Childcare Volunteer Program in Peru - Lima
Excited to be a Childcare volunteer in Peru - Lima? International Volunteer HQ’s Childcare project empowers volunteers to assist in early childhood education centers in Lima. Volunteers gain childcare experience while helping at facilities that are often underfunded and understaffed so derive great benefit from the support of volunteers. The children at the centers also benefit from increased individual engagement and attention that helps them learn and grow.
Highlights:
- Programs start the first and third Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from $180 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Support, nurture and help entertain young children
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Explore Peru’s stunning scenery and ancient ruins
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Stay with other volunteers or a local family on the coast of Lima
Who is this program suited to?
Key information
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Childcare centers in Lima are often busy places that are lacking the funds and resources they need to provide top quality care. Volunteers can help by providing an extra pair of hands to assist with anything that needs to be done, and also enable children to get more one-on-one attention and connection.
As a Childcare volunteer, you’ll work alongside local teachers in classes that cater to children aged between 3 and 5 years old. Volunteer duties can vary but often include:
- Helping with play time
- Supervising children
- Preparing early childhood education materials and teaching simple lessons
- Arranging games and activities
Your work will be more varied in school holidays in January, February and August, when you can also expect to be helping out at a school holiday program.
Why do Childcare volunteering in Lima with IVHQ?
When you volunteer with children in Peru - Lima you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving the quality of early childhood education
- Helping young children grow and develop in a safe place
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining childcare experience
- Immersing yourself in Peruvian culture
- Exploring the stunning mountains and ancient ruins of Peru
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program
- Volunteers aged 16-18 are required to provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Peru photo gallery
Recommended online TEFL course
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified online”I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to experience this. Seeing the children's faces light up and hearing their giggles when you make a connection with them despite the many huge barriers is such an incredible feeling. The best 4 weeks that I can remember! Honestly so grateful to the whole team. It's fantastically organised and you feel safe and secure and comfortable at all times. I loved it!”
Elizabeth, British, 26
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Location
Lima, Peru’s capital city, is perched along the country’s Pacific coast. As the biggest city in Peru and one of the largest in South America, Lima is an important hub of culture, commerce, finance and politics. It’s also got a long history dating back to Pre-Columbian times as well as a strong Spanish influence and both of these can be explored in the many museums, art galleries, churches and ancient historical sites dotted around the city.
IVHQ’s Lima projects are set in and around the city, near the tourist hotspots of Barranco and Miraflores, wildly different in nature but both known for their beauty, great food and buzzing nightlife.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month and volunteers need to arrive into Lima on the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Lima. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation. If you are traveling in Peru prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Lima on the day before your program orientation, or you can make your own way to the program site.
Orientation is hosted by our local team at the volunteer house in Lima. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. It covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Lima – an introduction to Peru, Peruvian customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Peru, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be escorted to the project by our local staff and introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.
Weekdays - A typical day would be as follows:
| 6:00 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer house or homestay. |
| 7:00 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements. |
| 12:30 - 1:00 PM | Volunteers finish placement and return to their accommodation. You will be provided with a packed lunch to eat at your convenience. |
| 2:00 - 6:00 PM | Volunteers are free to prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. If volunteers are taking Spanish language lessons, they will usually take these in the afternoon. Some placements may take place in the afternoon. |
| 6:30 - 7:00 PM | Dinner at the volunteer house or homestay. |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Lima and Peru. Popular activities include paragliding from the cliffs of Miraflores, visiting the Pachacamac Ruins south of Lima, climbing to the top of the Huaca Pucllana Pyramid, surfing the coastal waters of Miraflores and Barranco, and sandboarding in Huacachina of Southwest Peru. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to visit other parts of Peru such as Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Looking for more ideas of things to do in Peru - Lima? Check out our Lima Travel & Tours page!
Accommodation and WiFi
You’ll stay in a volunteer house run by the local coordinator’s family or in a homestay.
Bedrooms have single and double beds and volunteers can expect to share a room with one to three other volunteers. Living is comfortable and there is electricity and running water in the volunteer house and the homestays. Bedding is provided and you just need to bring your own towel and toiletries.
If you would like a more private setting, an accommodation upgrade can be arranged for a private room once you register for the program. For $80 per person per week, these upgrades place volunteers in smaller homestays with a local host family and a maximum of 1 to 2 other volunteers.
WiFi is available to volunteers in both the volunteer house and homestay accommodation.
Meals
Volunteers are provided with three meals a day.
Breakfasts generally consist of tea and coffee, toast, local breads, cereal, condiments, ham and cheese. Volunteers will receive a packed lunch during the week with Saturday lunch being an opportunity to try some local Peruvian dishes. Sunday lunch is a more relaxed grazing brunch. Dinner is usually a plated hot meal such as pasta, stews, vegetables and rice. Volunteers staying in a homestay may find some variation in the menu provided.
Bottled water is readily available in Peru and volunteers should budget approximately $5 a week for 2 litres a day. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $180 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 2 weeks | $416 Equivalent to $30/day |
| 3 weeks | $610 Equivalent to $30/day |
| 4 weeks | $734 Equivalent to $27/day |
| 5 weeks | $863 Equivalent to $25/day |
| 6 weeks | $992 Equivalent to $24/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,250 Equivalent to $23/day |
| 10 weeks | $1,508 Equivalent to $22/day |
| 12 weeks | $1,766 Equivalent to $22/day |
| 16 weeks | $2,282 Equivalent to $21/day |
| 20 weeks | $2,798 Equivalent to $20/day |
| 24 weeks | $3,314 Equivalent to $20/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Discounts on language lessons
- Certificate of International Volunteering
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of $299 in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, public transportation to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Lima generally find US$50 - $100 per week to be sufficient for expenses, such as snacks, in-country tours, and Spanish language lessons.
Spanish language lessons
Spanish language lessons are available for all volunteers regardless of their ability. IVHQ strongly recommends these for all volunteers, unless they are fluent in Spanish. If volunteers have little or no Spanish ability and are volunteering for a period longer than 2 weeks, they should strongly consider these courses, so they can work and communicate with all parties more effectively during their program. These language lessons can be pre-booked by the hour via your MyIVHQ profile and the class schedule confirmed on your arrival in Lima at your program orientation. The language lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Spanish. The cost is very affordable and offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers at $20 per hour for a private class.
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Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Protecting against COVID-19:
Volunteers tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel
Health & safety information provided during orientation
Strict disinfecting standards for programs & accomodation
Greater physical distance between volunteers
Essential country information
| Capital | Lima |
| Population | 32 million |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Currency | Nuevo Sol (PEN) |
| Time zone | UTC-05:00 |
Weather and climate: Peru, unlike other equatorial countries, does not have an exclusively tropical climate; the influence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current causes great climatic diversity within the country. The coast has moderate temperatures, low precipitation, and high humidity, except for its warmer, wetter northern reaches. In the sierra, rain is frequent during summer, and temperature and humidity diminish with altitude up to the frozen peaks of the Andes. The jungle is characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperatures, except for its southernmost part, which has cold winters and seasonal rainfall.
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