Become a volunteer!

Volunteering in an organisation in the South is a unique experience! Travelling and the contact with locals, other students and travellers will definitely be a personal enrichment.

In order to achieve our mission, Oye LENA asks for help from volunteers who are available for at least 4 months.

These volunteers have the following competencies:

Experience in working and playing with children (experience in working with children with a disability is a plus);
Professional experience in physical therapy, speech therapy, nursery or primary education, photography, …;
A basic knowledge of Spanish.

In addition, volunteers carry the following values:

Oneness & respect for other persons and cultures;
A positive mentality and patience: make the impossible possible and never give up;
Creativity & flexibility;
A strong work ethic & a great eagerness to learn;
Work as a member of the team.

In a mutual agreement we set up your daily tasks:

You give classes in the morning to kids with disability;
You give classes in the afternoon to little groups of toddlers;
You help with cleaning and keeping the project in order;
You help to prepare workshops for the parents;
You help prepare workshops for the schools in Curahuasi;
You help to improve the core functioning of Oye LENA (developing didactic materials, elaborate themes or projects, …);
You help outside (building, gardening, farming, …);
You help to prepare special events (Christmas, birthdays, …);
You help to prepare and guide the monthly siblings day.

In exchange for your hard work, Oye LENA offers:

A 24/7 gorgeous view of the Andes-mountains;
An unforgettable experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life;
Heart-warming smiles and hugs from the Peruvian children;
A group of people that will become friends for life and that will make you feel part of the big Oye LENA-family;
A safe environment to discover the culture and values of Peru;
The possibility to professionally enrich yourself;
A beautiful accommodation to stay, at democratic prices;
Half an hour FREE Spanish class every morning (learning children’s songs, vocabulary, and sign language);
The possibility to get more Spanish classes (for a fair price). Not always available.
Weekly teambuilding.

Accommodation

Volunteers who stay at least 16 weeks can get a room at the volunteer house of Casa Lena. There are private rooms and shared rooms. A private room costs 11 Euros per night, a shared room costs 9 Euros per night per person. The bathroom, kitchen and living room are shared. The house can accommodate 12 volunteers. Volunteers who stay for 6 months or more get 50% discount on their accommodation. Volunteers who take a job in charge and stay for at least 12 months get boarding and lodging.

It is possible to wash your clothes at the project.

The project takes place in classes on the ground floor.

Photos of the house, rooms and surroundings can be seen on Casa Lena’s website.

If friends or family are coming to visit you, they can stay in a hotel in the village or in the Casa Lena B&B. The B&B has three rooms, each with a private bathroom and a shared kitchen and terrace. Volunteers and visitors can also ask Casa Lena for tours in Curahuasi and its surroundings (canyoning, puenting, river tubing, horseback riding and so on).

Take a look at casalenaperu.com for pictures of the building, rooms and surroundings!

Terms and conditions

AGE: Volunteers should at least be 18 years old.
CERTIFICATE: Volunteers need to possess a “certificate of good conduct”. Ask your local police or municipality for more information. For USA citizens: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/criminal-record-checks.html)
DURATION: We expect volunteers to be actively involved in the project for at least 16 full weeks. That way, Oye LENA is able to create an optimal climate in which the volunteers can build a relationship of trust with the children. It goes without saying that you can take a holiday or a day off as a volunteer: you can stay in Curahuasi longer so that you can plan excursions. Holidays are planned by mutual agreement between Oye Lena and the volunteer.
SPANISH: In order to communicate efficiently with the children, teachers and parents, it is important that you are able to express yourself in Spanish. Being able to have a conversation in Spanish is crucial: the more Spanish you speak, the more fun and easier the contact with the children will be.
That is why we expect volunteers to have a basic knowledge of Spanish before they come to Peru.
We made a list of key vocabulary for the project. Ask for this.
Every weekday from 9.20am to 9.50 am, half-hour Spanish classes are held at the project. These lessons do not include grammar, but will expand your vocabulary. We learn the songs sung at the project, the gestures used by some children with disabilities, vocabulary covered in the theme, general vocabulary, etc.
EXCEPTION: At Oye LENA, we are also always looking for volunteers with relevant work experience to help us create visual material or start up an organic farm. With these volunteers, knowledge of Spanish is of lesser importance. Are you a woodworker, organic farmer, filmmaker, photographer, … who would like to come and lend a hand? If so, be sure to let us know.
INSURANCE: IT IS REQUIRED THAT volunteers take out health insurance and travel insurance themselves. Oye LENA is not responsible for health issues or accidents or in the event of damages to and, loss or theft of personal belongings.
Oye LENA expects that volunteers can be reached on a Peruvian phone number. This way, contact between both parties is easier. See FAQ ‘Is Internet and telephony available at the project’?