• Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • Donate
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
  • Volunteer Portal
  • e-Catalog
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs
      • Aguada – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Groups
      • Corporate Volunteers
      • College Student Volunteers
      • High School Student Volunteers
      • Professional Assocation Volunteers
  • Individuals
      • Retiree Volunteer
      • Solo Traveler Volunteer
      • Family Volunteers
      • Professional Volunteer
  • Projects
    • Community Work Projects
      • Delivering Essential Services
      • Teaching Conversational English
      • Supporting Community Development
      • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
      • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
      • All Service Program Dates
  • Impact
      • How we Measure Impact
      • The Power of Giving Impact
      • One Child at a Time
      • RCP Program Documentary Film
      • Tanzania Food & Nutrition Center’s Impact Evaluation
      • ORG in Action
  • Support
    • Donation Opportunities
      • Donate Now
      • Changemakers Club – Monthly
      • Gift Catalog
      • Matching Gifts
      • More Ways to Give
    • Foundation Opportunities
      • Funding Opportunities for Philanthropic Partners
  • News
  • Request Information
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Donate
  • Gift Catalog
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
  • –
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs
      • Aguada – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Groups
    • Corporate Volunteers
    • College Student Volunteers
    • High School Student Volunteers
    • Professional Assocation Volunteers
  • Individuals
    • Retiree Volunteer
    • Solo Traveler Volunteer
    • Family Volunteers
    • Professional Volunteer
  • Projects
    • Delivering Essential Services
    • Teaching Conversational English
    • Supporting Community Development
    • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
    • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
    • All Service Program Dates
  • Impact
    • How we Measure Impact
    • The Power of Giving Impact
    • One Child at a Time
    • RCP Program Documentary Film
    • Tanzania Food & Nutrition Center’s Impact Evaluation
    • ORG in Action
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Changemakers Club – Monthly
    • Gift Catalog
    • Matching Gifts
    • More Ways to Give
    • Funding Opportunities for Philanthropic Partners
  • News
  • Request Information
  • e-Catalog
  • Volunteer Portal
Development Impact Peru

Help Change a Child’s Life, and Your Life Changes Too.

change a child's life through volunteer service

by Daniel Salazar, Global Volunteers Peru Country Manager.

When you volunteer in Peru, you have the chance to significantly change a child’s life.  It’s one thing to sight-see in Lima. But there is an opportunity to do more, to get to know the country, the stories, and also actually make a difference in a child’s life.

change a child's life

Flor works alongside volunteers to build stairs in Alto Progreso, while her daughter plays in the sand.

I have witnessed this personally working with teams of Global Volunteers. Lima, like many cities in South America, holds millions of migrant families who come to the city escaping extreme poverty. Mostly single mothers, with no education or property, they resort to street vending or cleaning jobs. These are not stable jobs, and, even they do provide an income, it is less than one dollar a day. So these families occupy barren hills in the outskirts of Lima and, with whatever materials they can gather (usually plastic, cardboard, and plywood), they build their houses, forming shanty towns. Most of these shanty towns lack water and sewage systems, and there are no schools or hospitals available for such large masses of people. It is here where children grow up, and where many families give up.

Many mothers try their best, but even when they do, sometimes they just can’t provide what their children need. That is the story of Flor, for instance, a community leader in Alto Progreso – one of the communities where Global Volunteers works in Peru. We were helping the community build stairs, and Flor’s job was shoveling sand. Every day Flor came to work with her two year old daughter, who would spend the day playing with the sand and a broken bucket. Flor explained to me that she had to stop selling fruit in the street, as she simply was not making any money out of it, while there was no room in the local childcare center for her daughter. Sadly, Flor’s story is not the worst. Many mothers give up and turn to alcohol or prostitution, leaving their children in neglect.

help change a child's life

Jody plays with toddlers at the PPA.

It is in this scenario that the Puericultorio Pérez Aranibar (PPA), the largest children’s home in Peru, seeks to shelter children facing abuse, neglect, or harmful living conditions. Many of the children at the PPA came from families living in shanty towns like Alto Progreso.  Global Volunteers team members provide psycho-social support to the children at PPA and accompany PPA social workers and staff to visit the homes and families of the PPA children. This helps PPA staff to assess the situation of the families and assist their efforts to provide the best care possible for these children, whether at PPA or at their homes.

volunteers change a child's life

Volunteer David teaching a PPA student how to bowl in Lima field trip.

Helping reunite a child with his family or provide a neglected child shelter at the PPA is certainly a life-altering experience not because of what you see, but because of what you do. When you get the chance to help change a child’s life, your life changes too.

No special skills are needed.  Regardless your age, professional experience, background, heritage, or life status, the children we work with will welcome you with hugs and smiles.  You’re needed to demonstrate true compassion and share your interests and skills on many projects – from feeding toddlers to teaching conversational English to teens.

Learn how you can help change a child’s life in Peru.  We look forward to working with you soon!

Chat online about volunteering in Chennai

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
September 19, 2016/by Sam Pinakoulaki
Tags: Care for children, Volunteer impact, Work with youth
https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/A-community-member-from-a-shanty-town-in-Peru-smiling-while-working-with-volunteers.jpg 842 1500 Sam Pinakoulaki https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Sam Pinakoulaki2016-09-19 20:36:462016-09-29 00:37:23Help Change a Child’s Life, and Your Life Changes Too.
You might also like
Volunteering at La Molina Reflections on Volunteering in Peru
The Babes of Romania Captured My Heart
Family’s Investment in Worldwide Service Provides Life Lesson for Daughters
Mental Wellness Expert Joins Effort to Help Children Reach their Potential
Colorado Nurse Volunteers to Care for Children Around the World
Service-Learning for Pharmacy Students in Montana
helping kids in St. Lucia Helping Kids With So Much Potential in St. Lucia
give and receive I Give Love, but Get Back More in Return
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Partner Communities

  • China (62)
  • Cook Islands (46)
  • Cuba (119)
  • Greece (75)
  • Italy (59)
  • Malaysia (3)
  • Montana (56)
  • Nepal (22)
  • Peru (120)
  • Poland (97)
  • Puerto Rico (5)
  • St Lucia (62)
  • Tanzania (253)
  • Texas (7)
  • Vietnam (33)

Categories

  • Classroom Assistance (13)
  • Conversational English (97)
  • Cultures and Traditions (125)
  • Development Impact (122)
  • Family Volunteering (54)
  • Free Time Options (63)
  • Group Volunteering (18)
  • Mental Health Projects (15)
  • News and Updates (144)
  • Partners' Stories (18)
  • Projects for Professionals (26)
  • Reaching Children's Potential (246)
  • Ripple Effect (7)
  • Service-Learning (50)
  • Staff Worldwide (27)
  • Volunteer Voices (618)
  • Why I Give (18)

Tags

American Indian culture Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English Cook Islands Volunteer vacaion Cook Island Volunteers Cuba people-to-people Cuba volunteering programs Earthbox gardens Essential Services family volunteer abroad family volunters food insecurity Funding your fee gender equality Health and nutrition healthcare High school groups Island volunteers Labor projects live together in peace nursing retiree volunteers Spring break students volunteer student volunteer summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader volunteer volunteer abroad volunteer benefits Volunteer impact volunteer in Cuba volunteer in the Cook Islands volunteer vacation volunteer with seniors wage peace work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

Get Global Volunteers News Here!

Enter your email address to receive fresh new posts in your inbox.

  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • DEIB policy
  • Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • Volunteer Vacation FAQs
  • News/Media
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements and Accountability
  • Travel Risks
  • Site Map
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

Subscribe to receive updates, new blog posts, and inspiring stories from our work around the world.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • Global Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. Our tax ID is 36-3352680. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent provided by the law.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Link to: Volunteer Reflects on Responsible Volunteering Link to: Volunteer Reflects on Responsible Volunteering Volunteer Reflects on Responsible Volunteeringresponsible volunteering Link to: A Love Affair With China Link to: A Love Affair With China A Love Affair With China
Scroll to top