Location: Cusco, Peru
Website: http://cuscovolunteerwork.com/
Mission: Helping Hands Cusco works to improve the living standards of underprivileged children, families and community members of Patron San Sebastian. Their main focus thereby is education, so far mainly for children. Apart from that, Helping Hands Cusco focuses on awareness raising, empowerment and community building. The local connection and interaction runs like a red line throughout their work. Helping Hands Cusco hopes that each child and each member of the community may feel supported, accepted and connected, by mutual helping hands.
Year Founded: 2005
Project information:
- Availability in Summer 2017: Open to accepting two Nourish chapters for Summer 2017
- Future projects ideas:
- Will do a similar project to 2016, with the addition of a special homework tutoring class for 6-9 year olds.
- Helping Hands Cusco plans to start construction on a community education center to help 10-20 selected gifted children, since there are no local schools past primary school. These students will live and study at the center, which will also function as a community library.
- Skills: At least one project intern with Spanish language skills.
- Reported cost to interns:
- Program in-country costs (reported by the partner):
- Accommodations: $15/day/student
- Average total cost (reported by interns – includes airfare, accommodations, food, vaccinations, misc.): $2,000
- Range of reported intern total costs: $1,700-$2,000
- Program in-country costs (reported by the partner):
- Recommendations: Helping Hands would like info about project interns before they arrive, such as skills, dietary restrictions, etc.
Partnership History:
- Summer 2016
- Chapters: University of California- Berkeley and University of North Carolina- Greensboro
- Project: Taught English and global cultural awareness. Worked on promoting the village’s alpaca business by creating websites and developing ideas with the business creators. Translated materials related to alpaca fiber businesses and consulted on manufacturing of these products.
- Investment: $2,300
- Project team: 7 Interns
- Project blog
- Summer 2015
- Chapters: University of Dayton and Whittier College
- Project: The investment funded the purchase of materials for clothing production for the women. The funding also supported the creation of a shop for the women to make and sell their products, as well as the machinery to do so.
- Investment: $2,500
- Project team: 0 interns