Volunteer with Kiya Survivors in Peru

Kiya Survivors is based in Urubamba, an indigenous village in the valley of the same name near Cusco, perhaps better known as the Sacred Valley.

Kiya is dedicated to children and youth with special needs, which include speech or visual/hearing problems, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or abuse survivors.Kiya is dedicated to children and youth with special needs, which include speech or visual/hearing problems, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or abuse survivors, through rehabilitation, free physiotherapy, social work, and psychological services. Working with parents and the local community is also an important part of Kiya’s work.

Their Rainbow Centre has classrooms and therapy rooms, a cafeteria, a farm, and soccer field, and Kiya also operates the Rainbow House, a home for special-needs children who have been orphaned, abandoned, or abused. In 2008, Kiya helped open a second children’s home in northern Peru, where they also operate an early-education center. At the time of this writing, some 200 children and families were being served by Kiya.

The Urubamba river valley in Peru. Photo © Julia Manzerova, licensed Creative Commons Attribution & NoDerivatives.

Responsibilities are tailored to the interests and skills of the volunteer. Those interested in helping in the Rainbow Centre might work as teacher’s assistants, leading sports or drama activities, chaperoning an excursion, or helping to make bread, pizza, jewelry, or crafts, all of which are sold in the Rainbow Centre shop. Volunteers might teach English to local children and families, or to Kiya staff, or lend a hand with other practical skills such as building, decorating, woodworking, gardening, and performing administrative tasks. Interested volunteers can also have the chance to work alongside Kiya’s team of physiotherapists, speech therapists, and psychologists in individual or family therapy, or in house visits. Volunteers receive a two-day training (either in the United Kingdom or upon arrival in Peru) before they begin their work. The workday at the center runs 8:45am-2pm, and volunteers are expected to spend at least one afternoon per week at the Rainbow House.

Besides exploring the Incan ruins and indigenous villages of Peru’s Sacred Valley, volunteers can also arrange for Spanish lessons and participate in endless outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, and even paragliding.

Kiya Survivors

Urubamba, Peru
tel. 51/8420-1239
U.K. tel. 44/1273-721092

Application Process: Contact Kiya for the “booking form.” After that has been completed and a nonrefundable deposit (£200 or US$300) has been made, volunteers must provide references and, if 18 or older, a background check. Applying at least two months prior to your intended departure is recommended. Individual volunteers must be 18 or older; youth ages 14-18 are welcome as groups. Families are welcome, as long as it is understood that parents are responsible for their children.

Cost: US$1,375 for the “Basic” one-month package. “Standard” is US$2,535 and includes hotels and tours in Lima and Cusco, as well as the flight between the two cities, while “Full” is $3,420 and includes meals as well. All variations include a donation to the program. The two-week youth group programs are customized, so the price varies, but as a ballpark figure, a 14-day all-inclusive trip for 12 youth and two chaperones could be about US$3,200 per person (excluding international flights).

Placement Length: One-month minimum (two weeks for groups).

Language Requirements: None.

Housing: Kiya has a volunteer house but can also arrange for a homestay for an additional cost. Meals are only included in the “Full” program.

Operating Since: 2001

Number of Volunteers: 27 individuals and three youth groups in 2012.

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Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Volunteer Vacations in Latin America.