VOLUNTEER ABROAD IN SALVACION-MANU

Childcare Volunteering Abroad in Salvacion-Manu (Cusco-Perú): Manu, located in the southeast area of Peru, is one of largest parks in South America. The area of the park encompasses parts of the Andean department of Cusco and the jungle department of Madre de Dios. Manu protects 2 million hectares (4.5 million acres) of a territory rich in flora and fauna species, and a variety of habitats including high Andes, cloud forests, and lowland tropical rain forests. UNESCO officially recognizes this natural paradise as a world heritage site.

DESCRIPTION OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AT CHASKAWASI

* Take care of the children when they wake up in the morning, eat breakfast and help them prepare to go to school.
* Take care and accompany them when they are picked up from school for lunch and help them during lunch time.
* In the afternoon accompany them home from school and then assist them with their homework.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:

*Prepare workshops for painting, dance, theater, athletic activities, storytelling and any kind of creative activities that stimulate the development of a child.
* Play sports, yoga, meditation, martial arts with the children.
* Volunteers will work for six hours a day, from Monday to Saturday through the morning. Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday is free.
* Volunteers can leave for five days after their work as a volunteer to get to know all of the marvels that you find in this spot of the Peruvian Amazon in Salvación.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS IN CHASKAWASI

1. Experience working with children, and have personality traits useful for the type of activities mentioned in this text.

2. Volunteers need to send a short essay or letter explaining how they plan to contribute to the project and to explain what special qualities they will bring to the project and children.

PROGRAM INCLUDES

After arriving at the Cusco airport, volunteers will be transported to our ¨casa de voluntarios¨ (volunteer house) in Cusco. Here they will be shown their room and given a ¨mate de coca¨ (coca tea) to help their acclimatization to the altitude. For lunch they will be transported to the center of Cusco where after lunch there will be a meeting with the managers of the project to explain details to the volunteers and answer all of their questions. There will be free time after dinner to get to know the city of Cusco, after which volunteers will be again transported to the volunteer house. The next day at 5:00am they will leave for the Reserva Biosfera del Manu (Manu Biosphere Reserve) and the town of Salvación. They will be met at the bus station and taken to their accommodations.

They will be introduced to the children, all of the personnel who work there and the other volunteers. The next day we will begin with the project activities.

On the final day, volunteers will leave at 7:00pm to take a bus from Pillcopata to Cusco. They will be brought the following day directly to the volunteer house in Cusco (the bus stops directly at the casa). On this day volunteers can go into the center of Cusco and tell us about their time in Chaskawasi, including sharing their photos, stories and suggestions…volunteers can again eat lunch at our center.

If you would like to stay at our bungalows and lodges, you will get a volunteer discount. When you are in Cusco, discuss with the project director about available space. The income from staying at our volunteer bungalows and lodges helps with the economic self-sufficiency of our projects.