You will travel from the mountainous region of Cusco to a very different climatic zone in the jungle of the Amazon. The project is located east of the Andes on the Amazon River, on a tributary called Madre de Dios (Spanish for Mother of God). You will be living in the Biosphere Reserve of the Manu National Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO. The children’s shelter is about a 10 minute walk from the local town, which has internet cafes, restaurants and supply shops. You will be amazed by natural wildlife and plant life in this region!

1 day trip there and back from the NGO Taxi HQ to the project site at the beginning and after successful completion of the project are included in the project price. Local transportation is at your cost.

Accommodation is on-site in a bunk-room, either alone or together with up to two volunteers. Catering is also included at the project.

Professional requirements:
Volunteers must be 18 or older and need to have a positive attitude. Of course, you should love to work with children and enjoy being in contact with nature. You will also need to provide a current and certified complete criminal history record before placement can be pursued.

This project supports and encourages teamwork along with a great deal of flexibility, autonomy and initiative. If you are open and ready for it, you’ll learn how to deal with aspects of daily life and be able to adapt to different fields of activity.

Generally, you should be ready to respond to changes and be able to deal with the unexpected for any work in South America.

Language requirements:
Since the project is located in the rainforest, it is important to be able to communicate in Spanish at conversation level. The project already includes a FREE 20-hour intensive language course, which is designed to prepare you for your tasks at the shelter. If you have basic, little or no Spanish knowledge, you can choose one of the language packages (prior to the project start) in one of our affiliated schools. The option is also available for online courses that can be arranged through our online partner school (offering Skype, special videos or virtual classroom tuition) and can be started from home (please specify in your application form).

Minimum age:
18 years

Dates:
1st or 3rd Sunday each month. 
(Individual arrival dates possible, surplus applies). 

Length of stay:
4 weeks or over.

Immunizations: 
It is essential to be up-to-date with immunizations before you arrive at your project. This includes, among others: yellow fever (certified), tetanus, typhoid, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, and rabies. You’ll receive exact information pertaining to immunizations needed in Peru, as well as your personal preliminary documentation, following your successful application with us.

You can inquire in advance concerning immunization requirements by consulting medical authorities in your country of origin, e.g. in the US, check with the Centers for Disease Control and Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/peru.

Please make sure that you have up-to-date vaccinations for all of these diseases. NGO Taxi cannot be held responsible for the provision of vaccinations for their volunteers. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to ensure that they have followed up-to-date medical advice.

Special conditions:
Because local tribes use tattoos and piercings as a form of status distinction, it would not be appropriate for volunteers to overtly display piercings or have excessive visible tattoos. As this project involves children in need of a stable environment, longer placements are greatly encouraged. This project accepts a maximum of 6 volunteers. 

Sometimes you will find that you are one of only two or three people working at the facility. At other times however, there will be more volunteers, so be prepared for variety in the people you will meet and work with. In any case, you will always work with children who have a zest for life and really nice staff!

But why not volunteer with your best friend?!

Tell us with whom you want to volunteer and we will arrange your fellow volunteer experience for you.

• Mountain biking.
• Rafting.
• Hiking.
• Paragliding.
• Visit to Machu Picchu.
• Dance classes. 
• Cooking classes. 
• City tours. 
• Ziplining.