Tours
the REAL
Perú
with us
Current Projects
Kindergarten
Management
The Kindergarten is run by a non-governmental non-profit, pluralistic organisation independent from the political or religious viewpoint. Its goal is to work with children in extreme poverty, suffering from psychological maltreatment, neglect, malnutrition, etc. The NGO intends to help through prevention programs, protection and respect for the rights of children, thus ensuring that they have access to education, health, healthy eating and a balanced environment. All of this is achieved through the creation and formation of kindergartens, shelters and other programs to protect the child.
The Children
The children’s parents are often single mothers with very low income. Moreover, some children take 2 hours every morning to arrive at the kindergarten because they have to take three buses, which ends up being very expensive.
Volunteer Role
In the morning, you can help one of the teachers with the different assignments that she/he gives to the children. There are more than one hundred children in the kindergarten and they are separated into different classes depending on their age (from 1 to 5 years old). In addition to helping the teachers with their own programs, you can teach English or other topics. The children love songs, and singing with them happens to be a very efficient way to attract their attention and help them remember the words.
In the afternoon (from 2 pm) around thirty kids come from schools in the neighborhood to do their homework. You can then be very useful in helping them with their homework in Mathematics, English or even “Communication” if your knowledge of Spanish is good.
The teachers working in the kindergarten are open to all new ideas that could entertain or teach new topics to the children. In addition to “serious” topics like English or Mathematics, do not hesitate to teach them your own talents like juggling, dancing, doing magic tricks, etc.
Schedule
There is no minimum volunteer period for this project although we believe that you will gain more from the experience, and help the children more, the longer you can stay!
As a volunteer, you are not expected to work the whole day (some people at the kindergarten work from 6 am to 8pm). You can define on arrival when you are willing to work, and this schedule can be changed at any time if necessary.
Donations
Any donation is welcomed and helpful for the organization. It could be money but also furniture (chairs, tables, pillows, etc.), didactic objects, games, etc. We recommend that you do not bring items from your own country however, as we have found it is more effective to wait until you arrive and find out what is needed at the time. If you buy items in Arequipa it is also beneficial for the local economy and you will probably find that your money will go further (plus it doesn’t take up space in your luggage!)
Management
The Kindergarten is run by a non-governmental non-profit, pluralistic organisation independent from the political or religious viewpoint. Its goal is to work with children in extreme poverty, suffering from psychological maltreatment, neglect, malnutrition, etc. The NGO intends to help through prevention programs, protection and respect for the rights of children, thus ensuring that they have access to education, health, healthy eating and a balanced environment. All of this is achieved through the creation and formation of kindergartens, shelters and other programs to protect the child.
The Children
The children’s parents are often single mothers with very low income. Moreover, some children take 2 hours every morning to arrive at the kindergarten because they have to take three buses, which ends up being very expensive.
Volunteer Role
In the morning, you can help one of the teachers with the different assignments that she/he gives to the children. There are more than one hundred children in the kindergarten and they are separated into different classes depending on their age (from 1 to 5 years old). In addition to helping the teachers with their own programs, you can teach English or other topics. The children love songs, and singing with them happens to be a very efficient way to attract their attention and help them remember the words.
In the afternoon (from 2 pm) around thirty kids come from schools in the neighborhood to do their homework. You can then be very useful in helping them with their homework in Mathematics, English or even “Communication” if your knowledge of Spanish is good.
The teachers working in the kindergarten are open to all new ideas that could entertain or teach new topics to the children. In addition to “serious” topics like English or Mathematics, do not hesitate to teach them your own talents like juggling, dancing, doing magic tricks, etc.
Schedule
There is no minimum volunteer period for this project although we believe that you will gain more from the experience, and help the children more, the longer you can stay!
As a volunteer, you are not expected to work the whole day (some people at the kindergarten work from 6 am to 8pm). You can define on arrival when you are willing to work, and this schedule can be changed at any time if necessary.
The school is open Monday – Friday from March to mid-December (with a 2 week winter break in mid-July).
Donations
Any donation is welcomed and helpful for the organization. It could be money but also furniture (chairs, tables, pillows, etc.), didactic objects, games, etc. We recommend that you do not bring items from your own country however, as we have found it is more effective to wait until you arrive and find out what is needed at the time. If you buy items in Arequipa it is also beneficial for the local economy and you will probably find that your money will go further (plus it doesn’t take up space in your luggage!)
School
School
Management
The School is run by a Catholic non-profit organisation in a very poor area of Arequipa. It is a large school, catering for 800 children from the start of primary right through to the end of school. The organisation also runs services for younger children nearby, as well as dining halls and a home for the elderly. The classes are run by professional teachers, who are paid a wage from donations secured by the organisation that runs it.
The Children
The children who attend the school range in age from 4 to 17 years old. Living in poverty often brings with it many problems such as domestic abuse, addiction, neglect, alcoholism, risk of early pregnancy, malnutrition, health issues etc. Attending school offers these children a safe environment and an opportunity to create a better life for themselves.
Volunteer Role
Volunteers at the school help the professional teachers in their classes. The teacher will normally be present but may leave the class at some points. For volunteers to make a valuable contribution in this role, they must be able to use their initiative, be confident, have a good level of Spanish (intermediate am/) and have some experience of working with children/teaching. The school accepts volunteers from 21 to 60 years old with an Intermediate level of Spanish. If you do not currently speak Spanish, you can take a course with us before you start your volunteer placement.
Schedule
The minimum volunteer period for this project is 4 weeks, although we strongly recommend that you stay for longer as we can almost guarantee you won’t want to leave after such a short amount of time!
Volunteers work at the school from 8am to 2pm, and may also choose to stay on to help with the English club, and music, art, theatre and sports activities in the after-school club from 2pm to 4pm. This later shift may also be available to other volunteers, without the requirement to work in the mornings.
The school is open Monday – Friday from March to mid-December (with a 2 week winter break in mid-July).
Donations
Any donation is welcomed and helpful for the organization. It could be money but also clothes, games, toys etc. We recommend that you do not bring items from your own country however, as we have found it is more effective to wait until you arrive and find out what is needed at the time. If you buy items in Arequipa it is also beneficial for the local economy and you will probably find that your money will go further (plus it doesn’t take up space in your luggage!)
Management
The School is run by a Catholic non-profit organisation in a very poor area of Arequipa. It is a large school, catering for 800 children from the start of primary right through to the end of school. The organisation also runs services for younger children nearby, as well as dining halls and a home for the elderly. The classes are run by professional teachers, who are paid a wage from donations secured by the organisation that runs it.
The Children
The children who attend the school range in age from 4 to 17 years old. Living in poverty often brings with it many problems such as domestic abuse, addiction, neglect, alcoholism, risk of early pregnancy, malnutrition, health issues etc. Attending school offers these children a safe environment and an opportunity to create a better life for themselves.
Volunteer Role
Volunteers at the school help the professional teachers in their classes. The teacher will normally be present but may leave the class at some points. For volunteers to make a valuable contribution in this role, they must be able to use their initiative, be confident, have a good level of Spanish (intermediate am/) and have some experience of working with children/teaching. The school accepts volunteers from 21 to 60 years old with an Intermediate level of Spanish. If you do not currently speak Spanish, you can take a course with us before you start your volunteer placement.
Schedule
The minimum volunteer period for this project is 4 weeks, although we strongly recommend that you stay for longer as we can almost guarantee you won’t want to leave after such a short amount of time!
Volunteers work at the school from 8am to 2pm, and may also choose to stay on to help with the English club, and music, art, theatre and sports activities in the after-school club from 2pm to 4pm. This later shift may also be available to other volunteers, without the requirement to work in the mornings.
The school is open Monday – Friday from March to mid-December (with a 2 week winter break in mid-July).
Donations
Any donation is welcomed and helpful for the organization. It could be money but also clothes, games, toys etc. We recommend that you do not bring items from your own country however, as we have found it is more effective to wait until you arrive and find out what is needed at the time. If you buy items in Arequipa it is also beneficial for the local economy and you will probably find that your money will go further (plus it doesn’t take up space in your luggage!)
Tours
Our Volunteer Coordinator can give you all the information you require about the tours on offer in Arequipa, and the rest of Perú. Just complete the contact form below to send a message detailing the time you have available, the activities you would like to do and any tours you have heard of that you would particularly like to go on (e.g. Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca) and we will get back to you with some suggestions and more information.
At the bottom of this page you will find Tour Information Sheets for all the tours we offer. We do not include prices on these sheets as these tend to fluctuate depending on the season, exchange rate etc. Please contact us to find out prices and rest assured, our tours are competitively priced!
The tours we offer are good quality and the Tour Guides all speak English well, ensuring that you can really enjoy your experience. Even better, 50% of all tour profits booked through us will go straight to The Children’s Home &/or Kindergarten we support. Our tours are open to non-volunteers as well so please spread the word and help us to help the projects even more
Tour Info Sheets:
Arequipa/Colca Canyon:
Lake Titicaca:
Cusco/Machu Picchu:
Amazon/Jungle:
Other:
Costs
Due to various factors, we run Traveller Not Tourist as a business. We genuinely appreciate that our volunteers give their time, energy and often blood, sweat and tears to work with the children we help but we feel that this is the best way to ensure that we can provide both a quality service to the volunteers, and really useful help to the children (and their carers) who we support.
We provide employment for local people and work for local businesses.
The costs of volunteering with Traveller Not Tourist in Arequipa, Perú are as follows
We offer an airport collection service for when you first arrive in Arequipa as we know this can be trying time after a long flight. It is also a lot safer to have a known taxi driver collect you. Please mention your interest in this service when you email us and we will let you know the price.
We charge a one-off Administration Fee of US$150, which is used to pay wages and for other organisational costs (stationery etc). This is non-refundable.
Accommodation in the dedicated Volunteer Flats start from US$80 per week – the cost depending on the type of room you want. You can find out more about the accommodation here. Ideally, all volunteers would stay in the Volunteer Flats but we understand that some volunteers may have reasons for not wanting to do so. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your needs. There is also a required deposit of US$60. This will be returned to you at the end of your stay as long as your keys are returned and no damage/loss of property has occurred.
Although not obligatory, we strongly recommend that you take some Spanish Courses during your volunteer period as we believe that you, and the children, will get more out of the experience if you can communicate with them better. For more information on Spanish Courses please click here.
Not included in the Admin Fee/Accommodation. The volunteer accommodation has fully equipped kitchens and there is a great range of restaurants to try in and around Arequipa. There are many Arequipenian speciality dishes to sample such as Roccota Rellena (Stuffed Peppers) and Cuy (Guinea Pig…yes, Guinea Pig) as well as dishes from around the world such as crepes, stir frys and even McDonalds. Volunteers often cook or go out to eat together. Bear in mind though, if you invite someone out for food or drinks in Peruvian culture, this means that you are offering to pay for them!
Perú is an amazing country, with many great sites to visit and beautiful places to see so make sure you budget in some time and money for travelling about. If time is limited, there are trips you can do around Arequipa, as well as further afield. See our Tours Section below for more information, and don’t forget that 50% of the profits of any tour you take with us will go to those we work with so tell all your friends and travel buddies too!
Application Procedure
So, you’re interested in volunteering with us? Great news! Here’s what to do next…
1. Decide when you want to come or contact us to ask when we most need volunteers if you are flexible.
2. If you know your dates just send us an email telling us when you want to arrive and leave and we will confirm that we have availability in the volunteer accommodation or suggest alternative dates if we don’t have quite the right availability. If you require Airport/Bus Station Collection, Spanish Lessons and/or Tours, ask about these too.
3. When you have confirmation of the dates we will book you in provisionally. You then need to send us the following:
a) A completed Volunteer Information Form which you will find below.
b) A reference from someone who knows you professionally or from an educational setting. Please ask the person writing the reference to email it directly to travellernotourist@gmail.com.
c) The Administration Fee of US$150 (non-refundable), your rent for the first month (or the whole period if you are coming for less than a month) and any money for Tours and/or Spanish Lessons. This should be sent via Western Union using the following information:
Name of the recipient – Julia Sofia Balbuena Cornejon
Phone number of recipient – 0051 95 99 10 196
Location of recipient: Arequipa, Perú
Once you complete the transaction you will get an MTCN – a reference number for the transaction. Please send this, along with your full name, and the country you sent the money from to us at travellernotourist@gmail.com.
Please note that the Administration Fee is non-refundable and Rent, Tours and Spanish Lessons will only be refunded if cancelled at least one month before arrival. Refunds will be sent via Western Union and the transaction fees will be paid out of the refunded money.
If you are at all nervous about coming or have any questions you would like answered by volunteers rather than us, please check out our Facebook Page as there are lots of past volunteers on there who will be able to give you answers! You can also find us on Instagram.
Application Procedure
So, you’re interested in volunteering with us? Great news! Here’s what to do next…
1. Decide when you want to come or contact us to ask when we most need volunteers if you are flexible.
2. If you know your dates just send us an email telling us when you want to arrive and leave and we will confirm that we have availability in the volunteer accommodation or suggest alternative dates if we don’t have quite the right availability. If you require Airport/Bus Station Collection, Spanish Lessons and/or Tours, ask about these too.
3. When you have confirmation of the dates we will book you in provisionally. You then need to send us the following:
a) A completed Volunteer Information Form which you will find below.
b) A reference from someone who knows you professionally or from an educational setting. Please ask the person writing the reference to email it directly to travellernotourist@gmail.com.
c) The Administration Fee of US$150 (non-refundable), your rent for the first month (or the whole period if you are coming for less than a month) and any money for Tours and/or Spanish Lessons. This should be sent via Western Union using the following information:
Name of the recipient – Julia Sofia Balbuena Cornejon
Phone number of recipient – 0051 95 99 10 196
Location of recipient: Arequipa, Perú
Once you complete the transaction you will get an MTCN – a reference number for the transaction. Please send this, along with your full name, and the country you sent the money from to us at travellernotourist@gmail.com.
Please note that the Administration Fee is non-refundable and Rent, Tours and Spanish Lessons will only be refunded if cancelled at least one month before arrival. Refunds will be sent via Western Union and the transaction fees will be paid out of the refunded money.
If you are at all nervous about coming or have any questions you would like answered by volunteers rather than us, please check out our Facebook Page as there are lots of past volunteers on there who will be able to give you answers! You can also find us on Instagram.
Contact Us
If you would like more info or would like to book a placement, please contact us through email or our Contact Us form below. You can also call our Volunteer Coordinator, Sofia, in Arequipa, but please check the time in Perú first! Our work hours are Monday-Friday between 09:30 and 4 p.m..
For regular updates on the projects, news from Arequipa & Perú and useful articles & travel tips, check back at the website and like our Facebook Page. You can also find us on Instagram.
Physical Address
Calle Los Arces 257-A, Primer Piso, Cayma, Arequipa, Perú
Phone Numbers
00 51 54 292089 (Landline)
00 51 54 975 746 907 (Mobile)
Email Address
travellernotourist@gmail.com
Contact Us
If you would like more info or would like to book a placement, please contact us through email or our Contact Us form below. You can also call our Volunteer Coordinator, Sofia, in Arequipa, but please check the time in Perú first! Our work hours are Monday-Friday between 09:30 and 4 p.m..
For regular updates on the projects, news from Arequipa & Perú and useful articles & travel tips, check back at the website and like our Facebook Page. You can also find us on Instagram.
Physical Address
Calle Los Arces 257-A, Primer Piso, Cayma, Arequipa, Perú
Phone Numbers
00 51 54 292089 (Landline)
00 51 54 975 746 907 (Mobile)
Email Address
travellernotourist@gmail.com
