Volunteering
Volunteer work in and around Cusco
Volunteer work in Cusco
At Mundo Antiguo, we serve as an intermediary between students and various projects and organizations in Cusco that require support. Our role is to connect students with opportunities to contribute meaningfully to these initiatives. We carefully ensure that the organizations we partner with genuinely need the assistance they request, creating a positive and impactful experience for all parties involved.
To cover administrative costs, Mundo Antiguo charges a fee of $30. In addition, each organization requests a donation, which typically ranges from $50 to $100. Some organizations may charge a higher donation if the volunteer is staying with them for an extended period.
In some cases, there are opportunities for internships. If you’re interested in pursuing this option, please feel free to reach out to us for further coordination.
A day as a volunteer with Mundo Antiguo
A day as a volunteer with Mundo Antiguo is designed to be both flexible and rewarding, balancing Spanish classes with meaningful volunteer work.
Your Schedule: Each day, you’ll either have your Spanish classes in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on your volunteer schedule. If you’re volunteering in the morning, your Spanish lessons will take place in the afternoon, and vice versa. This gives you the flexibility to make the most of both your learning and volunteering experiences. Spanish classes are typically 2 to 4 hours long, and your volunteer work usually lasts about 4 hours per day.
Getting Started: On your first day, don’t worry about navigating the city alone. Our Social Coordinator will accompany you to your volunteer project, showing you the local buses and ensuring you’re comfortable with the route. We’ll also introduce you to the project coordinator so you can get to know each other and receive all the necessary information. When you arrive, you’ll hand over your donation directly to the project coordinator—everything will be well organized from the start!
Lunch Break: You will have a short break during the day for lunch. If you’re staying with a host family, they will usually provide a box lunch, or you can choose to explore local dining options.
Your Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll either head back to your volunteer project or attend your Spanish classes, depending on your schedule. Some projects also offer the possibility to volunteer full-time, and in these cases, we recommend taking your Spanish classes first before fully dedicating your time to volunteering.
End of the Day: Once your volunteering or Spanish classes are over, you’ll take the local bus back to your accommodation, whether it’s your homestay, a student apartment, or another place. The evenings are your time to relax, reflect, and enjoy Cusco at your own pace. Additionally, you are welcome to join the activities coordinated by Mundo Antiguo for all students, such as free salsa lessons, group dinners, language exchange events, football nights, and more. These activities provide a fun and relaxed way to connect with other students and enjoy your time in Cusco.
Benefits of coordinating your volunteering through Mundo Antiguo
1. You will receive a good preparation
In our special course Spanish and volunteering you will learn the specific vocabulary that you need for your volunteer work in Cusco. We recommend this course if you are going to volunteer in any of the projects we offer. You will get ideas and you will have to solve standard situations you can encounter in your volunteer work during our practical classes.
2. You can use your talents in the volunteer work
We do not place you in just any volunteer project. We read your resume / curriculum vitae carefully, so we can provide you the volunteer job that fits you. Most of all, we are looking for a quality match between you and the project. Because we understand that you want to get something done during the period of your volunteer work using the talents you have. So you can do an outstanding job!
3. You do not pay a lot of money to help a fellow human being
For our mediation we ask for a compensation of $ 30 to cover our costs. And the projects ask for a donation that you pay directly to the project. As far as we know, Mundo Antiguo is the only organization that does not put any conditions for facilitating your volunteer work in Cusco.
After your arrival in Cusco we invite you for a personal conversation in which we tell you more about the social problems of Peru and the situation in the volunteering project. You can ask us any question you might have and we will advise you about your volunteering. Moreover we visit the project together, to help you out a bit. That way you know where it is, how to get there and we introduce you to the people working in the project. And if you still have questions after that, you are always welcome to ask us.
The volunteer projects
We prefer to offer only a limited amount of projects where you can volunteer in Cusco, since these are the projects we really believe in. This way we can maintain a good relationship with these projects, while offering you good and useful volunteer work in Peru!
We also offer the possibility to do your internship in Cusco.
