Do you have a creative mind and like to work with vulnerable children? Would you like to experience new places while committing your time to a good cause? Then join us in Peru as part of the Otra Cosa Network team!

About Otra Cosa Network

Otra Cosa Network is a well-established UK Registered Charity and Peruvian registered not for profit (NGO),addressing the educational needs of children and vulnerable adults in an extremely impoverished area of Northern Peru. We work in informal settlements where many community members have been displaced by climate change, disaster and political instability. They live in precarious circumstances, few have running water, sewage provision and there is only sporadic electricity. Additionally, many children are forced to work instead of continuing their education, in order to boost family finances and there are no community-based facilities for learning and developing new skills in a safe environment.

Our dynamic range of activities address language skills, environmental awareness, women’s entrepreneurship, youth, employability and gender empowerment. we are seeking volunteers to work in project implementation in our new Recreation and Education Centre as well as our field office. Projects will restart as soon as the community is safely able to come out of isolation, post coronavirus. Our range of activities are implemented by national and international volunteers, allowing them to express solidarity whilst boosting their field experience. We also partner with several local grassroots institutions like this local pre school in a vulnerable area.

About the Pre-School Volunteer position:

We work with a pre-school located in an informal settlement near Huanchaco where the poverty rate is high and access to education is low. This school is the only social project in this community to aid the immigrants who moved to the coast full of hope, leaving behind their roots in the highlands to find a better future. The school started as a cottage serving only 8 students but since its creation, the amount of students has increased and the classroom space has been expanded, together with the addition of bathrooms and playground facilities.

Please note that all volunteer positions are also available as Internships. With this add-on you will receive an extra level of mentorship and where necessary all appropriate liaison with your academic institution to ensure compliance with internship placement requirements. Please see our separate internships listing for further in-depth information or check out our website at www.otracosa.org.

This position includes tasks such as:

• Assisting the main pre-school teacher with all required tasks to ensure that the participants are making the relevant progress according to their age range.
• Managing the nursery room and supervising the children using the playground and outside areas.
• Organizing recreational and enrichment activities and games for the enjoyment of the children.
• Establishing rapport with the beneficiaries and taking on a mentorship capacity.

What you can expect from us:

• Personal pick-up upon arriving and walking tour through Huanchaco
• Thorough introduction to the organization
• Certified training in First Aid and Child Safeguarding.
• 24/7 emergency support
• Organized activities & trips (barbeques, game nights, volunteer-lunch, team building trips) with like-minded people from all over the world
• Working in a friendly beach & surf town right next to many historical sites
• The satisfying feeling of committing your work to a good cause whilst gaining insight into a new culture.
• Certificate of completion detailing your role, the project(s) you participated in and the dates you volunteered in.

Requirements:

• Current background check from your home country.
• Spanish Level: Basic to intermediate*
• Time Commitment: Minimum 1 month.

* We can arrange Spanish classes for you in advance (by Skype) or during your stay, if you have no/minimum Spanish or want to improve your language skills.

Volunteering Hours:

• Generally, 20-25 hours per week, Mon-Fri

Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to deal with active children.
• Previous experience interacting with young children is desirable.
• Child education background is preferred.
• A creative, responsible and independent personality.
• Genuine interest in working with children.
• Balance between a good sense of humor and a sense of discipline.

Related Fields of Study:

• Early Childhood Studies
• Education
• Nursery
• Sports
• Social Work
• Psychology

Typical Day:

Classes run from 8am until 1pm, Monday to Friday. You will agree a schedule in advance with the teachers, depending on your own interests and what is required by the curriculum. For the first couple weeks you will mostly get to know the kids, playing games with them and assisting the teacher with educational activities. You can also prepare and lead your own classes about arts and crafts.

After work there is plenty of time to catch one of Huanchaco’s world famous sunsets from the tranquillity of the beach, or indeed from a surfboard. Then there are various options to fill your evening, socializing with local and other volunteers, sampling the famous Peruvian cuisine, attending talks and cultural events, music, dance, theatre, movies- the list is endless.

Huanchaco and free-time activities

Huanchaco is a beautiful coastal town where the waves are perfect all year long, which makes this place popular among surfers. The long beaches and relaxed atmosphere attract both Peruvians from nearby cities and backpackers traveling through Peru. This gives the small town an extremely welcoming and friendly vibe where the locals, volunteers and travellers interact and getting to know each other on a daily basis. The city has adapted to this mix and hosts many cafés, restaurants, yoga studios, surf schools, gyms and other activities and sports that are available for everyone. However, the town still remains a quiet, easy-going place that retains its fishing-village ambience. Over the last three millennia, locals have stuck to traditional ways of fishing, going out on their caballitos de totora (traditional reed fishing boats), and using their nets to gather their catch for the day. Furthermore, Huanchaco is surrounded by mountains where it is possible to go hiking (tours are arranged by local guides, at reasonable prices). If you prefer cultural activities, the district is home to Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America and is only a few minutes away from Huaca del sol y de la luna, which are among the most well-preserved temple ruins of the old Incan empire that can be found in Peru. Trujillo, Peru’s third biggest city, is only a 30 minutes bus ride far away. The colonial city of Trujillo offers many shopping and sight-seeing opportunities accompanied by a lively big city feeling.

Enquiries and Applications

To make an application, please visit our website at www.otracosa.org or contact us on info@otracosa.org for further information.