• Are you planning to volunteer with children on your gap year but can’t decide where to go? Join Kaya’s round the world volunteer package and get involved in various worthwhile children’s projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Our round the world package starts in the home of the Incas, Peru. Here you will help to teach in a school that was set up to provide education to children from poor families in the local area. The school also provides the children with their lunch to ensure that they get at least one nutritious meal per day so you’ll get the chance to try your hand at Peruvian cooking as well! Next stop Africa where you will be volunteering in the city of Accra in Ghana; here you will assist teaching classes of enthusiastic and eager young children in a local primary school. Your final destination will be on one of the 7000 islands in the Philippines. Here you will be based in the small city of Tacloban where you will take care of children in an orphanage. The local staff at the orphanage are hard pressed to take care of the children’s basic needs and always welcome the support of volunteers who can help ease their burden and provide the children with the love and attention that they need. Ensure that your gap year is exciting, fun, rewarding and meaningful by joining Kaya and helping children around the world.
  
  

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  Work in an Orphanage in the Philippines

  Philippines

  Be part on this project in the Philippines that provides love and care to the orphans and abandoned children in the orphanage. In this developing country, thousands of impoverished children grow up...

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  Teach English in Rural Provinces in Peru

  Peru

  Volunteer abroad in Peru and spend time teaching local Peruvian children within a public school setting. With only 4 teachers working to provide a solid education to children from very poor familie...

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  Primary School Teaching in Ghana

  Ghana

  Volunteer abroad in Ghana and spend time volunteering in a wonderful Primary School in Accra. The school currently provides education for children between the ages of 5-13 years. Although the schoo...

Project Facts

• Duration: 12 or 36 weeks (4 or 12 weeks in each country)
• Cost: £2885 for 12 weeks or £5732 for 36 weeks
• Requirements: age 18+
• Location: Calca, Peru / Accra, Ghana / Tacloban, Philippines
• Project activities: Teach English and provide one-on-one tutoring, playing games with children and feeding and general caring for children
• Working hours: 08:30 – 15:00, Monday - Friday, project hours will vary

What is included

• Accommodation: Single or shared room in a combination of homestays and volunteer houses
• Food: 2 - 3 meals per day
• Airport pick up and drop off
• Training: Predeparture pack and onsite orientation
• Support: 24 hour support
• Activities: Staff can help organise weekend activities (activity price may be extra)

What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas

Role of the volunteer

Volunteers in Peru will provide support to the local teachers in a number of different areas. As well as helping to teach English, you will also help to cook nutritious lunches for the children and may be required to teach in other areas (especially if you have prior teaching experience). You will also help to organize the week’s class schedule to help keep the school running efficiently and providing the best education it can for the local children who attend. You will be working between 2-4 hours per day at the school.

As a volunteer in Ghana you will be spending time with the local Ghanaian children both in and outside of the classroom. Aside from helping within a classroom setting, you will also be able to assist during the lunch time feeding which the school provides for the children each day. The primary school offers a huge range of classes for the children and you will be expected to get involved in a variety of these during your time in Ghana. One thing that you can be certain of is that the local children will really make the visit worth your while. For many of them, this will be their first experience of a westerner up close and personal and the kids are falling over themselves in excitement to learn and be taught by volunteers.

In the Philippines the young children need constant interaction for their physical and social development, and your time spent playing and communicating with them aids that process when no one else is available. Many of the older children have access to government provided education, but cannot keep up with others their age due to their circumstances. As volunteers you can help them by providing help with homework and English (one of their national languages). You should be flexible and willing to provide arts and crafts activities, carry out social education, sports and games depending on the needs of the project and your strengths.

Skills Required

Basic Spanish is fine for the project in Peru; however those with higher levels of Spanish are also more than welcome! Volunteers do not need to have prior teaching experience, however those with experience are highly valued.

No specific skills are required in Ghana however a love for children is a must. Volunteers should be open and flexible and willing to adapt to any situation which may arise within the classroom. Those with prior teaching experience may be able to have more of a leadership role alongside local teachers. Those without this experience are needed to provide one-on-one assistance to the children of the school and work in tandem with the teachers to provide them with a willing assistant.

In the Philippines volunteers need real vigour and enthusiasm to bring life and fresh experiences to the children. Feeding, bathing and changing diapers will be required, as is simply spending time, having fun and being patient with the kids. No specific skills are required but any experience of working with children in any capacity is always an advantage.

Your life outside the project

In Peru the landscape surrounding Calca and the rest of the Sacred Valley make volunteering and living here both beautiful and entertaining. There are so manyareas to explore close by with lots of hikes to be had as well during your weekends off. You can get to trek to hot springs, glaciers, ruins and much more without having to leave the Valley. At the centre of this lush and diverse land, lies the mighty Incan Empire, which is what thousands of people around the world visit to Peru to seek out. There are so many ancient ruins both popular and virtually unknown which are easily reachable from your base in Calca.

The Sacred Valley is split into a number of different regions and towns, Calca being one of them, and Cusco being the capital of the Valley. Areas to visit on your weekends off include:

•Pisac – a beautiful and picturesque Andean village located on the Urubamba River in the eastern end of the Valley. Pisac (derived from the Quechua word ‘pisaca’ meaning little partridge) is most famous for it big Sunday markets as well as its smaller weekdays ones on Tuesday and Thursdays. These attract tourists from all over Peru and indeed the world. On market days, the main square is thronging with stalls selling artisan goods including ceramics, alpaca jumpers, gloves, sock, paintings, antiques, musical instruments, trinkets, jewellery and much more. There is still an area dedicated to fruit and vegetables, but they have moved to a smaller area of the market as the popularity of the traditional vendors has increased.
•Urubamba – this is a lovely town which caters for all that a passing traveller could hope for boasting a number of bars and cafes which are situated around the main Plaza de Armas. There are also a number of local shops and markets to delve in to. While in Urubamba, make sure to check out the ceramics of local artist Pablo Seminario. His workshop is located here, where you will be able to purchase items from and he is known throughout Peru as creating beautiful pieces. Urubamba is a wonderful and charming town with an appealing climate all the year round. The town boasts panoramic views of the valley as well as breath-taking sights of the Vilcanota mountain range. Urubamba is also a great starting point to adventure activities such as trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, rafting and also provides some rest if you’re planning on heading to Machu Picchu.
•Yucay – This is another small town located close to Urubamba and boasts one of the Sacred Valley’s best kept secrets – Huayoccari Hacienda Restaurant. This is an elegant and charming converted country manor situated on a ridge looking over the sacred valley approximately 2km outside of town. Although small, the town consists of beautiful colonial architecture in the form of homes and churches – most notably the church of Santiago Apostol. Yucay also has great cuisine, so it is definitely worth taking a meal or two here, sampling some of the local delicacies.
•Chinchero – nestled between Urubamba and Cusco, Chinchero is looked down upon by the incredible snow capped Chicon mountain. The town is famous for its wonderful ruins and beautiful churches. The name Chinchero actually means ‘Town of Rainbows’ in the local Quechua language and it was supposed to have originally gotten its name due to being the mythical birthplace of the rainbow!
•Ollantaytambo – Located about 97km from Cusco in the far end of the Sacred Valley, the small city is nestled along the Patakancha River. Ollantaytambo is a very popular starting point for the Inca Trail, so many visitors pass through on their way to see the mighty ruins. The town itself is divided into various blocks (canchas), most of which are entirely entact, allowing you to get a real sense of how the Inca’s mapped their way around a town. The scenery is stunning with each block having a large stone doorway, leading to houses surrounding a central courtyard. A true Inca town, Ollantaytambo is one not to be missed.

In Ghana there is a lot to see and do in and around Accra so you can spend your spare time exploring the City’s offerings. There is a National Museum, a number of popular Squares where a lot of the local action takes place – most notably Revolution Square and Liberation Square, as well as tropical gardens, an Art Centre and a number of different craft markets selling local wares. Accra is also home to a main and central market which is always buzzing and thronging with activity so be sure to check out Makola Market for a real insight into Ghanaian culture.

Within Accra itself, there are a number of local beaches which are usually frequented by locals and very busy at weekends. Among these are Ladabi and Kokrobite, which will usually ask you for an entrance fee, although it will provide you will some local entertainment in the form of musicians and acrobats! For a quiet experience without having to travel too far, head to CoCo in Tehsie (a rocky beach) or the other local beaches of Misty and Ada, where you will find a whole range of sporting activities. For the best beaches of Ghana though, you will need to head further afield so check out our highlights section for more inspiration.

The real tourist centre of Accra is called Osu and is located close to the Art Centre and Liberation Square. It is here that you will be able to find a large number of restaurants, bars, clubs and shops to fill your evenings and weekends.

In the Philippines volunteers stay in a local Filipino community with a homestay family. The homestay will provide you with your own bedroom and two meals a day. This experience in itself is enriching and gives you a chance to immerse yourself in the local life. Filipino families eat a lot of chicken, fish and rice as well as exotic native dishes, and your home-stay family will bring you great insight to the "Pinoy" culture.

During non-working hours and days, what is there to do?
Catch a jeepney (the colorful bus unique to the Philippines) into downtown Tacloban and sample some local cuisine, or check out the bargain shopping (woven straw purses, beach bags and native jewelry are great finds). Go for a coffee and light bite to eat in one of the Western-style coffee shops, or stop into one of the numerous internet cafes to e-mail family or update your travel blog. Those wanting to play sport can join in with the regular local community basketball games, or use the nearby badminton courts, climbing wall and gyms. It's not hard to find outdoor enthusiasts to recommend great nearby climbing spots. If you just want to relax or read a book for a few hours you could try one of the local palm tree lined beaches.

Volunteer placements here also work with a local community center, and volunteers can also participate in English-teaching lessons and games for disadvantaged children. It is a great chance to get involved and build good relationships with the local kids.

During the evening, meet up with fellow volunteers and choose from a number of acoustic bars where you can listen to live music, play pool, and, of course, grab a mic and join in the national love for karaoke. Or for a more chilled evening, sit along the waterfront of Magsaysay for some delicious barbeque.

Included in your placement fee are 2 excursions. These are organised day trips with the in-country staff. They include an excursion with your homestay and sponsored kids, and an excursion with fellow volunteers, which may include visiting the beautiful beaches of Samar, visiting some of the orphanage and street children projects in neighboring cities, or venturing to stunning Lake Danao in the mountains.

Highlights

Manu Biosphere Nature Reserve

Manu National Park is one of the largest natural protected areas in the world. To see biodiversity on such an unparalleled scale is such a special experience. This UNESCO world heritage site contains about 15,000 species of plants, 250 varieties of trees, 800 species of birds and 200 species of mammals, including the endangered Jaguar.

Safari in Ghana

Compared to the likes of Kenya or Namibia, Ghana is lesser known for its wildlife safari, but its diversity of species is no less impressive. It has 16 National Parks and several natural reserves and protected areas, comprising of varied ranges of habitats. These include wetland lagoons, salt pans along the Gold Coast and a tropical guinea rainforest. Ghana is home to about 99 species of mammals including the largest land mammal, the African Elephant. There's also the hippopotamus, lion, leopard, hyena, chimpanzee, baboon, buffalo, antelope, 7 species of monkey, and much more. You can also spot about 750 species of birds in Ghana if you have a keen enough eye and can keep a good tally of the ones that you’ve already seen!

Swim with Whale Sharks

Donsol, a village on the Luzon peninsula, is one of the best places in the world to swim with the largest fish in our seas. To swim with these gentle giants, which grow up to 18m in length, is an unbelievable experience and highly recommended if you have time to explore. Peak months to see these great fish are between February and May.

Itinerary