The way you look at someone will determine the way someone looks at you.
Look what you could do…
Jana
Volunteer
My name is Jana, I am 28 years old and a designer from Germany. I’m always interested in how communication works in different parts of the world, how we can connect with people so as to work together and how we can improve communication to solve regional, cultural and political problems. I studied graphic design, majoring in social design. Design is more than making nice pictures, funny advertisements, serious looking logos and nice brochures.
Design can help connect different kinds of people with different backgrounds and knowledge to create something more important for a society. We always need to take responsibility for our actions, and I think, we have to learn how we can use our knowledge to create something more significant, helpful and sustainable, before we bring it into the world. I want to do my part by sharing my knowledge for social projects like the ones of NGO Taxi. I also want to talk to people about what kind of possibilities they have in their lives and jobs to do something different, good and helpful every day.
I definitely hoped for a lot of fun and many exciting experiences from the Surf and Help Camp project, and I have learned and experienced some interesting things, especially at the marine wildlife centre. Working with marine animals – especially sea turtles – in this environment was very inviting to me. But of course, for me, the work came first, that I could help where help is needed. This combination of holiday, culture and social commitment, as well as the diverse tasks, worked perfectly for me.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Stephanie
Volunteer
As I studied Social Sciences and Spanish, I was always interested in social topics and especially current subjects, for example migration or cooperation of development. After my Bachelor degree I decided to find an internship in the field of cooperation of development to experience the practical side and learn about the work in the field; NGO Taxi came up on a Google search and, after an informative Skype talk with the owner of the organization, I applied for this volunteer job. I wasn’t disappointed, because what I experienced in this time and what I learned lived up my expectations.
My main tasks were doing social media updates, translation work (translating English website text into German), creating an FAQ database, and, as I speak Spanish, attending some meetings with potential host families with my volunteer coordinator. I was also lucky enough to visit some of the projects in the jungle. The café with which NGO Taxi is affiliated was one of my favorite working places, when I needed a change of scenery.
The internship allows you get to know the work of NGO Taxi in a profound way, and to learn about what it means to work in this field (e.g. how much time and work is needed), as well as having the chance to complete different tasks and (maybe!) visiting the projects. I got a true insight in the actual work of an NGO in South America. In particular, I gained experience in many different administrative areas and learned more about marketing strategies and their importance. In general, I learned how complex the work in an organization like NGO Taxi is, how many people are involved, and how much work there is behind the scenes. The visit to our project sites taught me a lot, because I met the project leaders and some of our volunteers there. They told me a lot and I not only saw the achievements but also the struggles and problems related to the projects we support. Even though the project description may not sound like your field of work – it wasn’t mine either, as I didn’t have any experience in marketing – the organization will lead you and you will learn a lot.
I got to know other volunteers from different countries and therefore different perspectives and opinions. Some of them became really good friends and I wouldn’t want to miss any of the experiences I had with them on the weekends. I also learned a lot about Peru and the people living here. I saw a whole new world and experienced situations that were unknown to me. I had to face facts I struggled with; for example seeing old people begging on the streets or abandoned and sick dogs searching for food in the rubbish. Although I’m still not used to seeing this or the poverty in general, it is part of the whole experience here and it made me once again be more aware of how lucky I am to have grown up in Switzerland, without having to be concerned about how to make it through the day. It has taught me once again that how I live and what I have shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Overall it was a great and unique experience and I wouldn’t want to miss any of it. It was a learning journey and an adventure, as I had the opportunity to travel and to see different places in Peru. It was a time for meeting people, making new friends, hearing different stories, and broadening my horizon. Volunteering is a win-win situation for both sides; you will help people and in return you will gain a lot: you will get to know local people, and learn about their lives, their culture and history; improve your Spanish; have new experiences; live unforgettable moments; visit beautiful places; and make new friends. I can only highly recommend volunteering with NGO Taxi, either as an intern or in one of our projects. I’m sure there is the right project for everyone. You won’t regret it!
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Linus – Volunteer
Learning Spanish at the school in Ecuador as a beginner was a really good experience. I learned really fast and a lot. The combination of trips around the city and cultural and culinary events makes learning Spanish a whole new experience. You walk straight out of...
Dominik – Volunteer
I really enjoyed going to the language school. The content of the classes varies every day. At first the teacher talks to you for a while and teaches you Spanish grammar. When she notices that you are getting tired she simply changes the program so that you can...
Leonia – Volunteer
The best thing about my experience as a Volunteer for the NGO Taxi Headquarters is that the work you do will really be used. You can read your own texts in the internet and see your work.
Valentin – Volunteer
Firstly, I have to say that the apartment of the NGO Headquarters exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the language school too, and before my project my Spanish teacher came with me to a nearby hospital and explained the basic vocabulary I would need, and the...
Katharina and Jochen – Volunteer
We just want to say thank you for the gorgeous time that our son spent with NGO Taxi! He really had a great start to his world trip year! We always had a good feeling and knew that he was in good hands with you!
Larissa – Volunteer
If you are looking for a lot of time for excursions, time for yourself, time to read, time to switch off or spend time with children, then you are in the right place at the Peruvian child care facility. You have three tasks a day. Reading with the children in the...
Nikolaus – Volunteer
The Animal Shelter project in Peru with Caesar as project leader was great. Caesar is friendly, funny, always cheerful, open-hearted, straightforward, and a bit roguish; his girlfriend Viktoria is also friendly, nice, helpful, and a very good cook; and the project...
Anna W n Ronja S – Volunteer
We are Anna and Ronja from Germany and we volunteered for NGO Taxi and the animal shelter in Peru. Can you imagine working in the jungle? Where it is hot and sometimes rainy? Can you imagine working with a monkey on your shoulder? Can you imagine working with a...
Sabrina – Volunteer
It was a nice experience to live without electricity, running water and internet connection at the reforestation project. You don´t miss those things. I loved living in nature, bathing in the river, and eating fruits and vegetables from the garden around you, which...
Angelica – Volunteer
I was interested and motivated to work in Peru because of the vast amount of research I had done on it in preparation to complete my advanced senior work. I was very happy to have gained first hand knowledge through experiencing and observing the local culture and...
Rolf – Volunteer
My experience at the animal shelter project was very intensive; I learned a lot about the region, about the lifestyle of the people and about the project itself. I learned a lot of technical skills, how to work under basic circumstances, agriculture and nature, and...
Pascal – Volunteer
Before my volunteering I graduated and worked as an intern in the area of development cooperation. Even though this was very interesting, I had never got detailed insights into a particular project. For this reason and because of my passion for Latin America, I...
Manuela – Volunteer
During my time volunteering on the Colombia recycling project I was very impressed with the good relationship between the project and the locals; the community seemed to be very interested and enthusiastic in what we were doing, which made my time there even more...
Jens – Volunteer
In total, my stay at the Surf and Help Camp was very nice. The accommodation was a good place to live; it was cozy and never boring there. The people at the language school are extremely professional and very kind. There is nothing to complain about in the first week...
Tobias – Volunteer
I had a good experience at the Surf and Help Camp. I learned the basics about how to care for marine animals and also the reasons why animals get into situations, sometimes caused by humans, that mean that they end up in rescue centres. But probably the most important...
Adelina – Volunteer
You definitely have close contact with the local population on the surf and help project, which I personally particularly liked. One of my frequent tasks was to feed the animals, to keep their enclosures clean, and to measure and weigh some animals (such as turtles...
Milan – Volunteer
I spent my time on the Volunteer Circle project working with the sugarcane farmers, who do not have enough workers to help cultivate their land and need help to meet the requirements for large-scale panela production. I really enjoyed my time with them, as I enjoy...
Dominik – Volunteer
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Galapagos project. Not only was it a beautiful place, but the locals and project staff were very welcoming, friendly, and helpful. I felt at home as soon as I arrived and there was a strong feeling of teamwork throughout. There was...
Naima – Volunteer
I definitely hoped for a lot of fun and many exciting experiences from the Surf and Help Camp project, and I have learned and experienced some interesting things, especially at the marine wildlife centre. Working with marine animals - especially sea turtles - in this...
Beate – Volunteer
For more than 20 years I have been working as a nurse and that’s why I wanted to see the work of other caring professions in another country, like Colombia, who have other cultural habits. On my first day on the Volunteer Circle, the project leader took me from my...
Alex – Volunteer
My Name is Alex, I’m 19 years old and I stayed for two months at the reforestation project in the Peruvian jungle. I really enjoyed my time there with Pablo and all the people who came from all over the world to work and live together. The best moments I had were with...
Jana – Volunteer
Giving German classes was a very rewarding project. I asked some people if they were interested in learning the basics of the German language. It didn’t take long until we had a little classroom filled with 10 people, amongst them my Spanish teacher Justo and another...
Maie – Volunteer
I joined NGO Taxi as a volunteer on the hospital project for three months as I was interested in starting a career in medicine – well, I can say that it has proved to me that this is something I am passionate about doing During my time at the hospital project I have...
Bo – Volunteer
School’s over. What’s next? A question a lot of young people ask themselves when they’ve finally graduated from high school and are free to do whatever they want. After spending a lot of time during the last 13 years in stuffy classrooms, writing exams and doing a...
Heidi – Volunteer
I appreciate very much being able to gain an insight into the educational system in Peru, which is so different from the one I am accustomed to. I have talked with a lot of local people about the Peruvian system and nobody seems to be really satisfied with it. In...
Paul – Volunteer
Whilst at the animal shelter project I worked closely with the NGO Taxi hosts Ceasar & Victoria. I helped to coordinate all ground operations and we quickly became ‘bien amigos’. Most of my fellow NGO Taxi volunteers were from Germany - they were very helpful and...
Martin – Volunteer
My name is Martín, I’m 19 years old and live in Lima, Peru. As a volunteer I was looking for two things while engaging with NGO Taxi. First, as a Peruvian citizen myself, I wanted to help my country (and its citizens) in whichever way possible. Peru is still a country...
Kerstin – Volunteer
Wow - what a great experience!! 🙂 I did my second project with NGO Taxi in a school in Cusco, teaching the kids of the 'Primaria' (2° to 5° grade, 7-11 years old) about nutrition, along with some English and German. There was a lot of chaos at the beginning, but...
Frida – Volunteer
My name is Jana and I am 24 years old. I looked for an adventure and I found it with NGO Taxi! Ordinarily, I work in a tax office in Germany, but I decided to use my vacations to work as a volunteer in the Peruvian jungle. I have wanted to travel to South America and...
Jana – Volunteer
My name is Jana and I am 24 years old. I looked for an adventure and I found it with NGO Taxi! Ordinarily, I work in a tax office in Germany, but I decided to use my vacations to work as a volunteer in the Peruvian jungle. I have wanted to travel to South America and...
Julia – Volunteer
I helped for nearly two months as a volunteer at the Animal Shelter project and I enjoyed every day that I was working and living with Cesar and Victoria. This project is a really good way to show the local people and also the tourists how bad contact with the wild...
Anna – Volunteer
My name is Anna. I am 29 years old and I was working for a pharmaceutical company in the marketing and sales office for about 8 years. I decided to leave behind a life which was very stressful and did not make any sense to me anymore. Years ago I dreamt about learning...
Sibel – Volunteer
I booked my trip to Peru after I graduated school, because I wanted to travel and do something on my own. I love nature and animals, so the animal shelter project was the perfect option for me. When I came there with two other volunteers I was at first a bit shocked...
Hannah – Volunteer
After I finished my studies I decided to travel before my work started. I wanted to do something very different to my study subject and have new experiences. Besides, it was important to me to do something useful and make a difference. As my husband is from Peru, I...
Quirin – Volunteer
Since I’ve always taken an interest in nature and wildlife I was super excited about getting to work in an animal shelter project. The huge variety of species, the magnificent scenery of a rainforest and the day-by-day work with exotic animals all proved to be...
Sonja – Volunteer
I have been volunteering with NGO Taxi for 6 weeks. First, I took 1 week of Spanish lessons, then I went hiking to Machu Picchu for almost 1 week, and worked the rest of the time in the animal shelter in the jungle. I haven't choosen Peru for volunteering for a...
Joana – Volunteer
In the animal protection project, I had some experiences that will help me a lot in my future life. In the streets of the little village nearby I met people that, at first sight, looked strange to me, but this was a very interesting experience as well. You learn how...
Jonas – Volunteer
My name is Jonas. I am 21 years old and from Northern Germany. I just graduated from school before I arrived in Cusco. I thought a lot about what I wanted to do in my life after school, which job I should take, where I should move etc. It is not an quite an easy task,...
Emma – Volunteer
I joined NGO Taxi as a volunteer for three months during the summer of 2016 and I can honestly say that it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The work itself wasn’t too taxing and I was able to play to my strengths, plus I had the satisfaction of...
Stephanie – Volunteer
As I studied Social Sciences and Spanish, I was always interested in social topics and especially current subjects, for example migration or cooperation of development. After my Bachelor degree I decided to find an internship in the field of cooperation of development...
Jana – Volunteer
My name is Jana, I am 28 years old and a designer from Germany. I’m always interested in how communication works in different parts of the world, how we can connect with people so as to work together and how we can improve communication to solve regional, cultural and...
