If you are particularly interested in culture and history as well as supporting the local population, than our volunteer project in Cajamarca is your destiny. The Cajamarca district, located in the northern highlands of Peru, is one of the poorest in Peru. It is here where Volunteer Work Latin America has been arranging volunteer placements at a nutritional and educational center for underprivileged children.

Thanks to the help of our volunteers, 40 children living in extreme poverty now have a chance to enjoy recreational activities and get help with their homework, as well as receive a warm meal, medical attention and counseling to which they otherwise never would have access to. Volunteers are also invited to participate and organize weekend trips, fundraisers and family workshops.

In the two months that you live and volunteer in Peru at this social volunteer project you will get acquainted with an exceptionally friendly and noble culture. The following video gives you an impression of what life is like at the center:

Besides the charming city with its Inca Baths and many astonishing treks to choose from, there is also plenty to see and explore in the surrounding regions:

Kuelap
If you are adventurously inclined you should definitely visit the city of Chachapoyas, the capital of the Amazonas Region. The rather isolated Chachapoyas culture, also called the Warriors of the Clouds because of their fierce resistance to being subjugated by the Inca troops in the regions’ cloud forests, were also responsible for erecting Kuelap, a mighty fortress with more than 400 buildings and massive exterior walls of stone. These ancient ruins, known as the Machu Picchu of the north, receive very few visitors due to its remote location but are worth every single effort of getting there.

Trujillo
More tradition and history awaits you when traveling west to the warm and beautiful northwestern coastline of Peru. The colonial city of Trujillo is known as the cultural capital of Peru due to its many festivals (like the typical Marinera dance festival) and its close proximity to important archeological sites. Most famous are the Mochica Temples of the Sun and Moon made entirely out of mud, Huaca del Sol y de la Luna, and the iconic ruins of Chan Chan.

Chan Chan
This vast adobe brick complex is the largest Pre-Colombian city in South America and an absolute masterpiece of town planning. It holds many significant palaces and walls creating a labyrinth of passageways. The intrinsic and symbolic motifs on its facades only add to the exceptional splendor of what used to be the imperial capital of the Chimu civilization.

Royal Tombs of Sipan
In the last decades some extraordinary archaeological discoveries have been made a little further up the coast near Chiclayo. The notorious tombs were found intact and offer us a unique insight into the incredible affluence of the grand lord of the Moche civilization. In 1998 a new and fourth tomb has been revealed to the world and it has all the appearances that a new Valley of Kings is being unearthed, just as in Egypt.

Huanchaca
However, it is not only archeological talk of the day on the coast. Just visit the historic town of Huanchaca, also part of the Moche Route or Ruta Moche but famous for being a surfer’s paradise with beautiful beaches and a wonderful sunny climate. Here you can also catch an exciting ride on of the caballitos de totora, the ancient fishing rafts dating back to a time of over 3000 years ago, and taste some exquisitely prepared ceviche, the addictive seafood dish of Peru.

So, if you love to learn more about the fascinating cultural heritage of North Peru, which is still evidenced in the people of today, than we invite you to volunteer in Cajamarca. The great majority of the locals do not benefit from tourism and their only hope for a better future is your vital aid to the program.

Contact us if you like to receive more info regarding the requirements, accommodation and our Lima Welcome package. VLA is there to arrange everything from A – Z.

Prepare to be amazed!