Do I have to fit a certain profile to work as a volunteer at Incawasi?

We are looking for volunteers who have something to offer! Being a qualified doctor, nurse, psychologist or teacher does not always mean you have the most to give. If you have cared for children before or even if you haven´t and want to start, you are most welcome. Enthusiasm and dedication are the most important aspects in a volunteer.

Do I have to speak Spanish to work as a volunteer?

We could say 'the more the better'. An intermediate Spanish level is needed to deal with the children, help them with their homework etc. You will improve your Spanish very quickly while working with the children and living in Cajamarca, yet we do require you to have at least a low-intermediate Spanish level before coming, so communication is easy from the start.

How long should or can I work as a volunteer at Incawasi?

There is not a maximum limit on your time here, but the minimum time you can spend working with the kids is two months. A rapid cycle of volunteers would be too difficult for the children, who need a certain time to make friends and learn to trust a new volunteer. 
We also find volunteers make the most of their experience when staying an amount of time which enables them to get to know each child and learn how to work with them, something which obviously takes time.

Where do I live and what about the food?

Working as a volunteer, you live in the Incawasi centre. While our work is stationed on the first floor, there is an apartment-like-area upstairs, including dorms, a living-room, 2 bathrooms and a balcony.
Breakfast is paid for by Incawasi. We take turns going to the market to buy fresh fruit, bread and eggs amongst other things. Volunteers then can have a warm lunch with the children, cooked by our in-house cook.

Do I have to pay anything for working as a volunteer?

Yes, you have to pay for working as a volunteer, even if it sounds silly paying for volunteer work! We do not receive any money from the government or other organizations. Our only income therefore comes from the volunteers who work in the centre, and from the occasional donations which the founders and ex-volunteers manage to put together in fundraising events.
The monthly donation we ask of our volunteers is very small in comparison with the amount of our daily expenditure. With this money volunteers help the association in its daily costs: bills, food, school materials, cleaning products, and so on.
The payment for the first 3 months here is $300 a month, while fees for longer stays are to be negotiated with the organizers.