• If you’re interested in volunteering in Central/South America but aren’t sure what type of project to choose then why not try our Experience Everything gap year package which includes a variety of different projects which will give you the opportunity to “experience everything” on your trip to the Americas. Latin America has so much to offer in the way of stunning landscapes, diverse plant and animal species, adventure activities, and rich, colourful cultures making it a perfect destination to explore on your gap year or career break. Despite having a wealth of natural resources South America is still inflicted with a large amount of poverty and there are many projects that are desperate for volunteer support. We’ve combined a number of different types of projects on this gap year package to give you a varied and exciting experience. Starting in Belize you can get your hands dirty and build sustainable living facilities for orphans; then you will move on to Ecuador and get involved with an innovative project that takes education out onto the streets to give child labourers the chance of a better future before finally heading down to Peru, home of the mysterious Machu Piccu, to help care for and rehabilitate indigenous wildlife in an animal rescue shelter. By choosing to volunteer with Kaya on your gap year you will have a positive impact on both Latin America’s people and it’s wildlife whilst having a whole lot of fun at the same time!

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  Animal Rescue Sanctuary for Indigenous Wildlife

  Peru

  Volunteer abroad in Peru and spend time working in a locally run animal sanctuary situated in the beautiful province of San Sebastian just outside of Cusco. The sanctuary itself was founded by the ...

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  Build a Sustainable Home for Orphans in Belize

  Belize

  By volunteering in Belize get involved in a home building project to give back to orphaned communities in need of support, encouragement, respect and love. This is a self-sustainable community farm...

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  Children’s Outreach Providing Education for Child Labour at the Markets

  Ecuador

  It’s a sad reality to see children, often as young as three years old, working upwards of ten hours a day in the markets, streets and countryside of Ecuador to support their financially struggling ...

Project Facts

• Duration: 12 or 36 weeks (4 or 12 weeks in each country)
• Cost: £3218 for 12 weeks, £6668 for 36 weeks
• Requirements: age 18+
• Location: San Ignacio, Belize / Quito, Ecuador / Cusco, Peru
• Project activities: Teach English, provide one-on-one tutoring, building work and other manual labour, feeding and caring for animals, cleaning animal enclosures
• 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: 3 meals per day - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Airport pick up and drop off
• Training: Predeparture information and onsite orientation
• Support: 24 hour support
• Excursions: Staff can help to arrange extra weekend activities (activity price may be extra)

What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas

Role of the volunteer

In Belize volunteers will participate in construction initiatives to help create outbuildings and to support the farm development work. You will have the opportunity to assist in many aspects of construction and learn ecological architecture such as sandbag construction and feeder roads built with old tires. Your volunteer placement will also involve helping in the construction of waterless composting latrines and wood conservation stove and ovens. We are constantly working to develop the farm which will in the future, raise animals so you will also be involved in developing the areas to house the animals.

With appropriate support and teacher training, volunteers in Ecuador will assist the full time staff in developing lessons and teaching the weekly education themes. The program uses dynamic methods, including song, dance, art, and movement to create a healthy, educational environment for the children and to engage the whole family. The organization visits two markets a day at regular intervals, with both morning and afternoon sessions of about two and a half hours each. Volunteers travel to the work sites, assist in setting up the pop-up tent schools, and play/learn/interact with the children. Social workers are also brought in to counsel the families, as often these children come from backgrounds of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or live with family members who abuse substances. The organization also has intense summer programs with engaging arts, dance, music and sports activities for the underserved community in its surrounding area.

Volunteers in Peru will support the animal sanctuary in a number of different areas including guiding tourists around the site, feeding the animals and helping to build additional rooms on site. If you have any other animal related skills there may be the possibility to design additional activities for you based around these skills. There may also be the opportunity to organize trips for the local children to help educate them as to the real threat of local animals being sold on the black market, and to raise awareness of the work on the sanctuary. Should you wish, you can also spend afternoons teaching English in the local community.

Skills Required

In Belize as a volunteer on this project, you should be prepared to get your hands dirty and have a real enthusiasm to get stuck in wherever you are needed. Any skills and experience in construction or farming will be very welcome. You will also need a fair level of fitness to complete the manual work involved in this project.

In Ecuador volunteers should be open, flexible, patient, caring passionate, creative and come with a spirit of collaboration and solidarity. Interest in social work, early childhood education and social justice a plus.

No special skills are required for the project in Peru, however anyone with an animal related profession or degree are very welcomed. Outside of the feeding and rehabilitation practices of the animal sanctuary, the project team also needs guides, web designers, biologists and other skilled volunteers to help develop and raise the profile of the wonderful work the Chavez Family are doing. No Spanish necessary.

Your life outside the project

In the afternoon in Belize walk downtown and check out San Ignacio. Grab a snack or meal at any of the local cafes or street vendors. Take a stroll to the river and go for a swim. Join in a soccer or basketball game at any of the number of parks around town. Meet up with other volunteers in the evening at one of the local hotspots to hang out, catch some live music, or possibly join a trivia game. There are local clubs for dancing where you can hear Reggaeton, Punta, Soca, and other music popular in Belize. Looking for a low-key evening? You can check out a movie in Cayo, go for ice cream, or get a fresh-squeezed juice from one of the many market stands. On free weekends, volunteers can organize a weekend trip to the coast to go snorkelling or enjoy the keys.

Volunteers in Ecuador have a variety of activities to choose from. Those who prefer city amenities can look forward to an active nightlife, museums and galleries, good restaurants, spas, casino gaming and more; outdoor types will be thrilled by the diversity of amazing beaches, mountains and natural parks, and all the outdoor sports that accompany them. And those looking to go to the heart of nature will find the Amazon, Andes and coastal projects a real get-away from it all.

In Peru the landscape surrounding Cusco and the Sacred Valley make living here both beautiful and entertaining. There are dozens of different hikes in the area, to hot springs, glaciers, ruins, etc. As the centre of the mighty Incan Empire, tons of incredible ancient ruins, both popular and virtually unknown, are easily reachable. Cusco, just an hour away from Urubamba, also has a very lively nightlife so there is something to do every night of the week. It is also very easy and inexpensive to get to both Chile and Bolivia.

The Sacred Valley is split into a number of different regions and towns, with 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.

Highlights

Kayaking the Belizean Waterways

Raft a 20-mile stretch of the Macal River. This small, steep, and technical route brings you through drop pools, mazelike channels, and big waterfalls in class IV whitewater. Led by guides who have rafted all over the world, you know it's got to be good when even they get excited about it. Groups are small (six people), and the wildlife abundant — tapirs, iguanas, and river otters are just a few of the species to be seen.

Paragliding in the Andes

View the spectacular views of the Ecuadorian Andes through the thrilling experience of paragliding. Carry out a tandem flight and no experience is required. The best places to paraglide are Crucita Beach, Pichincha Mountains and the cliffs above Canoa.

Manu Biosphere Nature Reserve in Peru

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.

Itinerary