How do I apply?
Before you apply, please read through carefully about the projects and acccomdation you are most interested in. This is our attempt to make you think twice and consider the downside and advantage of volunteering in a foreign country before you apply. After you have carefully thought it over and you are ready to make the commitment, you can click here to Apply Now. We cannot place you without the completed application form. This application helps us to coordinate your preferred volunteer stay appropriately. You can also include in an e-mail any questions you may have.
We look forward to hearing from you!
How much would it cost me to stay in Peru while volunteering?
Please find below an idea of the costs of living here, so you can make sure your budget will cover it. Don't forget to allow some money for traveling, going out and having fun, Spanish lessons, paying our minimum donation, and for emergencies like doctors and medicines (and we recommend that you do have good medical insurance)
What it costs to live here of course depends on your life style and where you stay. But generally, most volunteers can and do live quite cheaply, certainly by western standards. Accommodation can be as cheap as 300 Soles per person/month(US$107, Euros 72; GBP 65) during Peruvian winter season, and 350 soles during the summer season for somewhere basic, like the cheapest rooms in our volunteer house, and usually range up to a maximum of double this for somewhere more comfortable. See Accommodation options for current selection and prices.
(As of writing in May 2011, 1 Euro = 4.20 Soles: 1US$ = 2.80 Soles and 1 British pound = 4.65 Soles, but always changing, so check out latest exchange rates if your budget is tight.)
In terms of food, you can get a 2/3 course lunch set 'Menu' for 5/8 Soles (or less) at some reasonable restaurants. Locals have their main meal at lunchtime so you always get better value at that time. Of course, if you can cook for yourself you can get an even better value with fresh local fish 10/12 Soles/kilo or less, chicken around 7/8 Soles/kilo and a great selection of cheap local fruits and vegetables at the local market.
When going out, you can get a half hour local bus ride (e.g. from Huanchaco to Trujillo for 1.50 Soles, compared to a taxi for 10/12 Soles (12/15 Soles or more at night)). You can get a colectivo taxi back at night for 2 Soles if you walk to the colectivo stop. Local beer is around 5 Soles for a large bottle, soft drinks less and wine around 5 Soles/glass. Imported spirits can be more expensive (10 Soles+) but you get a good measure.
You can keep in touch with home at an Internet Cafe for 1 Sol/hour, or get a phone card to call home for 10 Soles for around 50 minutes to most locations worldwide. So you can see that compared with almost all western countries, living is cheap here, once you get here, so longer stays work out much better value.
How do I get to Huanchaco & Trujillo from Lima?
From Lima to Trujillo you can go by bus or plane.
By bus, its 8-9 hour bus ride and costs about 40-80 Soles. We recommend ITTSA bus company which had proved safe, reliable, and punctual. You can travel by day leaving at 1 p.m. or overnight on comfortable sleeper buses. At the time of writin this, the prices are 55 Soles for semi-reclining seats or 70 Soles for fully reclining, which are quite big and good for sleeping. If your budget will cover it we think its worth the extra 15 Soles.
To contact ITTSA bus company call Lima (++44) (0) (1) 3321665 to reserve a ticket. (ask us if you get stuck with this).
Alternatively other safe, reliable companies, but in our experience not so punctual are Cruz del Sur or Linea. However, the advantage is they have web-sites and you can check what's available and book tickets on line with a credit card.
Their web-sites are http://www.cruzdelsur.com.pe/inicio_2.php and www.transporteslinea.com.pe/
By plane, it only takes 45 minutes, but will usually cost US$100+ one-way, although you can sometimes get some good offers on line with www.lan.com. You need to decide given your budget, but most volunteers find the bus OK especially if you get a comfortable seat.
From Trujillo to Huanchaco we recomend you go by taxi. We can normally arrange for our taxista to pick you up - with an Otra Cosa sign - and bring you here to Huanchaco. If you want our taxista to pick you up let us know at least a day or two ahead by e-mail or if late notice by phone - dont assume its arranged until and unless we confirm it. He just charges normal prices of around 15 Soles, as long as your bus is on time. If he's hanging around waiting he does have to charge waiting time, which is another 10-12 Soles/hour. Another reason we recommend ITTSA as many other companies, including the popular Cruz del Sur, in our experience are often an hour or more late.
How do I get to Otra Cosa Network Volunteer House/Office once in Huanchaco?
We recommend that you use our pre-arranged taxi service from Trujillo to Huanchaco. This is safe and reliable and he meets you with an Otra Cosa Network sign and just charges the standard 15 Soles (US$5, Euros4) from bus station or airport direct to our house or your accommodation. As you will be arriving with all your valuables and luggage it is not reccomended to take a local bus on arrival to Trujillo.
Just taking any taxi from the street is not always safe and although assualts, robberies and kidnapping of taxi passengers are not so common here as some other South American countries. So no sense jumping in to any available taxi when you can have some-one we know and trust (including to take our 3 year old son to school) waiting with an Otra Cosa Network sign.
To arrange the taxi pick-up just ask by e-mail or phone with at least 24 hours notice and we will confirm back to you. Once confirmed this is a commitment by you and him to use his taxi. If you arrive and use another taxi instead its at your own risk and you owe us the 15 Soles for his services. Equally if for any reason he's not there waiting give us a call and we'll chase him up - do have our number (461302) and some coins for the phone with you just in case.
The taxi service is not obligatory and if you want you can try to come by local bus but there is no direct bus service from most Lima arriving bus stations so you need a local taxi to the right bus stops, then get a bus to Huanchaco.
If you take the bus to Huanchaco wait until the bus turns up away from the beach into Los Pinos and ask the driver to let you off at La Curva at the end of Los Pinos where the buses make a left turn. You walk straight ahead for one block and turn right for one block and then your first left into las Camelias. Our house is the second on your left which is clearly numbered 431. It is a two floor white house with a blue gate. If (or when) you get lost be sure to find a local phone and have some change and our phone number with you to ring for directions. We're not always at home so have our mobile numbers with you in case of an emergency.
Otra Cosa Network staff working hours are Monday - Friday 9.00-1.00 and 2.00-5.00p.m., but best to call us first on (044) 461302 to check if we'll be there and avoid a wasted journey.
Where can I stay in Lima and can someone pick me up from Lima airport?
There are lots of places to choose from in Lima. However, we recommend Casa Ana run by a Dutchman Hein and Peruvian woman Ana.
Casa Ana is clean, safe, affordable and reasonably comfortable and we've negotiated a 5% discount for Otra Cosa volunteers from the already reasonable prices. There are some cheaper places to stay in Lima and also more luxurious and expensive places, but from the feedback we've had from many volunteers staying there, Casa Ana provides a good balance and a safe, friendly atmosphere for your first days and nights in Peru. They can also arrange airport pick-up for a reasonable price, given a little notice. Visit their web-site Casa Ana for more information.
Do I need to speak Spanish to be able to volunteer?
Not necessarily, it depends on the project you will be working at. Each project has its own demands on Spanish speaking skills, from none to fluent. Check your preferred project for details. Otra Cosa can help arrange affordable 1:1 Spanish lessons with our local teachers and/or you can participate in our Intercambio program with local University students or locals at the Huanchaco library.
What are the criteria for organizations Otra Cosa sends volunteers to?
The basic criteria is that the organization mission and goals are increasing the development chances of individuals. This is a very wide remit so we have narrowed it down to a few disciplines like education, community development, environmental education, employment generation,and natural resource management.
Not all organizations we work with are necessarily charity organizations. Otra Cosa believes that organizations that can earn their own money and at the same time provide individuals with development chances are also worth supporting with the human capital of volunteers. But making money (with the support of volunteers) can never be the only or main goal of any organization we support.
What fees do I pay (and why) and what do I get for this?
Otra Cosa Network relies on the donations from our volunteers to fund all of our activities and administration. It is a full time job to place volunteers in a project and coordinate thier arrival, accommodation, and stay here in Huanchaco. The donations are used to fund our administrative costs of electricity, internet, paper and printing, and travel expenses. For more information check out All About Money.
Do I get receive anything for free as a volunteer?
Not much!, volunteering is really about giving rather than receiving. However, you can get volunteer discounts which gives you attractive discounts on things like food and hostels, at specific places, and a good deal on renting of surfing equipment from the Un Lugar Surf School. You also get to participate in weekly volunteer lunches to meet up with us and the other volunteers on a regular basis and discuss any problems/ideas and plan social events together. There are occasional volunteer activities and excursions organized by the volunteers amongst themselves. We can usually arrange free Intercambio sessions where you give an English conversation class to a local(s) in return for free Spanish conversation - a nice sociable way to help your Spanish learning and for free. The above is valid for every volunteer working through the Otra Cosa Volunteer agency.
Some specific projects, particularly those away from the main Trujillo/Huanchaco locations may offer extra things for free like a bed, food or other things. Check the information on the respective projects to find out more, under Our Projects.
Do I get anything in return for volunteering?
Volunteer Service is the most direct way to impact a community. What you get in return for volunteering is the satisfaction of helping out at some amazing projects and gaining experience that will be relavent for your future professional career. You do it for free and you pay your own costs of living here - so volunteering here is no easy or cheap option - although living costs are low here. For more information, check out Why Volunteer?
What documents I need to get to Peru?
That depends on where you are from. Generally if your from the EU, USA or Canada, you only need a passport, return ticket, and some money to survive. If you are from a country that is required by Peru to have a visa, you must obtain one. This is your own responsibility to check and prepare. Please check the conditions of your nationality regarding a visit to Peru as a tourist.
From January 2009 citizens of the EU, USA etc can normaly get a 183 day visa on request on entring Peru. There's no charge for this, but you MUST request it when presenting your passport otherwise you will only get the standard 90/60 day visa, and once he's entered it into his computer and stamped your passport there's no changing it!
Do I need any special visa to go volunteering to Peru?
The general rule in Peru is “nothing is for free”. This means, that if you talk with the officials at the border about “volunteering” they will be suspicious about you working and might give you hard time. So basically, you are just another foreigner/tourist coming to visit Peru. That is all you have to say at the border and you can enter with a tourist visa, normally valid for 60/90 days, or 183 days on request. If you have a return ticket dated more than 60 days out, you can ask for 90 days or 183 days, and even if you havent, being Peru, you can always ask with a smile and it might work! If you want to stay longer, then you usually need a trip (even just for a day) over the border into any neighboring country and back again to get another 60/90/183 day tourist visa.
