work here has given me so much satisfaction, it is incredibly rewarding and interacting with the locals means that I feel part of a great community, working together to help children with learning difficulties.

I spent 12 weeks volunteering with Kiya and it was better than I could have ever imagined, the children, the people and the town stole my heart and I will never be the same. The work that Kiya does with the different projects is amazing and being a part of that was very rewarding, the staff were very helpful and made everything easy and enjoyable. The children at the school and the home were a delight to be around and taught me so much! It was a great mix of projects spending mornings at the school and afternoons with children at the home, building bathrooms or assisting the physiotherapist. In spare time the location is fantastic for seeing lots of amazing places and perfect for amazing hiking.

I originally came out to Peru on a 7 month Kiya Survivors Volunteer Programme and had the most incredible time! Becoming involved with the work of this wonderful charity has truly changed my life. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills, including learning Spanish, and I loved every moment of working with all of the amazing children Kiya supports and being a part of the incredible staff team on the ground at the projects. I was very impressed with the whole ethos of Kiya, working alongside the local Peruvian authorities and providing job opportunities for Peruvian team members to maintain ongoing aid which is vitally needed in the communities here. A very community-conscious travel experience in a time when "volun-tourism" can cause more harm than good, I was heartened to see the sustainability of the work I was contributing to and it was wonderful to hear of the progress and development Kiya has achieved for disadvantaged children since it began in 2001. A hugely rewarding experience. Peru is also an immensely interesting part of the world to visit, richly diverse in terrain and wildlife and steeped in fascinating culture and history. During my time with Kiya they provided ample opportunities to explore this incredible country and enjoy some of the amazing experiences it has to offer.

I could never have imagined how involved I would get, how much I would grow in myself and how I would embrace the Peruvian culture. I came out here without knowing any Spanish and never having travelled before so I was chronically anxious but for me, KS has done everything it can to reassure me, to help me and to ensure I could reach my full potential as a volunteer. I've loved every minute of my time at the Rainbow Centre, it's so alive and full of energy; I often go home completely inspired and in awe of what children can overcome. Going to the Rainbow House every week was an equally enjoyable and heart warming activity, the children are fantastic as are the house mums. It's hard to say what I've enjoyed the most because everything KS offers continues to take my breath away. It's been great having holidays as well because it gives you a chance to explore Peru and embrace the culture, learning new ideas and meeting new people. I've travelled all around Peru now and would not have changed any of my experiences for the world. From volunteering I have learnt how important nonverbal communication is and that there should be no barriers to learning and communicating ideas just because one can't communicate with words. I came out here without knowing any Spanish so I found it very hard trying to speak to people but where there's a will there's a way. I have also learnt not to prejudge people just because their thoughts and ideas aren't the same as my own. To begin with I started judging the parents based on how their children looked when they were brought to school. I wondered how they could bring their children in dirty and in ripped clothes, however having heard the stories of parents and the poverty they have come from, I now make a conscious effort to learn about people and identify what I can do to help. I found the organisation to be great, the Cusco weekend was organised very well as was my Machu Picchu trip. Because I have a skill, that being psychology, I've found it easy to find things to do, to work with the psychologist and really feel I'm making a difference. I know from conversations with other volunteers that at times they have struggled to find things to do and projects to undertake. I'm sure there's lots of work volunteers could do for KS.

The only thing I would change is the length of my stay, I wish I could stay for longer. I have enjoyed every day and the different things I have been able to do. I feel like I have accomplished a lot and have left my mark on the place. I have learnt that I love working with children and it has made me decide to pursue a career in teaching. I have learnt to get on with new people quickly and live happily in a group. However most importantly I have learnt how to handwash my own clothes. My initial internal flight return was booked for the wrong date but it was all sorted quickly and efficiently. It would have been one to have the Cusco weekend earlier n the trip as it was a great bonding experience, but I understand it was done when it was in order to also include new volunteers that started later.

I genuinely loved working with the children and helping all the staff and teachers. I had a great time living in the volunteer house and meeting other volunteers and locals. I enjoyed and appreciated the Spanish lessons, which helped me to meet different people and so I built a social life there which added to my experience. I have learnt that I am more independent than I first realised, that I am quite able and more than happy to travel and stay on my own and that I can organise myself well. It has given me greater perspective and made me (hopefully) more grateful and humble. After spending time with the kids it has made me appreciate all that I have myself and to be more open and caring. The teams in England and in Peru were both excellent in preparing me for my trip and for giving me plenty of information. I had a truly fantastic time working for Kiya and would love to be involved again in the future!!!! Thanks for all your help!