Volunteering opportunity in Peru

kevrr

Hi Folks,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to be posting this, but can't go to wrong with putting it in the volunteering forum I guess!

I just wanted to share with you all a really good volunteering opportunity in Peru. I've been here for two months myself and can't describe how amazing the place is and the good work the people here are doing. The organization is called Pisco Sin Fronteras, and they are basically trying to help the city of Pisco rebuild itself after a really bad earthquake 3 years ago. Most of the work is in construction but there are tonnes of other types of projects going on all the time also, like community engagement stuff, english teaching, bio diesel, teaching locals new building techniques...lots of different kinds of stuff. I've copied and pasted some questions from the FAQ we typically send out to new volunteers to give you some more info on the place. Also we're launching a new website in a few weeks, so it's not finished yet, but if you want to hit it up for some more information then please check out at:
http://psf-en.weebly.com/

What we're really looking for is builders or people with other useful skills to come over and give it a few months, but anyone who is just willing to come over, work hard and have a good enthusiastic attitude is more than welcome. If anyone has any questions please ask and I'll do my best to answer.

FAQ:

What is Pisco Sin Fronteras?
Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF) is a volunteer disaster reconstruction organization that works in and around the town of Pisco, Peru. In August 2007 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated the region, destroying 80% of the homes in Pisco and killing around 600 people. The earthquake left many people living in makeshift housing of cardboard, scrap wood and plastic, and on dirt floors with no more than a bucket in the corner for a toilet. PSF works to improve the living conditions of those families affected by the earthquake by building and improving houses, working in schools, building sanitation units and working in community development. We are looking for enthusiastic, hard working volunteers to help us help the people of Pisco rebuild their lives.

How much does it cost?
PSF does not charge any participation fee like a lot of organizations do. However we do have to cover overheads, so we do need everyone to pay a small contribution to these if you decide to live and eat with us. We keep it absolutely as low as possible.

If you would like to stay in the PSF volunteer house it costs 6 soles per night for one of our dorm beds. We charge 5 soles for a good breakfast and 5 soles for a good dinner also. So for a volunteer staying at the PSF volunteer house and eating two meals a day the price works out at 16 Soles (around $5 USD) a day.

Volunteers working on site are typically fed a free lunch by the family or the community they are working with.

Will there be a bed for me?
We offer dorm beds (and private rooms for our long term volunteers) in our volunteer house. Dorms range from 4-18 beds, and some are en suite. The price for a dorm bed is 6 soles per night. Our beds are allocated on a first come, first served basis. This means that if there are no beds available when you arrive you may have to stay in a hostel for a couple of nights until a bed is available.
If you would prefer to stay in a nearby hostel, there are several within one block from our house, these charge a discounted volunteer rate and do not need to be booked in advance. We can help to find you a room in one of these hostels when you arrive.
What type of work will I be doing?
The majority of our work is Construction. Whether building modular homes in the PSF yard, putting these homes together out on site, pouring concrete floors, digging trenches, demolition, roofing, bricklaying etc... there is something for everyone and everyone is welcome to get stuck in, work hard and learn skills.

Having said that we also have a lot of other non-construction based projects that you are welcome to work on. Teaching english, working with the bio-diesel team, cooking for the other volunteers, working with the children at Ludoteca or helping out with other community outreach projects.

How long for I have to stay for?
We ask that volunteers stay for a minimum of 2 weeks. There is no maximum stay.

Sounds great, sign me up! How do I volunteer with you?
Thank you for your interest in Pisco Sin Fronteras. Please could you fill in an application form on our website (www.piscosinfronteras.org). We’ll process it and get back to you within a few days. If you have any more questions send us off an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. See ya soon!