Volunteer with student in Peru.In Peru, your campus club will work on a local, grassroots project developed to provide a safe, better quality of life for various populations within the community. Your club could help to educate at-risk children, provide care to the elderly, or work with people with physical and mental disabilities.
Lima, Peru
Location: Western Coast of South America
Population: 8.5 million
Interesting Fact: Home to nearly a tenth of the world’s rainforests, the Andes Mountains, and the ancient wonders of Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.
# CCS Volunteers to Date: Over 3,000 since 1999
Lima is the capital and most populated city of Peru — a cornerstone of politics, art, culture, and history. Over time, an influx of rural indigenous people has come to the capital in search of work, education, and an opportunity to improve their lives. This migration created a city of diverse cultures in which the traditional and modern coexist, and a socio-economic hierarchy divided almost entirely along racial lines.
Today, millions of Lima's residents live in shantytowns that surround the city. One such shantytown is Villa El Salvador. In 1972, Villa El Salvador was an empty desert prairie, but with support from NGOs and development agencies, along with their own efforts, the people of Villa El Salvador formed a new kind of civilian organization to better their lives that was eventually nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Why Volunteer in Lima
Since the 1940’s, Peru has struggled with significant changes in its social and economic landscape due to population shifts from rural to urban areas. In the 1980s, the political terrorism of the Sendero Luminoso, or “Shining Path” which originated in the Andes, caused even more people to seek refuge elsewhere. As a result of the rapid migration, Lima grew more quickly than urban planning, services and infrastructure could adapt. The sudden growth has created serious challenges for providing public education, care, and health services, especially in Lima’s low-income areas.
CCS volunteers in Peru join grassroots efforts to address the social challenges facing urban and rural areas. Your campus club can get involved by:
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Educating At-Risk Children
Provide education and safe recreational activities for at-risk children and teenagers at free or low-cost.
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Providing Elder Care
Help care for neglected, abused, or malnourished elderly people, by offering nutrition, exercise, and companionship.
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Addressing Disability Needs and Access
Offer support to organizations serving people with physical and mental disabilities, many of which are the only of their kind within the region.
Learn more about CCS’s program site in Lima, Peru.
