Support Team Member in a home for Girls at Risk

I spent 4 unforgettable weeks working for Volunteers Peru at the Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte Girls' Home. The Casa Hogar is a great institution giving home to girls aged from 3 to 17. As a volunteer you will mainly work in the afternoons and thus, spend more time with the younger girls as the older ones have classes until the late afternoon or early evening. The girls are welcoming you in a lovely way, taking you by the hand the moment you arrive at the Casa Hogar and asking you to play with them. This gives you an easy start and is a great experience especially if you are planning to only stay for some weeks and not several months. During holidays we played a lot with the girls and often brought some nice games or puzzles from our office. Eva as the current project manager of Volunteers Peru is very helpful and whenever you have a good idea of what could be done with or for the girls she is more than willing to help you with the realization.

I also really enjoyed living in Arequipa and you can use the mornings and weekends to explore the beautiful city or go on trips. Working for Volunteers Peru means to be part of a great team and spending time with other motivated volunteers at the project. I highly appreciated the great preparation I got before I came to Peru by receiving a pre-departure guide and being able to ask Eva as many questions as I had. I can only recommend Volunteers Peru as a great NGO and the Casa Hogar as a valuable project that is more than worth to spend your time with.

Having spent 7 months working for Volunteers Peru with the girls at the Torre Fuerte Home, it seems almost impossible to describe how incredible of an experience this really was for me. There were many days filled with jokes, laughter, piggy-back rides, games in the courtyard, turns on the swings, homework happily completed and chores willingly done. But there were also times of great challenge. And I think that might be the most important thing for any potential volunteer to know - that because these precious little ladies have come from such tumultuous situations in life, there are bound to be moments and even entire days in which they will test the very fiber of your being with their sometimes unpredictable behavior. But the days and the moments in which you can share a laugh, a smile, a victory, big or small, a hug, a high five, a sweet story or even a cuddle will be much more frequent, and will instantly turn your heart to mush. From the moment you walk through the door and they call you hermana to the moment they beg you not to go, and demand to know when you will be back, you will likely find yourself as smitten as I was.
Devote at least 4 weeks, if you can. Give yourself a chance to really get to know these girls and ample opportunity to love on them. It's a decision you will not regret and you may find yourself a bit different of a person when you leave. :)

Volunteers Peru is an excellent organization based in Arequipa. I spent 3 weeks volunteering at the Casa Hogar home for girls every afternoon, helping the girls with their homework, and just spending time with them.The entire atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed, with the needs of the girls as the primary focus. The girls were all super sweet, and loved having us come and visit. The other volunteers were also lovely, and it was really fun going for meals together after our afternoons with the girls. If you are looking to volunteer with children in Arequipa, I would 100% recommend getting in contact with Volunteers Peru.

Volunteers Peru is such a wonderful organization to be a part of. During my short 2 weeks as a volunteer, I stayed in the Honey House (where most volunteers stay), which is a quiet hostel in a great location to catch a ride to the girls' home or to explore central Arequipa. We visited the girls' home daily during the week; our main activities included helping with school work, coming up with crafts and games to do with the girls, and assisting the girls with their assigned chores if needed. The girls are so sweet, and I always felt welcomed in their home. I was only at a conversational level of Spanish (not fluent), and I had no problem communicating with the girls; even if you are just beginning to learn Spanish, the girls are so patient and will no doubt try to help you if they notice you struggling. I am grateful to have been a part of this growing project, welcomed by program directors who are truly dedicated to the mission and who work to form a close-knit community with volunteers/supporters and the girls at Torre Fuerte. I would highly recommend reaching out to Volunteers Peru if you are interested in volunteering abroad or even just curious about their project!